A bill aiming to expand free speech rights on public college campuses awaits Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature, despite concerns that it might lead to greater discrimination for students.

This bill was initially filed last year in response to a lawsuit between the student organization Business Leaders in Christ and the University of Iowa in 2017. The university pulled the group’s registered status after learning they had discriminated against a gay student. Besides getting rid of “free speech zones” that limit public expressions to select areas on campuses, this bill states that colleges cannot deny benefits to student groups that require their leaders to agree to and support their beliefs.

District 20 Representative Ray Sorensen (R) comments on whether this section could allow discrimination, “I think it opens up freedom and I understand there are instances where someone may get kicked out of the group but that should be that group’s right to kick them out of that group. But it’s also that person’s right that just got kicked out to start their own group or protest that group, those are all parts of our first amendment and freedom of speech.”

The bill passed 51-44 in the House and 35-11 in the Senate and awaits Reynolds’ approval. You can hear more from Sorensen in Monday’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County program at raccoonvalleyradio.com.