This week at the Capitol, debate continued on free speech and racism training on college campuses and beyond. On Tuesday, the House passed both HF 744 and HF 808. HF 744 requires new policy and training for all Community College staff, faculty, and students annually on the first amendment. HF 808 places restrictions on the content of mandatory diversity or racism training. Additionally, on Wednesday, the Senate passed an amended version of SF 580, the “Big Tech Censorship” bill. The bill now says that if a large social media company is found to censor unjustly, Iowa government entities could not provide them with tax credits. Also on Wednesday, the Senate passed SF 568, which impacts elections and would require Community Colleges to send a mailing to all households with registered voters when they hold a March or September bond election. This week the Senate also signed a resolution like what passed the House last week to honor the work of Steve Ovel. Finally, the State’s Revenue Estimating Conference meets today to provide a forecast for state revenue. Their estimates will set budget levels and launch House and Senate appropriations discussions. We will share an update next week.
Save the Date: Virtual Summer Conference July 21-22
Last week, the IACCT Board made the difficult decision to hold this year’s summer conference and annual membership online. While we look forward to returning to in-person activities as soon as possible, there is still too much uncertainty to plan a large in-person event. Stay tuned for more information and exciting announcements on speakers and presentation opportunities. In 2022 the in-person event will return and be hosted at WITCC.
ACCT Rural Community College Report Released
This week, ACCT released a new report “Strengthening Rural Community Colleges: Innovations and Opportunities.” The report offers recommendations for supporting rural Community Colleges and also features success stories including one on our Elevate Iowa initiative. The author will join us next week for a webinar discussion on their findings and what they may mean for our policy priorities at the federal and state level.