Under a bill advanced by a panel of Iowa lawmakers Monday, public schools would be required to display the national and state motto in all school buildings and have two minutes of silent time before saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

The bill, House Study Bill 32, would require public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to display the national motto, “In God we trust,” and the state motto, “Our liberties we prize and our rights we maintain,” in a main entryway or a visible location within their buildings.

The bill would also require two minutes of silent time prior to the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Current law requires school districts to administer the Pledge of Allegiance grades one through 12 each day.

Des Moines area students spoke out against the bill.

Barry Stevens, 14, of Des Moines, said there is a rise in Christian nationalism in the U.S., and it is a threat to everyone’s freedom and liberty. Barry said displaying the national motto is “blatant religiosity and indoctrination of children.”

“What does anyone gain from this?” Barry said. “State-enforced patriotism. I want to be patriotic because I’m proud of our country, not because I’m being forced to by the state of Iowa.”

Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, said he was having a hard time digesting the comments made by the students, especially because the legislation is not specifically Christian.

“The idea that somehow Christian nationalists [are] oppressing people seems a little bit far-fetched,” Shipley said. “I, frankly, found the comments from the children somewhat perplexing and sad.”

Shipley also pointed out that the legislature cannot compel speech, and if someone does not want to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, they can choose not to.

Shipley said during the silent time, students could spend the two minutes to “contemplate deeper meaning, express gratitude, reflect on goals, connect to a higher power, reflect on the realities of biological sex.”

Rep. Mary Madison, D-West Des Moines, said if there is legislation that applies to public, charter, and innovation schools, it should apply to voucher schools as well.

“When you separate [voucher schools] out, it’s as if they don’t need what you’re putting on public schools,” Madison said.

Iowa lawmakers advance bill requiring hospitals to post cash prices

Dubbed “The Patient’s Right to Save Act,” Senate Study Bill 1029 is a bill requiring all health care providers to establish and disclose the discounted cash price the provider will accept for specific health care services.

The bill defines “discounted cash price” as the price an individual pays for a specific service if they pay cash or a cash equivalent. The bill requires the cash price be available for all people covered by insurance as well as uninsured individuals.

Under the bill, a provider must post cash prices on their website and update any change in pricing within 10 days of the change.

Iowa Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene, said it is important to promote informing consumers that paying a discounted cash price is an available option to save money, save insurance companies money, and try to get better care for patients.

“Health care costs are going up faster than most of the other costs,” Costello said. “I really do want to do something, whatever we can, to try and get some competition into it, and I see that this is a small thing we can do.”

Kate Walton, a lobbyist for the Iowa Pharmacy Association, said the bill may place an administrative burden on health care providers, specifically pharmacies.

Walton used a flu shot as an example and said it would be virtually impossible for a pharmacy to list the prices of every drug product.

RELATED: Iowa lawmaker advances bill to criminalize ‘smuggling noncitizens’

Similar legislation was introduced last legislative session but did not make it past a subcommittee. This year’s version was advanced Monday. The bill will go to the full Senate Health and Human Services Committee later this week.

Iowa lawmakers advance legislation making wearing a mask while committing a crime a crime

Under a bill advanced by a panel of Iowa lawmakers Monday, concealing identity to commit a crime would worsen the criminal sentence for the offense.

The bill, House File 25, provides that a person who is convicted of a criminal offense who intentionally concealed or attempted to conceal the person’s identity by wearing a mask, or other clothing or device, for the purpose of facilitating the commission of the crime shall have the underlying criminal offense classified and punished as an offense one degree higher than the underlying offense.

President of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP Betty Andrews opposed the bill. She said the bill raises more questions than answers, is unnecessary, and could be potentially harmful by opening doors to biased enforcement and unequal application of justice.

Andrews said the bill fails to answer whether or not it will actually deter crime. Citing the racial disparities in Iowa prisons, Andrews said the legislation would create another avenue for disproportionate targeting and punishment.

The Iowa data published in 2023 from the Prison Policy Initiative showed Black individuals are sent to prison at a rate 9 times higher than white people in the state.

The Prison Policy Initiative is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that provides research about mass incarceration and criminal justice reform in the U.S.

“We feel that this bill is a solution without a problem,” Andrews said. “It’s riddled with ambiguity and right for abuse.”

The bill was advanced by the panel of lawmakers for consideration by the whole House Public Safety Committee. Lawmakers said they were open to addressing concerns about the bill before passage on the House floor.