A Siouxland transgender person is airing criticism of the new Iowa law that removes gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
The law taking effect on July 1 will end state anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in housing, employment, public accommodations and more.
The bill was passed last week, and Governor Kim Reynolds signed it on February 28.
Max Pospisil, a transgender man who is studying at Morningside University, said Reynolds is trying to ingratiate herself with President Donald Trump, by punching down on a marginalized group.
“It is going to be much harder for transgender Iowans to find jobs, find housing, and it can even impact what hotels we are allowed to stay in,” he said.
Reynolds said the law is needed to prevent courts from overturning Iowa’s other laws that restrict transgender rights in school bathrooms and sports teams. She said it is a common sense law, since “the civil rights code blurred the biological line between the sexes. It has also forced Iowa taxpayers to pay for gender reassignment surgeries. And that’s unacceptable to me.”
Iowa Safe Schools, which advocates for LGBTQ youth, says this makes Iowa the first state to actively roll back civil rights.
*Additionally, it appears the railway bridge that collapsed into a Sioux City river after historic flooding last summer will be replaced by this July.
According to a city of Sioux City press release, crews will begin working in overnight shifts to replace the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway bridge over the Big Sioux River starting Tuesday, March 4.
Crews will now add the overnights onto the daytime work, to shorten the overall project timeline, which was delayed while awaiting federal permits.
The contractor for the work is Ames Construction, and the projected completion is in July.
The bridge collapsed into the Big Sioux after the river rose to a record high of 45 feet.
*In other news, changes could be coming to libraries in Iowa and South Dakota.
Libraries in Iowa would not receive state assistance if they’re dues-paying members of a national nonprofit like the American Library Association.
A bill that advanced in both legislative chambers last week specifies that libraries can’t receive assistance, if an organization that they’re a part of, engages in advocacy at the federal or state level.
The state money is administered through the program Enrich Iowa. It provides direct state aid to libraries for improving services and reducing inequities among communities.
Cheryl Elsloo is a lobbyist with Protect My Innocence, who says state funding should not go towards organizations with what she called a “radical progressive agenda.”
Opponents of the bill say grants and advocacy efforts from groups like the American Library Association have helped libraries across the state stay open.
Iowa code says state money is intended to supplement library funds, not replace the money they receive from other sources, such as local municipalities.
*In related news, the South Dakota State Library budget is likely to be slashed, and 12 of the current 21 employees would be cut.
The legislative Joint Committee on Appropriations in late February advanced a bill making cuts to state library funding. That large cut has drawn criticism, but committee members say this bill is a happy medium that “saves” the state’s library system.
Former Gov. Kristi Noem initially proposed a $1 million cut to the State Library budget in order to slim down the state’s budget. Critics say that will lead to losses in crucial areas for libraries across the state.
The new bill proposes $825,000 in cuts, but is looked at more favorably by opponents. That’s because it lets the state remain eligible for federal grants – to the tune of nearly $1.4 million.
The next action on the bill will come from South Dakota House members.
*Additionally, a new playscape area could be coming to the grounds of the Dickinson County Nature Center in Northwest Iowa.
Lee Sorenson, Director of the Dickinson County Conservation Board, said officials are discussing plans with a firm with playscape design expertis.
As originally reported by Explore Okoboji News, the new playscape is estimated to cost just over $2 million, and about $400,000 is already pinpointed to pay for it.
The playscape will be a bit bigger than the current one, and the project could begin by early fall.
