In my last newsletter I reported on the use of the “Black Lives Matter” curriculum in the Ames Community School District (ACSD) and that the Government Oversight Committee would hold a public hearing on the issue. This hearing was a result of parents in Ames contacting the Republican committee members repeatedly with their concerns about this curriculum. On Monday, the attorney for ACSD sent an email to the committee chair, Rep. Holly Brink, cancelling the meeting between ACSD officials and the committee – less than 24 hours before the hearing was to be held.

Some of that curriculum included lessons on the disruption of the Western prescribed nuclear family, and lessons on students selecting their own “gender identity.” Many parents object to their children being taught how to disrupt their families and think it is not the school’s role to teach their children to select their gender identity. Additionally, other values held by the BLM organization are to defund local police departments and overturn voter ID laws. Parents expressed alarm about why a public school is engaged in pushing left-wing political messages using taxpayer funds to do so. Why the ACSD felt it was necessary to use their attorney to contact Brink to back out of a committee meeting is unclear. It is also unclear why the district needs an attorney to defend a curriculum endorsed by the school board and superintendent. Brink has rescheduled the district officials to appear on March 9.

This week the Iowa House of Representatives passed an election integrity and security bill. The bill had already passed the Senate. It now goes to the governor for review and signature. The election in 2020 saw record-breaking turnout in Iowa and with smooth administration due to the strong election system. House File 590 (HF590) builds on Iowa’s strong track record of integrity and security when it comes to elections. Republicans did not want to wait for irregularities or cracks in the system to appear before taking action.

HF590 ensures the integrity of the election in several ways, but one of the most important is confirming that election officials are held to a high standard of performance and establishing recourse for when an elected official defies the laws of the state or does not act in the best interest of the voter. HF590 creates and strengthens election misconduct penalties for any elected official or person who willfully fails to conduct their election duties, fails to perform proper voter registration list maintenance, or interferes with a voter or authorized person at a polling location.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

——

Dean Fisher is the state representative

for District 72. Contact him at

dean.fisher@legis.iowa.gov.