From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
Today, the State Board of Regents is expected to start the process to remove DEI requirements from statewide curriculum. Earlier this year, both the Iowa Senate and the House proposed legislation that would prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion and critical race theory from being a required part of college curriculum, but both bills died out before the end of session. Now, the Iowa Board of Regents is looking to make it a policy all public universities in the state must follow. Critics say it is censorship and will impact students in fields like social work, sociology, or political science.
Democrat Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls is expected to launch his campaign for the U.S. Senate today. It’s another challenge to Senator Joni Ernst, who is expected to seek a third term. Wahls, from Coralville, is joining several others in the race for the seat, including Democrats J.D. Scholten and Nathan Sage, along with Republicans Joshua Smith and Jim Carlin. Senator Ernst has not officially announced she’s running for re-election, but has hired a manager for a re-election campaign.
A complaint was filed yesterday by the Satanic Temple claiming discrimination by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and other officials. The group drew attention when someone vandalized its display in the State Capitol rotunda in 2023. The Satanic Temple says it faced discrimination when Reynolds and officials who approve events taking place at the State Capitol building denied its request to hold a winter celebration in the rotunda. The group says it agreed to modify its program, but the request was still denied. They say that’s a violation of the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The ACLU of Iowa is representing the group.
The Benton County Board of Supervisors denied a proposal to use land to build a recycling center for wind turbine blades. More than 30 people gathered to hear Destructable Inc.’s proposal for property near Mount Auburn. Amid environmental safety concerns, Destructable said it only shreds inside its planned building, which would minimize any dust and protect air quality in the area. Despite the assurances, the Board denied the plan, citing the possible impacts on adjacent properties.
