Iowa poised to end gender parity rule for governing bodies as diversity policies targeted nationwide

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has been the only state in the U.S. to explicitly mandate that state, county and local decision-making bodies are balanced by gender. That will end when Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs a bill that aligns with a broader abrogation of gender- and race-conscious policies across the country.

Civil rights advocates worry the trend will lead to fewer opportunities and more hurdles for diverse voices in U.S. institutions. In Iowa, advocates for the gender balance requirement are concerned appointive governing bodies, which have not entirely reached parity even with the mandate, will become less representative.

Across the U.S., Republican-led Legislatures are looking to counteract protections for historically marginalized groups, which conservative lawmakers consider discriminatory. That’s led to women’s “bills of rights” that define sex as binary; the exclusion of transgender girls and women from female sports; and the dissolution of diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

The Supreme Court’s decisions last year to revoke affirmative action in college admissions also has reinvigorated legal challenges to diversity policies of all kinds.

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