• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
The Iowa Torch
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
The Iowa Torch
The Iowa Torch
No Result
View All Result
Home Education

Iowa Senate Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Gender Identity Instruction Advances

A bill prohibiting gender identity instruction in Iowa's elementary schools without parental or guardian consent advanced out of an Iowa Senate subcommittee.

Shane Vander HartbyShane Vander Hart
February 16, 2021
in Education, State Government
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Iowa Senate Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Gender Identity Instruction Advances

From Left: State Senators Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, Jim Carlin, R-Sioux City, and Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa

RELATED POSTS

Reynolds names Stephen Osborn Iowa’s new Adjutant General

State of Iowa invites feedback about where to spend broadband funding

Bird joins lawsuit against Biden Administration’s Parole Action

DES MOINES, Iowa – A bill, SF 167, prohibiting gender identity instruction in Iowa’s public and accredited non-public elementary schools without prior written parental or guardian consent advanced out of subcommittee on Tuesday. 

The bill addressed controversial curriculum used in elementary schools that teach a person’s gender identity can be different from their assigned sex at birth.

The subcommittee made up of State Senators Jim Carlin, R-Sioux City, Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, and Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, advanced the bill 2 to 1, with the Republicans signing on to approve the legislation. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The bill prohibits gender identity instruction for kindergarteners. The prohibition on gender identity instruction does not apply to students in first through sixth grades if prior written consent from parents and guardians is sought by the school. Children without written consent are allowed to opt-out of the lesson. 

Republicans on the committee said the bill’s goal is to protect young children from unsuitable, age-inappropriate content, especially when parents and guardians have not been notified.

“There are few things more beautiful than the innocence of a child. Recently, it has been taught to children as young as four years of age that their gender at birth may not be their gender identity. To sexualize the identity of a small child in their early formative years is unconscionable,” Carlin, who chaired the subcommittee, told The Iowa Torch. “Parents, in these instances, are often depicted as adversaries rather than lovingly concerned. When this happens, I regard it as an attack on that family.”

“Parents have every right to know when their children are taught any curriculum involving gender identity. SF 167 requires notice and consent of parents so that does not happen without their knowledge and opportunity to opt their children out,” he added.

Rozenboom said that opposing parental notification and consent is suspect. 

“The fact that the gender theory activists feel the need to hide this ‘instruction’ from parents is all I need to know,” Rozenboom told The Iowa Torch. “The family is the most basic social institution, and I’m appalled that these people believe they need to insert themselves between parents and children. I’m sad that we even have to have legislation to stop this horrible intrusion into Iowa’s families.”

The Iowa Torch reached out to Celsi, who opposed the bill, for comment, but she did not reply before publication.

SF 167 is sponsored by State Senators Carlin, Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, Craig Johnson, R-Independence, Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, Rozenboom, and Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway. 

The Iowa Senate Education Committee can now consider the bill.  

This bill follows a subcommittee hearing last week on another bill, SF 224, also sponsored and chaired by Carlin. That bill would prohibit people from using restrooms or locker rooms in public and accredited non-public schools inconsistent with their biological sex.

Read the bill below:

SF167
Tags: 2021 Iowa Legislative Session89th General Assemblyelementary educationgender identityIowa Senateparental rights
ShareTweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Wills Introduces Legislation as Iowa’s Check on Presidential Executive Power

Next Post

Iowa House Panels Advance Resolutions Calling for Constitutional Convention

Shane Vander Hart

Shane Vander Hart

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of The Iowa Torch.

Related Posts

Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts
State Government

Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts

January 24, 2023
The Iowa House Education Reform Committee debating HSB 1 on January 18, 2023.
State Government

School choice bill advances through legislative committees

January 19, 2023
two girls writing on paper
Opinion

Editorial: Make 2023 the year of school choice in Iowa

January 4, 2023
Whitver Announces Iowa Senate Committee Chairs, Vice Chairs
State Government

Iowa Senate committee chairs for 90th General Assembly announced

November 18, 2022
Speaker Pat Grassley Announces Updated Iowa House Committee Assignments
Politics

Republicans expand majorities in Iowa Legislature

November 9, 2022
Ernst Expresses Concern About Trump’s Upcoming Senate Impeachment Trial
Opinion

Ernst: Democrats’ misplaced priorities are creating problems for the rest of America

September 23, 2022
Next Post

Iowa House Panels Advance Resolutions Calling for Constitutional Convention

Iowa House Passes Bill Requiring Schools Administer Pledge of Allegiance

Iowa House Passes Bill Requiring Schools Administer Pledge of Allegiance

Sign-Up For Our Daily Updates

Get The Iowa Torch right in your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Recommended Articles

Mandelbaum Discusses Des Moines’ Revenue Shortfall

Mandelbaum Discusses Des Moines’ Revenue Shortfall

December 7, 2020
Iowa Carry Permit Applications Drops More Than 50 Percent Compared to July 2020

Iowa Carry Permit Applications Drops More Than 50 Percent Compared to July 2020

August 4, 2021
three black and white cows

Miller-Meeks: Support Iowa’s dairy farmers

June 6, 2022

Popular Stories

  • Hendrickson: Fiscal Conservatism Works

    Hendrickson: Placing Iowa’s income tax on the road to elimination

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ingstad & Hendrickson: Iowa education reforms point to what’s next

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • State of Iowa invites feedback about where to spend broadband funding

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ernst: Investigation proves group that funneled tax dollars into Chinese labs can’t be trusted.

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Iowa Dept. of Revenue Releases 2022 Individual Tax Brackets, Interest Rates, and Deductions

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

The Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans

Categories

  • Education
  • Federal Government
  • Iowa History
  • Local Government
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • State Government
  • Uncategorized
  • Uncategorized

Newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.