Iowa Governor Signs Campus Free Speech Bill

Yesterday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed SF 274 (full text), a bill that is designed to protect free speech at public universities. The new law requires the state Board of Regents and the board of each community college to adopt an extensive policy to protect speech and expression. Among other things, it bars public universities from limiting non-commercial speakers to a free-speech zone.  As reported by Iowa State Daily, the section of the new law that has raised the most controversy is Section 3(3) which prohibits denying benefits to a student organization because it requires that its leaders agree to and support the organization's beliefs as interpreted by the organization.  This presumably allows religious organizations that oppose same-sex relations to bar members of the LGBTQ community from leadership positions.