2/2 Survey: Gender Identity Civil Rights Protection

On Wednesday, Iowa House file 2082 was the topic of a vote in by a small group of Iowa House members tasked with deciding whether to move it to a larger committee and then on to House debate. The bill failed to move on a 3-0 vote, getting some national media attention along the way.

The bill would make Iowa the first state in the nation to remove current protections for gender identity in the state's Civil Rights Act. Demonstrators filled the Statehouse to make their opposition known as the vote was taking place. The whole thing represents a high profile conflict early in the session, but here's the interesting thing that brings it into one of our daily surveys:

The Iowa House, and in fact all of Iowa state government, is under the total control of conservative, Trump-supporting Republicans. The majority party could run through a bill like this one anytime they wanted, with very short notice and minimal debate, as it has done on major issues in the recent past. This bill could be on the Governor's desk by next week.

Here's the question: Given the Republicans' tight grip on Iowa government, does it surprise you they aren't choosing to go forward with a bill that limits civil rights around gender identity?

Thanks for sharing your opinion and being a part of the Continuous Caucus project from Let the People Speak! When you're here it's your ideas that matter, not a financial contribution. Join the conversation in the comments below. We'd love to hear more from you!