Iowa House Republicans had worked with the Board of Regents through the legislative process on multiple bills this past session. Their input was taken into account, and we passed multiple pieces of legislation, some that were signed by the Governor and some that died in the Senate.
That being said, one of the biggest pieces of legislation affecting the Board of Regents and Higher Education was House File 856: Replacing DEI with MEI (Merit, Excellence, and Intelligence). This bill prohibits state entities and community colleges from using any funds to establish or support DEI offices. DEI was defined to include various efforts to manipulate employee or student body composition based on race, sex or ethnicity, promoting differential treatment, or implementing policies or trainings related to these concepts.
The Iowa Board of Regents held a virtual meeting this week, July 30, 2025, to address some of the critical topics regarding the future of Iowa’s public universities. A significant focus was the ongoing investigation into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. This was prompted by a Fox News video alleging a University of Iowa employee avoiding DEI restrictions. Board President Sherry Bates called the behavior “unacceptable,” emphasizing compliance with Iowa’s DEI Act and a 2025 executive order. The University of Iowa, led by President Barbara Wilson, is cooperating with the Iowa Attorney General’s office to ensure fairness and compliance.
The Regents delayed a vote on a proposed policy restricting DEI and Critical Race Theory (CRT) in required courses, citing the need for a more comprehensive approach after receiving substantial feedback. A special meeting in August 2025 is planned to further discuss this policy, aiming to balance free expression with state regulations.
This session, I had formed a new committee in the Iowa House – the Higher Education Committee. This committee was tasked with taking a comprehensive look at Iowa’s higher education system. The bills that came out of this committee were aimed at refocusing our institutions on providing quality education, lowering costs for students, and replacing identity politics with intellectual diversity. Although there is still work to be done, the creation of the committee alone has brought new conversations to the table as well as cooperation from Board or Regents without legislation being signed into law.
All the work we have done in the past sessions on this topic and the things we may do in the future are with one goal in mind: ensuring that our young people in higher education are receiving the best education possible, free of indoctrination, and leaving with skills that will serve Iowa’s workforce demands.