Iowa becomes the latest state to adjourn Sine Die without passing a single piece of explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The only bill to pass was a broad religious freedom bill.
I'd like to add a shout-out for neighboring Nebraska, which adjourned last week too. The lone piece of overt anti-trans legislation, LB 575 (the Sports and Spaces act), which would have banned trans participation in athletics and banned trans students from restrooms was defeated in the first round of debate in the full legislature a couple days before Sine Die. This, despite a Republican supermajority in the unicameral.
Things looked bleak earlier in year when the villainous Kathleen Kauth made the bill her priority legislation with the vocal support of the theocratic governor pledging to sign it. And when turncoat state senator Mike McDonnel (the Democrat who was the difference-making vote in passing LB 574 last year) completed his descent to the dark side by changing his official party affiliation to Republican, there seemed to be nothing left to stop the Republicans from passing this additional piece of anti-trans legislation when they got around to it.
But Machaela Cavanaugh's heroic filibuster last year made a difference. There were so many more pressing bills that had to be gotten to first that even Kauth's priority bill had to wait until the waning days of the session. And then we had TWO Republican state senators defect from the party line and prevent the supermajority from ending this year's filibuster. The Nebraska Examiner had this to report about Republican state senator Mike Riepe's dissenting vote: "The Ralston senator said he met with multiple transgender students and their families and was impressed with the love and concern he saw. Riepe remarked that they were seeking accommodation, not attention, for 'the life they have been given in this very complicated world. Thank God for His creation and the strength of families and friends who love these transgender students and walk the walk with them every day through every challenge without the heavy hand of government'."
Friends, a Repulican state senator actually LISTENED to trans people and spoke up in their defense! I'd love for that to get more attention.
In Iowa and incredibly relieved to see this headline. The fights not over, but I’m taking the win where I can get it and breathing a little easier for now
While this is good news, we should all be very wary of what anti-trans forces in Iowa might be planning in the future if or when the opportunity arises. Some of what has been proposed there in the recent past - such as the special gender markers outing trans people on their drivers licenses - is repugnant and disgusting beyond measure. Even if Iowa never passes another piece of hostile legislation, just wait for what is coming at the federal level if the GOP wins the elections in November. Medical care, civil rights, passports and other IDs - that and more will all be on the chopping block.
I would like to respectfully push back against this positive spin. My family and I are literally moving out of Iowa this summer because of all the anti trans laws that were passed in 2023. Those are still in effect, and bar my child and other kids from appropriate bathrooms, sports teams, and gender affirming care! The lack of additional negative laws this year does NOT mean Iowa is a safe place for trans folks!
This will never end, until the SCOTUS changes enough to recognize our 14th Amendment rights. It will get much worse and much more real unless Trump loses this Fall.
This hasn't been the easy win and reaped the political gains the Right thought it would. It hasn't peeled off people from the Left, it hasn't broken up the LGBTQ+ community, and it hasn't impacted mainstream feminism in any significant way. And they've spent enormous political capital on it, when all their big donors really want is more tax cuts and deregulation.
I'd like to add a shout-out for neighboring Nebraska, which adjourned last week too. The lone piece of overt anti-trans legislation, LB 575 (the Sports and Spaces act), which would have banned trans participation in athletics and banned trans students from restrooms was defeated in the first round of debate in the full legislature a couple days before Sine Die. This, despite a Republican supermajority in the unicameral.
Things looked bleak earlier in year when the villainous Kathleen Kauth made the bill her priority legislation with the vocal support of the theocratic governor pledging to sign it. And when turncoat state senator Mike McDonnel (the Democrat who was the difference-making vote in passing LB 574 last year) completed his descent to the dark side by changing his official party affiliation to Republican, there seemed to be nothing left to stop the Republicans from passing this additional piece of anti-trans legislation when they got around to it.
But Machaela Cavanaugh's heroic filibuster last year made a difference. There were so many more pressing bills that had to be gotten to first that even Kauth's priority bill had to wait until the waning days of the session. And then we had TWO Republican state senators defect from the party line and prevent the supermajority from ending this year's filibuster. The Nebraska Examiner had this to report about Republican state senator Mike Riepe's dissenting vote: "The Ralston senator said he met with multiple transgender students and their families and was impressed with the love and concern he saw. Riepe remarked that they were seeking accommodation, not attention, for 'the life they have been given in this very complicated world. Thank God for His creation and the strength of families and friends who love these transgender students and walk the walk with them every day through every challenge without the heavy hand of government'."
Friends, a Repulican state senator actually LISTENED to trans people and spoke up in their defense! I'd love for that to get more attention.
In Iowa and incredibly relieved to see this headline. The fights not over, but I’m taking the win where I can get it and breathing a little easier for now
While this is good news, we should all be very wary of what anti-trans forces in Iowa might be planning in the future if or when the opportunity arises. Some of what has been proposed there in the recent past - such as the special gender markers outing trans people on their drivers licenses - is repugnant and disgusting beyond measure. Even if Iowa never passes another piece of hostile legislation, just wait for what is coming at the federal level if the GOP wins the elections in November. Medical care, civil rights, passports and other IDs - that and more will all be on the chopping block.
I would like to respectfully push back against this positive spin. My family and I are literally moving out of Iowa this summer because of all the anti trans laws that were passed in 2023. Those are still in effect, and bar my child and other kids from appropriate bathrooms, sports teams, and gender affirming care! The lack of additional negative laws this year does NOT mean Iowa is a safe place for trans folks!
This will never end, until the SCOTUS changes enough to recognize our 14th Amendment rights. It will get much worse and much more real unless Trump loses this Fall.
Imagine being so demented and asinine in terms of your priorities that you would spend time legislating over peoples' birth certificates.
This hasn't been the easy win and reaped the political gains the Right thought it would. It hasn't peeled off people from the Left, it hasn't broken up the LGBTQ+ community, and it hasn't impacted mainstream feminism in any significant way. And they've spent enormous political capital on it, when all their big donors really want is more tax cuts and deregulation.
I'm happy to see more hateful legislation wither on the vine... though I can't help but think it's going to come back with a vengeance next session.