House Study Bill 60, introduced on Jan. 22, states, "A private institution of higher education shall not, except as otherwise provided by federal or state law or accreditation standards, establish, sustain, support, or staff a diversity, equity, and inclusion office."
Schools that violate this new regulation "shall be ineligible to participate in the Iowa tuition grant program as of the next academic year beginning thereafter."
The bill has reportedly faced opposition from some, with one Drake University student comparing DEI's end to the institution of Jim Crow-era oppression. But Josiah Oleson, director of elections and family advocate at The Family Leader, says lawmakers have good reason to ban the framework.
"They may have been well intentioned when they started, but the fact is we've seen that the DEI programs have not unified us more as a people," he tells AFN. "If anything, they've divided us."
While it is too early to say whether the bill will pass, Oleson does not expect it to during this legislative session.
"Right now, the bill does not have a Senate companion," he explains. "It's only in the House, and it hasn't gone through full committee yet. So, that remains to be seen. The Iowa Legislature works part time, but they do work every year, so they'll be back in session next year as well."
Oleson points out that Republicans currently have supermajorities in both chambers. Still, that does not necessarily guarantee passage of the legislation.
House Study Bill 60 mirrors state legislation signed into law in May, which mandates the removal of DEI offices in Iowa's public colleges and universities.
