Some Iowa legislators are targeting books and teachers for the upcoming legislation session. | Stock Photo
Some Iowa legislators are targeting books and teachers for the upcoming legislation session. | Stock Photo
Books about race and sexuality have been under attack by Republican voices.
Many conservatives have said these books aren’t appropriate for school.
“An authoritarian push to ban books and punish teachers — @tdorman (As a Wisconsinite: What the heck is going on in Iowa? Also — I wonder what the IA business community/university researchers think of how this will impact recruitment of talent?)” Twitter user Ag Science Writer wrote Dec. 6.
Two Iowa Republican politicians have voiced their idea of pursuing legislation that makes it a felony offense for school officials to give “obscene materials” to students, Axios Des Moines reported.
This debate is in an effort to remove certain books, a lot of which tackle issues of race and sexuality, from schools.
State Sen. Brad Zaun supports charging teachers with felonies if they show books on topics legislators decided shouldn’t be taught, Iowa Starting Line reported.
“My warning to all the teachers and the administrators is you’re going to be in jail,” he said. “Because this is distributing pornography. And I will work my tail end off, and it will become law.”
Zaun, who also serves as chair of the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee, also would support the proposed legislation regarding the censorship of books.
Zaun said that books that explore different identities and sexualities are inappropriate for children.
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