Iowa lawmakers questioned Iowa’s public school leaders on procedures to review so-called “inappropriate” library books after parents raised concerns about book content last week during an Iowa House Government Oversight Committee hearing.

Earlier this month, the panel met with a conservative group of parents from the Iowa chapter of Moms for Liberty. The group touts popular Republican policies in education like parental rights to review curriculum.

Iowa House and Senate Republicans introduced and pushed legislation that prohibits instruction on gender identity and sexuality in some grade levels. This ban would include prohibiting teachers from requiring students to read books covering these topics. Other legislation like House File 261, which was spearheaded by the Republican Majority, would remove books that contain so-called “inappropriate” topics from Iowa school curriculums and libraries.

Iowa Republicans investigate “culture war” topics

Iowa House Republicans have increasingly invested political ambition into “culture war” topics or socially conservative policies. Recently, Republicans in the House and Senate introduced a trove of legislation faced at critical race theory, LGBTQ+ topics, and other policies they say are penetrating education.

On Feb. 21, Sen. Sandy Salmon, a Republican from Janesville, introduced legislation that would ban minors from attending drag performances.

Iowa is not the only state attempting to ban drag performances. Tennessee recently passed a bill that would ban drag shows and gender-affirming care for minors.

House Republicans investigate gender-affirming medical care in oversight panel

On Thursday, lawmakers on the Iowa House Government Oversight Committee questioned Katie Imborek, the co-director of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’ LGBTQ+ clinic, and Dave Williams, the chief medical officer of UnityPoint Health, about medical care for transgender youth.

Republican lawmakers focused their questioning on the bad outcomes cited in some studies and questioned current guidance on gender-affirming care. Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, asked Imborek about current treatment guidelines for minors and gender reassignment surgery.

Imborek said UI Hospitals and Clinics do not currently perform genital reassignment surgery on minors, but they do perform “top” surgery — or gender-affirming breast tissue removal surgery — in certain cases. However, the hospital normally treats patients with puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy until a patient has been socially and medically transitioned for a significant amount of time.

House Republicans investigate parental rights

Representatives from the Urbandale Community School District said they received input from parents both in favor of and against removing books from their children’s education.

“Parents in the Urbandale Community School District are welcome to review curriculum, review library catalogs, and review specific instructional materials for their child’s classes by contacting their classroom teacher(s),” Dena Claire, the Urbandale Community School District communications director, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan.

Similarly, in the Waukee Community School District, Superintendent Brad Buck said his district works with parents to inform them of the district policies and ensure there is communication between teachers, librarians, and parents.

The Iowa Association of School Boards Director Lisa Bartusek said its policy for reviewing educational materials and books aims to ensure transparency from the school district and parents. Bartusek said the policies’ goals are to adhere to the educational philosophy of the districts.

“So, there’s a policy and a regulation that instructional materials support the educational philosophy and goals of the district that they consider the needs, age, and maturity of the students involved,” Bartusek said at the Feb. 20 meeting.

The Urbandale Community School District investigates if a certain book accurately portrays society and culture, not just certain words and phrases.

The school districts present at the meeting have different policies when it comes to evaluating what books are removed from their schools.

“One parent doesn’t have the right — although they feel passionate and have a right to talk about their own child’s education and to be given choices in that — they don’t have the right to restrict what other parents want for their children,” Bartusek said.