By Edward Lynn
Editor
DES MOINES, Iowa — As the Iowa Legislature moves past its first major deadline of the 2025 session, lawmakers are poised to vote on a range of bills that could fundamentally reshape life in Iowa. With measures in play addressing civil liberties, public education, healthcare, the safety of children, religious freedom, and even personal privacy, every Iowan has a stake in the outcomes.
Among the legislation still advancing are bills that could erode personal liberties and revoke civil rights for some Iowans. Proposals include efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, restrict constitutionally protected speech and expression, classify drag shows as “obscene” even when totally non-sexual in nature, and turn parental choices into felonies. Also expanding the effective definition of obscenity is a bill which risks bankrupting public libraries by opening them to lawsuits over any book on the shelf anyone might object to. Another law targeting public libraries would penalize libraries for membership in library associations which lobby the government, effectively penalizing them for seeking to influence laws regulating them.
Religious encroachment in public schools is also on the table, with measures aiming to add religious faculty to schools. The same bill would also allow religious volunteers to provide “services” to students and staff in public schools. Which could result in children being subjected to religious indoctrination without their parents’ knowledge or consent at school.
Lawmakers are considering changes that could put children at greater risk of violence by loosening bullying regulations. In the realm of healthcare, proposed bills could severely impact access, with potential restrictions on reproductive care, STI prevention programs, and broader public health initiatives.
Election integrity and technological oversight are also under review. Legislation that would regulate artificial intelligence in political campaigns and modify election administration processes could have far-reaching consequences for Iowa’s democratic processes. Additionally, a pair of bills that would require age verification for access to social media or legal adult content have raised concerns of mass data collection and privacy infringements, affecting both minors, and adults.
A number of bills include new regulations on pipelines and the use of eminent domain, which could affect property rights and energy development across the state.
Agriculture and health concerns are also on the table. In the state with one of the worst cancer rates in the nation, one bill would protect the makers of carcinogens from lawsuits, including from cancer victims.
Another bill takes seriously a roundly debunked conspiracy theory, and imposes restrictions on scientists.
Still other bills would impact energy costs, name an official state horse, regulate water usage, impact how police forces issue traffic tickets, impact solar power arrangements, expand the definition of open beverage containers, expose public employers to lawsuits over union membership lists, impact food access and costs, care for both children and the elderly, college costs, and even lower the age for legally carrying a firearm.
The full legislative docket carries significant implications for all Iowans, and the outcomes of these votes will shape the state’s future. It is not hyperbole to say that the property rights, personal and religious freedoms, and well being of all Iowans will be impacted in either the short or the long term. It is an enormously consequential slate of legislation, and all Iowans should make their voices heard on these issues which will certainly affect them and their loved ones, before it is too late. The second funnel deadline is less than a month away, on Friday, April 4th.
For a full breakdown of the specific legislation still in play, and also legislation that didn’t make the cut, read the following:
Funnel Week 2025: What Bills Are Alive, Dead at Iowa Statehouse After First Deadline
