Lawsuit against Iowa school book bans & gender identity restrictions debated

Almost 40 members of Congress will not try to keep their jobs next year. 

Iowa’s law that restricts sexual content of books in school libraries along with gender identity claims of young students will be challenged in court. 

And the timing of the City of Davenport’s legal settlement with its outgoing city administrator comes into question. 

Host Jim Niedelman coves that with Scott County Democratic Party Chair Kay Pence and former Rock Island County Republican Party Chair Drue Mielke. 

This week the ACLU announced it’s suing the state of Iowa on behalf of several families and advocates for LGBTQ rights. They’re challenging the law that bans books in school libraries that depict sex acts. 

And the so-called “Don’t say ‘gay’” provision doesn’t let teachers address gender identity and sexual orientation topics with students from kindergarten through sixth grade. 

The plaintiffs claim it’s unconstitutional by violating freedom of expression. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds slammed the lawsuit, arguing in part it’s about keeping kids away from pornography.  

This issue has become a lightning rod in American politics, with Democrats and Republicans taking hard-line extreme positions. 

“I have to agree with Gov. Reynolds,” Mielke said. “I think the legislators are doing what I believe the public in Iowa wants.”

“One of the big concerns is with the teachers being banned from talking about this stuff,” Pence said. “It stops them from protecting students that might be bullied.”

To hear more of what our panelists have to say, click on the video. 

And now we want to hear from you, too, with our question of the week: What do you think about Davenport reaching a legal settlement with City Administrator Corri Spiegel a month before the election, but not announcing it until after the election? Let us know your thoughts at  

Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you.  It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.