Sunday Talk: Stone on the Election Integrity Bill Passing the House

AJ TaylorMarch 10, 2024Last Updated: March 11, 2024

Iowa ranks #1 in election integrity. This week, the House of Representatives passed HF 2610, a bill to make several changes to increase security in Iowa’s elections. The bill completes the full cycle of security for absentee ballots, ensuring accurate reporting of receipt of ballots, and assists in the timely delivery of absentee ballots to voters who request them.

In 2017 Iowa enacted voter identification requirements to register to vote and to cast votes. Iowa Code extends this requirement to voters requesting an absentee ballot to provide the same information as a person registering to voter must provide. This can be a voter’s driver’s license number or the voter’s voter identification number. Currently, there is no required identifying information required to return a completed ballot. To ensure that the ballot has been completed and returned by the voter who requested the ballot, HF 2610 requires the voter sign an affidavit envelope and affix their driver’s license number or voter identification number before placing it in a secrecy envelop to return it. Each envelope is affixed with the same serial number to confirm that the absentee ballot was completed and returned by the requester. These requirements are the same information a voter who votes in person must provide to cast a ballot.

Another change the bill makes regarding absentee ballots is the requirement that they arrive at the county auditor’s office before 5:00 PM the Monday before an election and requires the county auditor to report the ballot as received. This change is to provide more accurate information for absentee voters to know if their ballot has arrived in time or not. If enacted, this change allows the voter to know for certain that they have successfully voted absentee or that they will need to go to their polling location the next day. To ensure that this change does not limit the window an absentee voter has to complete and return their ballots the bill authorizes county auditors to mail absentee ballots two days earlier than current law.

These changes are necessary to complete the work of maintaining Iowa’s election integrity. It is clear that Iowans have faith in our elections and trust the outcomes. While the work to ensure election integrity is never over, House Republicans have led the way in enacting legislation to protect the election process while enabling Iowans the fundamental right to vote.

On Wednesday, I ran HF 2598 on the House floor. This bill creates the criminal offense of looting. Please read more about this bill below.

Anti-looting Bill and Social Media Bill Pass the House

We’ve seen an increase in retail theft both nationally and here in Iowa. Smash and grab mobs have taken over cities, not just on the coasts, but here in the Midwest as well. We do not want to see these violent mobs make their way to Iowa. Last week, we passed HF 2594 establishing the crime of organized retail theft and laying out a tiered system of punishment depending on the value of the stolen goods.

This week, the House passed HF 2598 which establishes a new crime of looting. I ran this bill on the floor and was happy to see it pass unanimously. Looting is breaking in and stealing from a business, vehicle, or other structure by someone acting in joint criminal conduct with another person or a group. People choose to live in Iowa because it is a safe place to live. Tough-on-crime policies can help ensure that our communities remain safe.

This week we also passed a bill through the House to help parents and kids navigate the ever-changing world of social media. I introduced legislation last session, and I am glad that it is being addressed this year. As social media has gotten more popular, we’ve seen the mental health of children decline. Social media can have negative impacts on kids’ self-esteem, result in cyberbullying, and expose kids to inappropriate content. Right now, it’s tough for parents to keep up with all the new and trending social media apps.

HF 2255 would require social media apps to get parental permission before anyone under the age of 18 could create an account on their platform. Under this bill, it would be against the law for social media companies to gather data on kids without permission from parents. This bill puts parents back in the driver’s seat when it comes to their kids’ data and the impact social media can have on their mental health.

House Republicans Advance Religious Freedom Throughout the State

The original Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was passed in 1993 and signed into federal law by then President Bill Clinton. Democrats championed the bill as one that protects the religious beliefs of Americans and keeps the federal government from substantially burdening a person’s free exercise of religion. In 1996, the United States Supreme Court determined that federal RFRA did not apply to states and if states want to implement RFRA they must pass their own state law. SF 2095 is Iowa’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and after a contentious debate, it is headed to the Governor for her signature.

SF 2095 prohibits the state, counties, or cities from taking action that substantially burdens a person’s religious liberty unless there is a compelling governmental interest. If there is a compelling interest, the limits placed must be met in the least restrictive manner possible. This language is similar to laws in 25 other states, and 10 states that have RFRA like protections in their Constitution.

What should have been a celebration of the first amendment and the right to religious freedom, turned in to a combative debate where Democrats accused Republicans of weaponizing religious beliefs, accused many Christians of being racist, sexist, homophobic and worse. The debate was not about the merits of the bill but instead one of made-up stories and fictitious fear mongering. Democrats tried to cite court cases claiming RFRA allows discrimination but the manager of SF 2095, Rep. Holt, quickly pointed out that the cases cited weren’t RFRA based cases. RFRA is over 30 years old and none of the outrageous claims made by Democrats have happened in any state.

Some examples of RFRA protecting religion include;

– A Native American child was told to cut his hair to comply with the public school grooming policy. His family was denied a religious exemption and filed a lawsuit alleging a violation of RFRA. The court found the school had violated the student’s religious liberties.

– Hobby Lobby was allowed to limit contraception coverage for employees based on the owners closely held religious beliefs under federal RFRA.

– The Federal Government was required to return eagle feathers it had previously seized from a Native American spiritual leader. The leader appealed the seizure under RFRA.

Protecting religious freedom should be a noncontroversial issue but the contempt shown for those who want religious freedom was unmistakable. It was also clear Democrats did not understand RFRA or what religious liberty actually means in our state and country. Prohibiting the state, counties, and cities from unnecessarily infringing on religious beliefs used to be a nonpartisan issue. Thanks to the work of House and Senate Republicans, Iowans will be able to continue practicing their religion without undue burdens from state government.

AJ TaylorMarch 10, 2024Last Updated: March 11, 2024

AJ Taylor

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