An Iowa House subcommittee has approved a bill that would prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion programs at any private college or university in Iowa that participate in the state’s Tuition Grant program.
Representative Taylor Collins, a Republican from Mediapolis, is chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. “D.E.I. is D.O.A. in the state of Iowa and, for our private institutions, honestly this bill should be the least of their worries,” Collins said. “There’s an executive order that President Trump has signed that I think they should be worrying about much more than even this one.”
In January, Trump signed an executive order barring federal funds from being used for diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Last year, the state legislature ordered Iowa’s three public universities to shut down DEI programs at Iowa’s three public universities.
“It was a priority because I think Americans and Iowans are sick of identity politics,” Collins said during an appearance last weekend on “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS.
Representative Ross Wilburn, a Democrat from Ames, who was also a guest on the program said anti-D.E.I. rhetoric is meant to “stoke fear.”
“The president is blaming diversity, equity and inclusion for fires and plane crashes,” Wilburn said.
Over 8300 students at Iowa private colleges and universities have received an Iowa Tuition Grant this academic year. If the bill becomes law, Iowa’s private college students would be ineligible for a grant if their school has a diversity, equity and inclusion staff or a D,E,I. office. Cierra Jackson, a student in Drake University’s law school, said D.E.I programs give hope to young people like her.
“I did not believe in myself until I went to a higher institution that had a program there that was capable of supporting me and giving me the opportunities that I needed to succeed,” she said, “because I was born in a place that gave me no opportunity.”
In other action Wednesday, the House Higher Education Committee passed a bill that would require that students at Iowa, Iowa State and UNI pass a course on American history and civil government in order to graduate. The panel also passed a bill calling for creation of a School of Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. Both bills passed with the support of Republicans and opposition from Democrats.