One of the issues more likely to stir up intense debate this session is the issue of what books and other materials are acceptable in our schools. At issue are the books generating discussion in school board meetings here in Iowa and nationwide that are clearly highly sexual in nature. Of particular note is the book “Gender Queer”, which includes explicit cartoon pictures depicting sex acts being committed between an adult and a child. While Republicans here at the capitol are working to restrict the access of pornographic materials to students and working to give parents more voice in their public schools, the Democrats are working in the opposite direction. A dozen Democrats in the House have filed a Resolution, House Joint Resolution 2001, calling for an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would bar the legislature from restricting any books or reading materials at any educational institution from Kindergarten through College. In plain language, the Democrats don’t want parents, the community, or the legislature getting in the way of distributing explicit sexual materials and other inappropriate material through our taxpayer-funded educational system. Needless to say, this resolution will not see the light of day in our Republican-led House. House Republicans will continue to work towards giving parents a stronger voice in their child’s education.
