Iowa Republican Legislators without Library Cards

Seek to undermine our public libraries...

Feb 12, 2024

Raccoon Valley Radio Photo: L to R Legendary newspaperman Rick Morain, moderator, Representative Nordman, Senator Green.

Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate recently introduced legislation that would impact the funding of our public libraries and our library boards. Senate Study Bill 3131 was introduced by Republican State Senator Jesse Green. Green has also been part of the push to ban selected books from public schools in Iowa. On February 4 I wrote Iowa Republican Legislators are Coming for our Public Libraries, and Andrew Carnegie is spinning in his grave…

I went to the Senate hearing on Monday, February 5 led by Senator Green. Librarians and library board members from across the state attended and made an excellent case for the continued support of our libraries with tax dollars and for the continued independence of our library boards. Green engaged, listened, and shared that he was dropping the part of the bill that made public funding optional, but that he was still considering allowing city councils to take over the responsibilities of library boards, which would potentially make our public libraries political footballs. I wrote about it at Librarians and the Public Push Back Against Proposed Legislation, and proof why public libraries need independent boards...

I hear that the bill has been pulled. Let’s hope so.

On Thursday I attended the hearing on House Study Bill 678. The bill didn’t mention funding but would make it possible for city councils to take away the power of local library boards and give it to city councils. Afterward, I wrote Carter Nordman, R-Panora, Dismisses the Concerns of Thousands of Iowa Public Library Supporters; and in an authoritarian move, he uses his legislative power to undermine our libraries and democracy...

Nordman voted to move the bill forward after dismissing the concerns of maybe 30-40 librarians and library board members in the room, and probably thousands of comments online by waving a few papers in the air and allegedly had support for the bill.

How much support? What did they say? Why were all of the online comments against the bill if people support it?

Librarians, make him prove it.

My friend, Iowa reporting legend, and fellow Iowa Writers Collaborative member Chuck Offenburger learned that his two representatives, Green and Nordman are behind the legislation that librarians oppose. Chuck writes the excellent column Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger…Iowa, small towns, and saddle shoes.

On Sunday Chuck shared that he attended a town hall with Green and Nordman in Jefferson on Saturday. His column is here: Library backers to legislators: “Shush!”—The columnist was shocked to find that the two leaders of the Iowa legislature’s fuss with public libraries are the two who represent him!

Chuck is a master of observation and description, and I almost felt like I was in the room with him, and I appreciated the references to Meredith Wilson’s “Music Man.” One of the things I like about Chuck and his writing is he is a kind and gentle man who likes to see the best in people. I try my best to do the same. Like Chuck, I like to see all sides of an issue.

I’d also like to thank Chuck for pointing out that the two men who are trying to undermine our libraries don’t have library cards. That was a brilliant question. Maybe Nordman and Green should try using our libraries before laying out the legislation that could provide the means to dismantle our libraries, which I know will hit our small rural libraries the most.

Chuck reports: “Both were very strong saying the changes the new legislative bills propose have nothing to do with wanting to control what books are available in libraries.”

Are you kidding me? Do they really think we haven’t watched the innumerable attempts by Republicans in Iowa and across the nation to do just that? That their efforts were never influenced by that movement? Try reading this and tell me if you believe them: The rising Republican movement to defund public libraries—Libraries bolster democracy. Republicans want to get rid of them.

But, just for argument’s sake, let’s take them at their word. That they don’t want to control what books are available in libraries. It’s irrelevant. It’s a red herring. Their proposed legislation would set the stage for city councils to do just that regardless of their “intent.”

We can provide more context here, thanks to Chuck.

“One of my biggest disappointments to us (in the contentious debate the past week) is how the Iowa Library Association has conducted itself in this,” Nordman told the crowd, with a real edge in his voice. “They have lied to their members, they have lied to city councils, and even have lied to the public. We (legislators) don’t care about the contents of our public libraries – period. The ILA has said it’s about contents. It is not.”

