Iowa should be a welcoming place for all

   Instead of working to protect kids and make Iowa a welcoming place for all, majority party lawmakers approved several bills this week to take away the rights of parents and make Iowa unwelcoming.

   Despite rallies of hundreds of Iowans, over 75,000 petition signatures, and thousands of emails opposed to these harmful bills, majority party lawmakers approved the following:

   • Book bans that deny kids opportunities to learn about themselves or their family.

   • Taking away the ability of parents to make healthcare decisions for their child.

   • Censoring public schools from providing age appropriate and research-based information, as well as talking about LGBTQ+ families.

   These bills are being approved during a time when LGBTQ+ students already show dramatically increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes and suicide. Recent Iowa data from The Trevor Project found 44 percent of LGBTQ+ youth (52 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth) have seriously considered suicide in the previous year; that’s more than double the rate in the general youth population at approximately 18 percent.

   The ideas and the headlines being pushed by the Governor and Republican lawmakers this year are making Iowa an unwelcoming place. This isn’t solely about keeping the next generation in Iowa; the unwelcoming message makes it more difficult for Iowa to attract workers when we’re already facing an ongoing workforce shortage.

   This year, GOP lawmakers have sponsored a record 32 different anti-LGBTQ+ bills including a ban on gay marriage.

Insulin Savings Cap Helps Iowans

   Following President Biden’s lead, the largest insulin manufacturer in the country, Eli Lilly, announced that they would be capping the cost of insulin at $35.

   Last year, the President signed a law to cap the cost of insulin at $35 for seniors who are on Medicare. Insulin costs $10 to make, but can cost the patient over $300 for this life-saving medication. There have been countless stories across the country, including in Iowa, of people dying from rationing their insulin or not taking it altogether due to the cost.

   House Democrats have introduced several pieces of legislation throughout the years capping the cost, and are hopeful that more manufacturers will follow Eli Lilly to make insulin affordable for all. But they were voted down by the Republican lawmakers.