Round table holds space for many topics

MT. PLEASANT — In addition to conversations revolving around Iowa Wesleyan University closing, discussions about transportation bills, the proposed changes to the auditor’s investigative powers, and the latest in legislation pertaining to LGBTQ individuals filled the room during the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber’s Round Table discussion, last week.

House Representatives Jeff Shipley and Taylor Collins, and Senators Adrian Dickey and Mark Lofgren met with the community to discuss these topics.

Lofgren commented on the Senate File 547, a bill that would ban all hands-on use of phones while driving, after an attendee brought the topic up for conversation.

“It depends on some other bills with transportation, but I believe we are going to get it done this time,” Lofgren said.

The Senate passed SF 547 late in March with a 47-3 vote.

“There was four basically transportation bills, somewhat related but separate bills,” Senator Dickey added. “One of them was the hands-free driving. One of them was the elimination of the front license plate. One of them was window tint and one of them was the speed cameras throughout the state.”

“I don't know that any of those four by themselves would pass the house,” Dickey said. “So the idea came together late last week on Wednesday. What if we talk to the house about what combination of those bills?”

“I guess it'd be one of those bills or accumulation of things that maybe not everybody like everything is in it but like enough that they're going to vote for,” Lofgren added.

Dickey and Collins also commented on Senate File 478 pertaining to restricting the auditor’s access to information.

“That came from a hearing that was in this front Supreme Court, I believe, last December, an individual that was being audited the process went to the Supreme Court, and in the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court asked the auditor, the auditor, ‘what are restrictions on you?’” Dickey stated. “’What can you not ask for?’ And he said essentially there are none. I can ask whatever I want to. The courts ruled in the state's favor on that go in and added even if they followed the law, but they didn't think it was right.”

“He said himself there's essentially no restraints as to what he can or cannot do,” Dickey said. “I think that's wrong. Anybody here that he was afraid of big government, that's it. That's the definition when he's essentially bragging about the building of doing it.”

When pressed to comment specifically on the issue pertaining to how disagreements about permissibility would be handled, Representative Collins chimed in.

Auditor Rob Sand stated that this new bill would change the procedure from going to the courts to going to a panel that he felt would be biased towards the governor’s desires.

“Specifically, with regard to that issue, the state government committee, which I sat on yesterday, did that and clarified some things,” Collins said. “So I think our plan is to fix those things back on the House and I can send it back to the Senate.”

Another hot-topic discussed at the round table included legislation pertaining to the LGBTQ communities.

“Why is this group being singled out for attacks by the Iowa legislature and the government?” an attendee at the round table asked the legislators.

“A lot of those basically just common sense parameters of making sure that schools weren't going to be keeping secrets from parents, which is a big issue, but school districts, as a matter of policy, would be providing either false information or deliberately withholding true information,” Representative Shipley responded. “And for the public school system to remain a trusted part of the community, I think you need to have a policy of 100% honesty.”

The conversation included arguments on both sides about affirmative care in which Shipley referenced approaches used in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

“For someone to practice medicine in the state of Iowa, they have to be licensed, and they have to adhere to a standard of practice and care,” Shipley said. “And the problem is, the standard of practice was in doubt because people were not able to provide truthful information.”

In response an attendee commented, “Health care is not a solid final foundation. Health care, just like science, evolves, and basically with these cases, parents know best, well, in most cases parents know best.”

“We know of parents who do deny their LGBT, especially transgender kids, the right to have a safe home,” the individual continued.

Shipley discussed a parents right to refusal for these types of care in which an attendee presented that situation as a place when teacher keeping gender identities confidential becomes essential for the care of trans-students.

“We know of parents who do deny their LGBT, especially transgender kids, the right to have a safe home,” one individual commented. “Teachers are basically a safe haven for these people.”

Shipley also received comments that in these cases where parents deny their children this care, the children should receive a state appointed guardian to help make these decisions.

“So, if I'm a parent and if I don't use if my kid is Jim and wants to become Jane and I say, no, you're Jim, you think that's child abuse and the state should intervene and take the kid away from me?” Shipley asked in response.

He received a simple “Yes, it can be,” as a response.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com