SOME IOWANS ARE STILL RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT SENATE FILE 496, A BILL THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE RELATING TO CHILDREN AND STUDENTS, INCLUDING ESTABLISHING A PARENT’S OR GUARDIAN’S RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS AFFECTING THE PARENT’S OR GUARDIAN’S CHILD.
THERE ARE SEVERAL PARTS TO THE BILL, INCLUDING PROHIBITING INSTRUCTION RELATED TO GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN SCHOOL AND LIBRARY PROGRAMS.
REPUBLICAN HOUSE DISTRICT 2 STATE REPRESENTATIVE BOB HENDERSON OF SIOUX CITY SAYS SOME PEOPLE THINK THERE’S A PROVISION RELATING TO BANNING BOOKS:
SFBILL1 OC…….IN THE SCHOOLS. :14
HENDERSON SAYS THERE IS A SPECIFIC SUBSECTION OF THE BILL THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO DRAW THAT CONCERN FROM:
SFBILL2 OC……….THAT’S IT. :22
HENDERSON SAYS IF YOU READ THE BILL AND THE STATE CODE REFERRED TO, YOU WILL SEE IT IS NOT A BOOK BANNING BILL, BUT A MEASURE TO PREVENT EXPOSING YOUNG PEOPLE TO EXPLICIT MATERIALS:
SFBILL3 OC……ANYTHING ABOUT THEM. :20
HENDERSON SAYS SOME OF THE MATERIALS FOUND IN SOME SCHOOLS WERE VERY EXPLICIT, AND NOT JUST THE PRINTED TEXT:
SFBILL4 OC…….CERTAINLY IN SCHOOL. :18
THE BILL ALSO AUTHORIZES THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT ENROLLED IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ENROLL THE STUDENT IN ANOTHER ATTENDANCE CENTER WITHIN THE SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT IN CERTAIN SPECIFIED CIRCUMSTANCES, AND MODIFIES PROVISIONS RELATED TO STUDENT HEALTH SCREENINGS.