Iowa Bill Aims to Punish Student Protests, Educators Who Celebrate Violence

Proposed legislation would impose sanctions for student demonstrations and revoke licenses of teachers who publicly praise politically motivated killings.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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A bill that has cleared an Iowa House committee would impose new sanctions on student-led protests in schools and revoke the state licenses of any educators who publicly celebrate assassinations or politically motivated violence, including the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Why it matters

The proposed legislation is seen as an attempt to curtail First Amendment free speech rights, with critics arguing the state should not be the "thought police" when it comes to political violence. However, supporters argue the bill is necessary to address concerns over rising political tensions and the glorification of such acts.

The details

The bill would require schools to make up every day there is a student-led protest in a district. Teachers or administrators who lead a school protest or advise students about protesting would lose their state licenses if the bill becomes law. The original version of the bill only dealt with revoking educators' licenses for making public comments celebrating politically motivated violence.

  • The bill passed the House Education Committee on February 11, 2026.
  • The policy on revoking educators' licenses would take effect on September 10, 2025, the day conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death.

The players

Elinor Levin

A Democratic representative from Iowa City who was among the nine committee members who voted against the bill, arguing it attempts to curtail First Amendment protected free speech.

Charlie Kirk

A conservative activist who was shot to death, an incident that is mentioned five times in the proposed legislation.

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What they’re saying

“This bill attempts to curtail First Amendment protected free speech. While we all live in a time when political violence is real and is a serious concern, we cannot be the thought police here in the Iowa Legislature.”

— Elinor Levin, Democratic Representative, Iowa City (kbur.com)

What’s next

The bill will now move to the full Iowa House for consideration.

The takeaway

This proposed legislation highlights the ongoing tensions between protecting free speech rights and addressing concerns over political violence and the glorification of such acts. The debate over the bill's merits is likely to continue as it moves through the legislative process.