Iowa
Iowa’s decline is accelerating. So is the erosion of its divide between church and state.
Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us.
Over the past dozen or so years, in the state of Iowa we have seen a new assault on the rights of its citizens that have put the future of our state in a precarious situation. It seems every other week there are reports and new sets of statistics tarnishing what was once a sterling record for Iowa on the well-being of its citizens.
We have seen Iowa lose its destination status for those looking for an excellent public education as well as a dearth of coverage for mental health care. Iowa now ranks the worst in OBGYN coverage per capita in the US and is consistently cited as an example of what not to do when it comes to stewardship of our waterways. On top of these dire statistics, we are also seeing unprecedented assaults on the civil liberties of Iowans from banning books (and earning a slew of wasteful and costly lawsuits because of it) to banning transgender Iowans from participating in sports to restricting the right to privacy and health care for half of the state’s population.
Things aren’t going so great for many citizens in Iowa, and the future may actually look darker for our most vulnerable citizens. However, it should be noted that, while most of the policies that have led to these dire statistics do indeed come from one side of the political aisle, there is actually a more concrete and direct golden thread throughout the changes that have come to Iowa.
That golden thread is the erosion of the wall between church and state.
Time and again we have seen the rights of Iowans under assault, and the origins of these assaults are consistently backed, supported and framed in strictly religious terms by religious organizations.
This was true back when Iowa was among the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The backlash against this decision was swift, with religious organizations marshaling large and eventually successful campaigns to unseat the justices that were up for retention after that particular decision. The opposition was specifically worded in religious terms, with nearly all the resources being marshaled by both in and out-of-state religious groups such as the Iowa Christian Alliance and the Family Leader, both explicitly and exclusively sectarian Christian organizations.
History repeated itself in 2023 with Gov. Kim Reynolds signing the “fetal heartbeat bill” that replaces scientific medical reasoning and civil rights consideration with religious dogma and faith-based claims, marking another intrusion of church into the affairs of the state.
Yet again we are seeing religious organizations and churches forming alliances with such groups as Moms for Liberty in order to replace access to information and science-based education with religious indoctrination and conspiracy theory misinformation. The trend continues with the “bathroom bill” that bars transgender Iowans from using a public bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. This is a more egregious example, as opposition to the bill came from professional medical, legal, civil rights, education, community, and yes, religious groups. The only folks in favor of taking away the rights of Iowans were religious groups, particularly groups that are demonstrating an outsized influence on government by using that same erosion of church and state to push religion — particularly sectarian Christian tenets and principles — into government.
This is not to say that all religious groups or religious people are responsible for the negative trajectory Iowa has been on. Far from it. There are champions for civil and human rights in every corner of the state and from every background. There are sitting legislators who are religious or even members of clergy who stand in stark and direct opposition to these examples of bigotry above and are strong supporters of church-state separation. They recognize that for every Iowan to have the most liberty and happiness possible, we cannot have church and state melded into one; theocracy is literally un-American and un-Iowan. The actions of groups like the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and even entire denominations like the United Methodists (which has lost one-fifth of its membership over acceptance of LGBTQ+ people!) show that being religious doesn’t mean that you ought to be tarred with the same brush as Christian nationalists.
While it is crucial to highlight the negative consequences of the erosion of the separation between church and state, it is equally important to recognize the positive contributions that many religious groups and individuals bring to our communities. Throughout Iowa’s history, religious organizations have played pivotal roles in charitable work, community development, and providing support to those in need. Many individuals find solace, purpose, and a sense of belonging through their religious beliefs, fostering a rich tapestry of cultural diversity in our society. It is essential to distinguish between the actions of specific religious groups that contribute positively to our communities and the potential negatives of religious influence in the political sphere. Emphasizing the need for a robust separation between church and state does not diminish the positive impact of religion in individuals’ lives or the community. By fostering a respectful coexistence between religious and secular perspectives, we can work towards a society that upholds both individual freedoms and collective well-being.
Secular groups are not looking to bar religion from the public arena. That would be as impossible as it would be un-American. Rather, they seek to keep the government secular in order to protect the rights of everyone. As the data and history demonstrate, the more the wall between church and state erodes, the worse it is for equality under the law, the worse it is for human rights, and the worse it is for an accountable and transparent government.
