Iowa Democrats aren’t happy about the idea of repealing an Iowa law that requires equal representation among genders on various state boards and commissions.
State Sen. Jason Schultz sponsored a bill during the legislative session that would remove gender quotas from state boards and commissions and from local commissions. The bill went through the committee process in the Senate before it stalled.
His premise was simple — government needs to get out of the way and just allow the most qualified person to be on the board.
But Democrat State Sen. Claire Celsi opposed the measure, saying most women in government and leadership positions she knows started on a board or a commission to “test their wings.”
She said she followed such a path and the “only way” she got a chance was because of the rules put in place on gender.
She said all women have experienced blocking by the “boys’ club” in some way or form.
Now that a state committee has recommended repealing the law, Democrats are again upset about the idea.
There’s an obvious question here, though — the gender balance project only appears to be in place for men and women, what about the other genders Democrats believe exist?
And, if it is important to have a mix of men and women on these boards and commissions, how do they define “man” and “woman?”
For example, if a male identifies as female and is placed on such a board or commission, does that person occupy one of the male spots or one of the female spots?
Senator Schultz is right, the need for such quotas is outdated. The government should get out of the way and simply allow the most qualified individuals to be on these boards and commissions.
Perhaps, if Democrats don’t want to see these quotas eliminated, Republicans should allow them to vote on an amendment that requires a gender balance for all the various genders Democrats believe there are today.
