Iowans filled a room at the Capitol Thursday morning to oppose a bill that would end a requirement for police to have yearly de-escalation and bias prevention training and remove references to affirmative action in state law.
Alexa Lara, a board member with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, said getting rid of efforts to rectify discrimination and historical oppression is terrible for Iowa.
“It is a bad state for people of color already,” she said. “People leave. I want to leave. There is nothing here for us. And when there’s bills like this presented, it just makes us feel even more that Iowa is not welcoming.”
Republicans on a House subcommittee voted to advance the bill. They were the only people at the meeting to speak in support of it.
“This bill ensures opportunities are awarded based on hard work, talent, qualifications, not skin color or gender,” said Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull. “It’s a step towards a colorblind justice aligning with the Constitution and the promises for all Americans.”
Bill would repeal part of 2020 police training law
The wide-ranging bill (HSB 668) would end a requirement for annual de-escalation and bias prevention training for law enforcement officers. That requirement was part of a police reform law passed unanimously in 2020 amid protests against the police killing of George Floyd.
Nick Alderman, a student at Cornell College, said this would be a dangerous step backwards.
“We should be expanding such programs and doing more to protect Iowans, not rolling them back to the 1800s,” he said.
Republican lawmakers didn’t mention this provision at the hearing. Later, when asked why the Legislature would repeal a law passed unanimously just a few years ago, House Speaker Pat Grassley did not directly address that part of the bill.
“The members that have been working on that started in a very broad place, and I think it obviously has work to do before it gets through the committee,” he said.
Grassley said the overall bill is being considered because Republicans believe Iowa “should be a merit-based state.”
Affirmative action references would be removed from state law
The bill would remove several references to affirmative action in Iowa law, which currently states it is “the policy of this state to apply affirmative action measures to correct deficiencies in the state employment system where those remedies are appropriate.” Language about promoting equal employment opportunity would remain in state law.
Adam Bessman, a Drake University student with the Iowa Queer Student Alliance, said affirmative action is meant to eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants and remedy past discrimination.
“If all that affirmative action and the similar policies that this bill seeks to eliminate are doing is ensuring that the values of our Constitution are being upheld for everybody — for women, for people of color, for everybody — why are you seeking to eliminate them?” Bessman asked.
Ben Lynch, a lawyer from Des Moines, said racial discrimination is still happening, and lawmakers should be lifting people up rather than passing laws that cause harm.
“When more Iowans succeed, the whole state benefits,” he said. “There is nothing woke about that. It’s common sense, and it’s the right thing to do, but maybe cruelty is the point here today.”
The Iowa Legislature has considered and passed several bills in recent years targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Last year, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law barring state entities — including cities, counties and community colleges — from having a diversity, equity and inclusion office or staff.
“With the policies we passed last year on diversity equity and inclusion, this bill is necessary to update code, and it also aligns with broader national trends across the country,” said Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle.
The bill would also remove some programs aimed at helping minority students go to college from state law.
Iowans raise concerns about changes to professional licensure law
Several members of the public raised concerns about part of the bill that would remove citizenship as a characteristic that cannot be used to deny a professional license to health care workers, engineers, real estate agents and more.
“Iowans are struggling to get physical and mental care,” said Chris Espersen of Des Moines. “Why don’t you fix these problems? Instead, you’re harming Iowans like my dad just because this will further decrease the health care workforce.”
Seth Brown, lobbyist for the Iowa Medical Society, said the organization is still assessing the bill, but some physicians are concerned this could affect foreign-born doctors who get permission to come to Iowa to fill gaps in the workforce.
Rep. Megan Srinivas, D-Des Moines, said the bill would legalize discrimination.
“I can’t say I’ve ever been this disappointed in something that has brought towards me in four years,” she said. “This is not the Iowa I want to build.”
The bill is now eligible for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee.