Religious doctrine having an outsized influence on the government has resulted in a worse outcome for Iowa by any of the measures that we find valuable and important to us. Essentially, the more religion and faith-based reasoning we have in government, the worse off we all seem to be. The solution is to rebuild that wall of church-state separation, for Iowa to go back to its roots and lean on science, reason and empathy to build a better state and future for all of us. This is going to take all of us, religious and non-religious alike, but it is also going to take some tough looks inside of ourselves and at what faith means to us in the public square. If we want to follow that golden thread back to where Iowa used to be regarding civil and human rights, it is going to mean repairing that wall. It is going to mean challenging many of our preconceived notions about religion and what it means to us to have a government that respects and represents us all. It will also mean unraveling a lot of religious beliefs and influence on our Legislature.
“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we shall maintain” means all Iowans. Not just Christian, not just atheist. Not just gay or straight. Not just black or white. It means ALL Iowans. If we want to live up to the motto of our state, we will need to keep in check the faith-based groups that are assaulting them while supporting secular groups that protect them.
Jason Benell of Des Moines is president of Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. Contact: president@iowaatheists.org.
Josh Dix lit it up with 23 points, and sophomore Seydou Traore had a very nice first game as a Hawkeye with 12 points and shot-blocking
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IOWA CITY — A West African influence is looking like a very good influence for the Iowa men’s basketball program.
On the day the news came that Mali native and 6-foot-10 forward Bidara Diakite of Connecticut committed to the program as a Class of 2025 recruit, two current Iowa players of West African descent were very good in the Hawkeyes’ 96-77 win over South Dakota Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Forward Seydou Traore, a 6-7 sophomore playing his first game as a Hawkeye after missing the team’s opening two contests with a foot issue, had 12 points in 22 minutes. Soph forward Ladji Dembele had a career-high 11 points and a game-high 8 rebounds.
Traore was born and raised in New York City, but his parents came to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast, which borders Mali. Dembele was born in Mali and lived there until he was 13 when his family moved to Spain, and then New Jersey.
Another Hawkeye, freshman Chris Tadjo, lived in Mali before moving to Montreal.
With starting center Owen Freeman out with illness, Traore and Dembele helped make up for his absence. Traore blocked a pair of shots. Dembele had four offensive rebounds.
“I think they fit well into this institution and into this state,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said of Dembele, Traore and Tadjo. “I think our style of play fits all of them, but it’s been impressive to me how easy it has been to coach those guys.
“They’re innately workers. They work, they listen, they want to do what the coach asks them to do. If anything, I try to get them to be a little more free-flowing. Just trust your talent and make plays. And you’re seeing that more with Ladji this year. And you’ll see with Chris. Seydou’s doing it already.
“I have no doubt our addition will do the same.”
Traore averaged 11.8 points last season as a freshman with Manhattan. He confidently made a couple of first-half 3-pointers.
“You can’t speed him up,” McCaffery said. “He plays at his pace.
“He makes plays for himself, but he almost appreciates making plays for other people more.
Traore said “I didn’t miss a beat” in his first practice back from what he called a tweak in his right foot. It didn’t appear he missed a beat in the game, either. One of the night’s biggest roars came when he finished a lob from Brock Harding with an authoritative dunk.
Traore was an AAU teammate of Diakite’s with the New York Lightning.
“It’s just amazing having another brother commit to the Hawkeyes,” Traore said.
Oh, Iowa’s player from western Iowa was especially good Tuesday, also. Junior guard Josh Dix of Council Bluffs made 5-of-6 three-pointers and scored 23 points.
“My teammates were really just finding me when I was open, making it easy for me,” Dix said. “I was just catching and shooting wide-open threes.”
Freeman, who had 15 points and three blocks in both of Iowa’s first two games, is expected back Friday. That’s when Iowa (3-0) plays Washington State (3-0) at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Ill., at 7:30 p.m.
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
House Speaker Pat Grassley speaks at Republican election watch party
House Speaker Pat Grassley addressed Republicans gathered to watch results come in for the 2024 general election on Tuesday.