What arrogance. Representatives of the ILA lied? Using the word lied three times? Wouldn’t the phrase “are mistaken” work better? Have been more respectful? I don’t think they were mistaken, but again, that’s beside the point. The consequences are the same—city councils will be able to control content.

Three repetitions of “lied.” Why do that?

Simple. To demean ILA members and make them seem lesser and morally compromised to his constituents. After all, that’s more of what Republicans have been doing for a couple of years now, demonizing teachers and librarians across the nation. It’s just more of the same destructive crap and we need to say so.

Chuck, my friend, this is a puff piece. I know one when I see one. I’ve written plenty, but no more about Republicans. Republican policies (notice I don’t say “conservative”—there is nothing conservative about the MAGAverse) are destructive and we need to say how and why.

Here’s some of the puffery in the piece:

I kind of like watching them in action. They’ve probably both got long political careers ahead of them, if they want them, especially in this section of Iowa that, at least right now, is so overwhelmingly Republican.

Another thing that is going to be fun to watch: They’ve got to be two of the most eligible bachelors in Iowa. Neither has ever been married. Neither is dating anybody regularly now. Both are decent-looking.

Chuck, are you auditioning for a hosting gig on The Bachelor? Intended or not, you have elevated these guys who you “kind of like watching…in action” and their destructive policies over the real concerns of those who care about our public libraries.

These are the guys who have undermined our public schools with a voucher system that gives millions of dollars to private schools with no accountability, support Governor Reynolds in her PR stunt to use federal money to send our guard members to Texas while refusing to use federal money to feed hungry Iowa children. This is the party that in some states is forcing women and girls who are raped to give birth to their rapists’ child. This is the party that is marginalizing our friends, neighbors, and family members who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, who refuse to say yes when they get the border deal they want because it might make Biden look good? Ridiculous. Think of the deaths and misery they are causing. And did you hear that over the weekend their MAGA orange god Trump said he’d let Russia do ‘whatever the hell they want’ to NATO countries that don’t pay enough? And I could go on and on.

Sorry, Chuck. These guys are not “fun to watch.”

Chuck made light of one of my conclusions:

Leonard went on – probably too far – with this: “So why are Nordman and other Republicans across the nation attacking our public libraries? It’s part of a broader effort many Republicans are making nationally to undermine our institutions and democracy. It also creates chaos and distraction, and pulls media attention away from other important matters.”

There’s some “shipoopi” in that, to invoke a term from that grand old library show, “Music Man,” that I referred to earlier.

While I don’t understand, I know it was well-intentioned. I didn’t get the reference to “shipoopi” and the internet didn’t help. I disagree that I probably went too far—I probably didn’t go far enough. All of us need to understand what is behind what Republicans are doing. It’s more than about libraries. It’s bigger than that. Bigger than Trump. It’s about power, money, control, and undermining our democracy to create an authoritarian state.

And to be clear, I have no reason to think Nordman and Green or other Iowa Republican legislators are bad people. Like so many other members of their party, they are either misinformed, misled, complicit pawns, or spineless.

Chuck—I see you have some useful comments on your column. Here’s one:

Hello, Chuck.

My name is Sam Helmick and I am the Government Affairs chair for the Iowa Library Association.

If you would like to read the ILA Executive Board statement about the three library board-adverse bills filed this week for yourself please visit: IowaLibraryAssociation.org

Like many Iowans, Iowa Library Association respects the local governance structure established through engaged, politically appointed library boards in partnership with their city councils.

We want to #KeepLibrariesLocal!

If you would like to connect to a primary source on this topic, I would be delighted to speak with you at samhelmick.library@gmail.com.

According to Representative Nordman, Helmick is a “liar.”

On the contrary, Helmick and every other librarian fighting for our public libraries are icons of integrity doing what librarians have always done—fight for the public’s right to read, learn, and seek the truth.

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