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Grassley says ending tenure at UI, ISU & UNI ‘a live round’ in House

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February 12th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – House Speaker Pat Grassley says there have been years of inaction to complaints about retaliation against conservative speech on the public university campuses and that’s why House Republicans are considering a bill to end the tenure system at the universities in Ames, Iowa City and Cedar Falls.

Grassley said also….

Republican lawmakers in previous years have proposed ending tenure for professors at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, but for the first time a bill to accomplish that goal has won approval in a committee. Three Republicans on the House Education Committee voted against the bill and Grassley says he’s heard concerns from fellow Republicans. Grassley plans to have House Republicans discuss the proposal in private to see if there are 51 “yes” votes among Republicans to pass the bill out of the full House.

During a recent statehouse hearing, the presidents of Iowa, Iowa State and U-N-I said ending tenure would prompt professors to leave and make it harder to hire staff. Ag commodity groups have expressed concern that ending tenure will be a set-back for critical research at the three state-supported universities. Earlier today (Thursday), a bill to ban tenure was approved by Republicans on a SENATE subcommittee.