Iowa Republican lawmakers have reelected Sen. Jack Whitver as Senate majority leader and Rep. Pat Grassley as House speaker, they announced Tuesday.
Republicans expanded their majorities in last week’s election and are set to enter the 2025 legislative session with a 67-33 majority in the Iowa House and a 35-15 advantage in the Iowa Senate, if results hold. A few races could see recounts.
A 67-member Republican supermajority will be the largest majority the party has held in the Iowa House since 1970. The 35-seat Senate supermajority is also the largest since 1970.
Whitver, of Grimes, has led Senate Republicans as majority leader since 2018.
Grassley, of New Hartford, has led House Republicans as speaker since 2019.
Senate Republicans keep Jack Whitver as majority leader, Amy Sinclair as president
In a statement, Whitver called his reelection as majority leader “an honor.”
“I am proud of our accomplishments like implementing a flat income tax, eliminating the tax on retirement income, fighting off excessive spending and providing law enforcement the legal protection and equipment they need to safely do their jobs,” he said. “I look forward to working on important issues facing our state like lowering the cost of living and easing the property tax burden.”
Whitver announced in May that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and was receiving radiation therapy. A statement from Senate Republicans on Tuesday said Whitver began drug therapy following his radiation treatment. He “is responding well to the treatments and continues to see forward progress,” the statement says.
“Multiple recent scans this fall have shown a steady and continued reduction in the size of the tumor, many of his symptoms have improved and optimism abounds about his recovery,” the statement says.
Whitver was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2011 and previously served as Republican whip, and Senate president.
Also on Tuesday, Senate Republicans reelected Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, as president of the Iowa Senate. Sinclair has held the post since November 2022. She was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2013 and has served as majority whip and chair of the Education Committee.
“It is humbling to be chosen to serve another term as president of the Iowa Senate,” Sinclair said in a statement. “I look forward to working together with our even larger supermajority to continue implementing pro-growth, pro-taxpayer, pro-family policies to make Iowa the best state in the country.”
Senate Republicans also elected. Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, to serve as president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate, replacing Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, who lost to Democrat Matt Blake in last week’s election.
Rozenboom was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2012. For the past two years he has chaired the Senate Education Committee, leading passage of high-profile laws including Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private school education savings accounts program and a law banning books depicting sex acts from schools and banning teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through sixth grade.
And Senate Republicans chose Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, to serve as majority whip, replacing former Sen. Waylon Brown, R-Osage, who resigned in July to take a private sector job. Klimesh was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and has chaired the Transportation Committee for the past two years.
Sens. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, Adrian Dickey, R-Packwood, Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia; and Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, were elected assistant majority leaders.
House Republicans keep Pat Grassley as speaker, Matt Windschitl as majority leader
In a statement, Grassley touted the fact that House Republicans protected every incumbent running for reelection and flipped three Democratic-held seats to increase their majority to 67 seats.
“Since Republicans became the majority party in the Iowa House in 2011, we introduced sound budgeting practices, reduced burdensome red tape, innovated new ways to grow a strong workforce and kept our common sense on social issues,” Grassley said. “In response to our agenda, Iowa voters have continued to grow our majority.”
Grassley was first elected to the Iowa House in 2006 and previously chaired the Appropriations, Agriculture and Economic Growth committees.
House Republicans also reelected Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, as majority leader, a post he has held since 2019.
“The message we received from Iowans this election cycle is loud and clear,” Windschitl said in a statement. “Iowans support our agenda to protect their freedoms, lower their taxes, eliminate government waste and fight for the return to common sense. Iowans know they can trust this caucus to deliver on the promises we make. And we are ready to get back to work for our constituents.”
Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, was reelected as speaker pro tempore of the Iowa House, a position he’s held since 2019.
And House Republicans reelected Rep. Henry Stone, R-Forest City, as majority whip.
On Saturday, House Democrats reelected Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, as minority leader. Konfrst has led House Democrats since 2021.
Senate Democrats will need to choose a new minority leader after Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, retires at the end of the year. But they have not yet held leadership elections as they await the possibility of recounts in a few close races.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
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