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TO FIND STRAUB. NEW AT FOUR, SWEEPING NEW DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION RESTRICTIONS ARE NOW IOWA LAW. THEY APPLY TO ALL CITIES, COUNTIES, K THROUGH 12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER HAS BEEN DIGGING THROUGH THIS NEW LAW. AMANDA JOINS US NOW. AND WHAT DOES THIS CHANGE FOR SCHOOLS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS? THERE’S A LOT OF PIECES TO THIS LAW TO UNPACK. I’D SAY VERY CLEARLY THE LAW STATES THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO SPEND STATE MONEY TO KEEP A DEI OFFICE OR HAVE A DEI OFFICER. AND AGAIN, THIS APPLIES TO SCHOOLS, CITIES, COUNTIES. BUT THE LAW ALSO MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITY THAT IS RELATED TO DIE. AND IT GIVES A VERY EXTENSIVE DEFINITION OF WHAT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION MEANS. THAT LIST OF WHAT QUALIFIES AS DEI IS LONG. IT INCLUDES PHRASES LIKE CULTURAL APPROPRIATION, ALLYSHIP, TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY, MICROAGGRESSIONS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND GENDER THEORY, OR ANY COMBINATION OF THOSE TOPICS. THE LAW ALSO BANS SCHOOLS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM PROMOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT ENCOURAGE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OR PROVIDE SPECIAL BENEFITS TO PEOPLE BASED ON RACE, COLOR AND ETHNICITY. OKAY, A LOT TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND WITH THIS. NOT MUCH TIME TO DO SO BECAUSE IT TAKES EFFECT IN JULY. AND YOU CONTACTED DOZENS OF SCHOOLS AND CITY COUNCILS AND COUNTY BOARDS ACROSS THE DES MOINES METRO AREA. WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION? WHAT WERE YOU HEARING FROM THOSE GROUPS? WELL, TO BEN’S POINT, A LOT OF THEM WERE SAYING, OKAY, THIS TAKES EFFECT VERY QUICKLY. IT’S A LOT TO GO THROUGH. SO THEY’RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO COMPLY. YOU KNOW, EVEN IF CITIES AND SCHOOLS DON’T HAVE DEDICATED DEI OFFICE OR STAFF, THE LAW STILL PREVENTS THEM FROM HAVING ANY DEI RELATED ACTIVITIES. AND AGAIN, THOSE ACTIVITIES CAN BE IN REFERENCE TO ANY OF THOSE CONCEPTS THERE. POLK COUNTY, THE CITY OF DES MOINES, THE CITY OF WEST DES MOINES, AND THE JOHNSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE REVIEWING THEIR POLICIES AND THEIR PROGRAMS TO SEE IF ANYTHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. A STORY COUNTY SAYS IT’S TOO SOON FOR THEM TO TELL. DALLAS COUNTY SAYS THIS WON’T IMPACT THEM. ANKENY AND WAUKEE TOLD ME THE SAME. THEY SAID THEY DON’T HAVE A DEI OFFICE AND STAFF, AND THAT IT WON’T IMPACT ANY PROGRAMS OR EVENTS FOR THEIR CITIES. NOW, THE LAW ALSO SAYS THAT ANYONE CAN REPORT POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS TO IOWA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL. IT ALSO SPECIFIES THAT ANY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT, ANY ALUMNI, OR ANY STATE EMPLOYEE CAN SUE IF THEY THINK THAT THEIR SCHOOL, CITY OR COUNTY IS IN VIOLATION OF THIS LAW. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON TOP OF THIS F