Iowa Lawmakers Debate School Dress Codes, Nitrous Oxide, and Historical Research Center Closure

Lawmakers move forward on over 100 bills in the first committee deadline of the 2026 legislative session.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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In the lead-up to the first committee deadline of the 2026 Iowa legislative session, lawmakers debated a range of bills on Wednesday, including measures related to public school dress codes, antisemitism reporting, student free speech, volume limits on streaming service commercials, age verification for online pornography, and the closure of a historical research center in Iowa City.

Why it matters

These bills touch on key issues facing Iowa communities, from concerns about equitable access to education and protecting vulnerable students, to balancing consumer protections and free speech rights, to preserving historical resources. The outcomes of these legislative debates will have significant impacts on Iowans across the state.

The details

The dress code bill would establish minimum standards for public and charter K-12 schools, requiring 'presentable, promoting personal hygiene, neatness and modesty.' Democrats argued this would disproportionately impact low-income students. The antisemitism reporting bill would require the state to publish annual reports on incidents at universities, colleges, and public schools. The student free speech bill would prohibit schools from penalizing students for expressing certain viewpoints. The streaming commercials bill would limit the volume of ads to match the programming. The online porn age verification bill would hold websites civilly liable for not restricting minors' access. And the historical research center closure bill would allow the state to shutter the Iowa City facility despite a lawsuit challenging the decision.

  • The first committee deadline of the 2026 legislative session is February 20.
  • The second funnel deadline, when most bills must pass one chamber and a committee in the other, is March 20.

The players

Rep. Angel Ramirez

A Democratic representative from Cedar Rapids who expressed concerns that the dress code bill would negatively impact low-income students.

Rep. Tracy Ehlert

A Democratic representative from Cedar Rapids who works in schools with low-income children and shared concerns about the dress code bill.

Rep. Wendy Larson

A Republican representative from Odebolt who said the dress code bill was meant to 'instill a sense of pride and respectfulness' in students.

Sen. Molly Donahue

A Democratic senator from Marion who supported the student free speech bill but expressed concerns about the 'exorbitant penalties for the schools' found in the bill.

Sen. Liz Bennett

A Democratic senator from Cedar Rapids who praised the streaming commercials bill as 'another piece of good bipartisan legislation' and raised concerns about the online porn age verification bill.

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What they’re saying

“I know these parents would love to have their kids in some nice, clean clothes. It's just not an option for our families, and I feel like this is shaming them for not having the financial means to do better — because if they could, they would.”

— Rep. Tracy Ehlert, Democratic representative from Cedar Rapids (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

“It's the attitude of putting your best foot forward with what you have, and doing the best with what you have.”

— Rep. Wendy Larson, Republican representative from Odebolt (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

“There have been many well-documented breaches of sensitive personal data recently from sites using … supposedly secure age verification methods such as Tea and Discord.”

— Sen. Liz Bennett, Democratic senator from Cedar Rapids (Iowa Capital Dispatch)

What’s next

The Iowa legislature must pass bills out of committee in at least one chamber by the February 20 first funnel deadline in order for them to remain eligible for consideration this session. Many more bills will go through the subcommittee and committee process in the days leading up to that deadline.

The takeaway

The Iowa legislature is tackling a wide range of policy issues in the 2026 session, from education and consumer protections to historical preservation. These debates reflect the diverse concerns and priorities of Iowans across the state, and the outcomes will have significant impacts on communities throughout Iowa.