Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill Senate File 2096 into law Wednesday that would repeal the requirement that Iowa’s boards and commissions have the same number of men and women.
The bill was approved on party lines in the Iowa House and Senate in late February, with Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, the only Democrat to vote for the bill.
Reynolds announced her support for repealing the gender balance requirement during her Condition of the State Address in January as part of her larger goal to reform Iowa’s Boards and Commissions, today she signed the bill into law.
“I believe that our focus should always be on appointing the most qualified people,” Reynolds said in a news release on Wednesday. “That includes engaged citizens with a genuine interest in serving their state or local community, as well as individuals with valuable experience that directly relates to the position. This approach ensures that boards and commissions at all levels of government are effective and that each one serves Iowans well.”
The bill will take effect July 1.
Iowa lawmakers became one of the first of many in 1987 to require their boards and commissions to be comprised of the same number of men and women. The law had provided an exception if the spot had been attempted to be filled by the correct gender but was not able to be filled within three months.
According to data from Iowa State University’s Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, since the gender balance requirement was extended to cities in 2012 the number of Iowa cities with gender balance rose to 61 percent from 13 percent, and counties rose to 62 percent from 12 percent.
Democrats said the law was necessary to keep women involved in politics due to the pervasive discrimination against women that still exists, they argue.
“Bias persists against women bias that causes a woman’s qualifications to be judged as less than a man’s,” Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Windsor Heights said during floor debate in the Iowa Senate on Feb. 20. “Bias that results in a woman’s qualifications being dismissed, or not even considered. Women experience that right now. Women experience it all the time.”
Republicans said that with a woman as governor and other women filling high-ranking spots in state government, the requirement no longer necessary.
“There are more women than ever participating in STEM careers, trades, sports, and public service — and that’s just to name a few,” Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, said during the bill signing. “It’s incumbent on those that select the members to make sure they are picking the most qualified and best to represent their occupation.”
Several Republican women lawmakers said the requirement made them feel like they were a “token” when they were asked to serve on a board or commission. They felt they were being asked because of their gender and not because others thought they were qualified.
“We all had those kinds of experiences,” Sen. Annette Sweeney, R-Buckeye, said during floor debate on Feb. 20. “But when it comes to boards and commissions, I don’t want it to look like we have to fill a quota. What we need to do is make sure we pick the best person for those positions that need to be filled.”
