Iowa lawmakers consider the directors of the public university for public policy events

Legislature is addressing Republican notions that Iowa public universities are liberal, more democratic, and more recently suppressed conservative voices, and is pursuing a bill requiring the campus to appoint a current employee as “Director of Events in the Field public order ”.

The tasks of the new director include inviting speakers to the campus who can “formulate perspectives on widely discussed questions of public order that are otherwise poorly represented on campus”.

Other responsibilities of the position would be:

• Organization and publication of debates, forums and lectures dealing with “a variety of public policy issues from different, different and opposing perspectives”.

• Inviting speakers “who represent a variety of perspectives inside and outside the campus community to participate in public order events.”

• Providing speaker fees, transportation, and accommodation – when funds are available and guests are from outside the community.

• Maintaining an online calendar with public events.

• Create a video recording of each event and put it online within 10 days.

“Each video must be available on the institution’s website for at least five consecutive years from the date of the recorded event,” according to proposed legislation, sponsored by Rep. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, and just 10 miles north of the University of Northern Iowa.

Their bill states that the new director should “make every reasonable effort to ensure that speakers with conflicting views receive funding”.

Notes: (319) 339-3158; [email protected]

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