A bill passed by the Iowa House would set new K-12 social studies standards. High schoolers would be required to take a civics and Western civilization class, plus another class in U.S. history.
The bill (HF 2510) language was borrowed from the conservative organization Civics Alliance. The standards say that history classes would cover the “exceptional and praiseworthy” histories of the U.S. and Western civilization.
Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, voted against the bill, saying it’s “slanted” and overly prescriptive.
In 2024, GOP lawmakers passed a similar law to review the state’s social studies standards, but they said the new standards fall short of their goals.
The bill passed 60-36 and next heads to the Senate.