By Pat Bowen, Iowa City
If Iowa Republicans were serious about protecting children, and smaller government, our public schools would be fully funded and they wouldn’t be wanting to rollback long established protections governing child labor. Recently the Senate and House passed (SF 538, HF 623) to ban gender affirming medical care for transgender children. Banning all gender affirming medical care, how is that smaller government?
The Senate passed SF 482, which would prohibit access to bathrooms in public schools based on the gender identity that aligns with the person rather than the gender that was assigned at birth. How is this smaller government? The House passed HF 348, the “don’t say gay or trans in public schools” bill. Again I ask, how is this smaller government? Don’t believe them when they tell you they want smaller government.
If Republicans wanted less government interference they would stop pushing bills that are copied from other states.
On the flip side, Democrats believe the purpose of government is to act on behalf of the public good, to create and execute policies and laws that promote and protect everyone’s human rights equally, to protect our shared environment, to promote justice, safety and security and to oversee the equitable distribution of resources, affording all citizens the opportunity to attain their highest level of social, cultural, economic, mental and physical well-being.
Let’s remember this when elections come around.
