Iowa Catholic Conference Newsletter, Feb. 8, 2026

Last week at the State Capitol

The House Public Safety Committee passed HF 2296 by a 13-8 vote. It would prohibit cities and counties from implementing a local ID program for residents. Johnson County offers a community ID, and people can use it get a library card, for example. Not everyone has easy access to their birth certificate. A legislator who is a police officer said he often comes across people who are having a medical crisis and he is trying to quickly identify the person. A Johnson County legislator made the point that not all adoptive children look like their parents, and they can receive an ID as well. The ICC opposes the bill.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the “Med Act,” HF 571, by a vote of 12-6. The bill offers additional conscience protections to medical professionals.

Education legislation moving

Private preschools can participate in Iowa’s state-funded preschool program if the public school district allows it. Unfortunately, some districts do not allow it or have been discontinuing long-standing contracts.

HSB 604 has passed the House Education Committee by a 21-2 vote. It would allow private preschools to apply to the state Department of Education for funding. We were pleased to see the bill still allows for continued partnerships with public school districts. HF 2052 passed a subcommittee as well – the bill would require school districts to allow community providers to participate in their preschool program.

SF 2175 was introduced. It’s the “omnibus” school choice bill the ICC has been working on with the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education coalition. A House version should be coming along any day. The proposal includes a second semester ESA signup, requires school districts to allow private providers in the state preschool program, and creates a charter/nonpublic school revolving loan infrastructure fund.

SF 2175 also includes support for charter schools, religious liberty protections for private preschools, and a task force to plan for improved scheduling of required training for teachers.

Subcommittee hearing results

As the first legislative deadline approaches in a couple of weeks, dozens of subcommittee hearings are taking place every day.

Bills that passed a subcommittee hearing last week include HSB 666, which provides for a new minimum sentence of 20 years for people with multiple previous convictions. There are situations when certain habitual offenders should be locked up longer. But there also are cases when such “mandatory minimum” laws lead to an injustice. The bishops on principle have opposed mandatory sentencing measures, arguing that such laws often prevent judges from considering individual circumstances, leading to unjust outcomes.

We asked a question in the hearing about finding out what the sentences are for habitual offenders as currently defined by Iowa law (the sentences are to be from 3 to 15 years). That could inform what would be good policy.

On the positive side, the ICC testified in support of HSB 314 as it was passed by a subcommittee.  The bill would permit the Board of Parole to consider a release petition from a profoundly ill inmate.

Other bills that were advanced by a subcommittee:

• The ICC is registered in favor of HF 1011. It would set up teams in the Department of Public Safety and Attorney General’s office to investigate and prosecute human trafficking.

• HSB 868 would eliminate affirmative action programs for state agencies, higher education, schools licensing boards and others that were designed to correct past deficiencies. While obviously there needs to be good judgment about the use of affirmative action, the bishops have supported these programs. The most recent Faithful Citizenship document said, "We support judiciously administered affirmative action programs as tools to overcome discrimination and its continuing effects.” The ICC opposes.

Bill introductions last week:

HF 2323 would provide a tax credit for donations to maternity homes and “strong families” programming. The ICC is registered for the bill.

The ICC opposes HF 2262, which legalizes doctor-prescribed suicide using poison.

The Prayer for Life event was held at the State Capitol last week. There was a great turnout and we especially appreciate the student pro-life group from Dowling Catholic High School that attended. Check out our Facebook page for photos.

Coming up this week, a subcommittee hearing for SSB 3115, a bill addressing online “black market” abortion pills, is scheduled for today (Monday). It would require that abortion drugs be provided in a medical setting and would allow a woman or someone close to her to sue those who provided the drugs online without a prescription. There are also provisions for the reporting of complications that the mother may suffer and for HHS to provide a web page about the possibility of reversing the abortion.

The FDA still recommends against purchasing abortion drugs online. Obviously, the ICC doesn’t support abortion, but if they are going to be take place, it seems best for medical personnel to be involved.

You can contact state legislators any time at www.votervoice.net/icc/home.

In commemoration of Black History Month, ‘Let Us Be Faithful Stewards of Memory’

“Let us be faithful stewards of memory. Let us be courageous witnesses to truth,” said Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, and Bishop Roy E. Campbell, chairman of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on African American Affairs, marking 100 years of commemorating Black history in the United States.

Their statement, in part, is as follows:

“This February marks one hundred years of commemorating Black history in the United States. This milestone is an opportunity for us to prayerfully reflect on the ways history has been preserved, honored, and passed on across generations. In Open Wide Our Hearts, the U.S. bishops’ pastoral letter against racism, we recognized that the lived experience of the vast majority of African Americans bears the marks of our country’s original sin of racism.”