Nine Iowa Senate Democrats have sponsored a bill that would amend state law to declare the “common thread binding individuals” in Iowa includes, in addition to the English language, “any other language deemed necessary to achieve the purposes of the state.”
The bill, Senate File 68, was filed by Sen. Janet Petersen and cosponsored by Democrat Senators Claire Celsi, Bill Dotzler, Todd Taylor, Molly Donahue, Izaah Knox, Sarah Trone Garriott, Tony Bisignano and Zach Wahls.
The Iowa Catholic Conference, Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice and Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence have registered in support of the bill.
The Iowa Minuteman Civil Defense Corps registered against it.
Democrat Gov. Tom Vilsack signed the “Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act” into law in 2002, which made English the official language of Iowa.
Supporters of the effort claim Iowa’s law hampered pandemic recovery, according to Axios.