Local governments would be banned from adopting civil rights protections that are broader than the Iowa Civil Rights Act under a bill advanced by a House subcommittee. Governor Reynolds signed a law last year that removed gender identity as a characteristic protected under Iowa’s civil rights law. Coralville and Iowa City have adopted resolutions providing local protections for gender identity. Katie Freeman, a member of Coralville’s city council, says the bill interferes with local officials’ ability to respond to needs in their community. “The 2025 legislation is bad enough, but this one continues to overreach right into my town,” Freeman said. “A community, a city, a county have a right to self govern based on the needs of their individual community.”
Republicans on another House subcommittee OK’d a bill that says Iowans are allowed to raise guide and instruct a child in a manner consisted with the child’s sex at birth. Critics say the bill would legalize conversation therapy.
