Bill Text: IA SF2210 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to Satanic displays or Satanic worship on property of the state and its political subdivisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-07 - Subcommittee: Driscoll, Celsi, and McClintock. S.J. 238. [SF2210 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-SF2210-Introduced.html
Senate File 2210 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2210 BY SALMON A BILL FOR An Act relating to Satanic displays or Satanic worship on 1 property of the state and its political subdivisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5931XS (3) 90 as/js
S.F. 2210 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 27D.1 Satanic displays or the 1 practice of Satanism on state property. 2 1. The state or any political subdivision of the state shall 3 not recognize organizations or individuals who refer to Satan 4 as a deity, worship Satan, or who reference Satan or Satanism 5 as part of the organization’s or individual’s religious 6 practice as an establishment of religion. 7 2. Displays, symbols, or the practice of Satanic worship 8 shall not be allowed on public property, in public schools, on 9 property owned by public schools, or on any property owned by 10 the state or its political subdivisions. 11 3. Any act of Satanic practice or worship that involves 12 the ending of a life or the shedding of blood, whether the 13 sacrifice be an animal or human, is prohibited. 14 4. A violation of subsection 2 or 3 is a criminal offense 15 subject to prosecution under the laws of the state. 16 Sec. 2. PUBLIC DISPLAYS —— SATANISM —— LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS 17 AND PURPOSE. 18 1. The general assembly finds that the Constitution of the 19 State of Iowa acknowledges the supreme being to whom we owe 20 gratitude for blessings received and upon whom we depend for 21 future blessings. 22 2. The general assembly finds that there is a wide 23 range of differing views among its citizens regarding which 24 establishment of religion or religions represent the one 25 supreme being upon which we depend. Though a long line of 26 historical evidence exists showing that the values found in the 27 Judeo-Christian faith are fundamental to the foundations and 28 freedoms of the United States of America, the state of Iowa, 29 in accordance with the long-established history, heritage, and 30 tradition of the United States, does not grant favored status 31 to any establishment of religion as the official religion of 32 the state of Iowa. 33 3. The general assembly finds that good and evil exist. The 34 supreme being, upon whom we depend for continued blessings, 35 -1- LSB 5931XS (3) 90 as/js 1/ 3
S.F. 2210 personifies that which is good. Evil is personified in the 1 creature known as Satan. It is the duty of the government to 2 play an appropriate role in protecting the inhabitant residents 3 of Iowa from evil while encouraging and facilitating good. It 4 is legally and constitutionally inconsistent to afford Satan, 5 who is universally understood to be an enemy of God, religious 6 expression on public property by a state government that 7 depends upon God for continued blessings. Such a legal view 8 violates our state constitution and offends the God upon whom 9 we depend and undermines our well-being. 10 4. The general assembly finds that all people have freedom 11 of conscience. The state of Iowa does not recommend Satanic 12 practice in any form; however, the state of Iowa acknowledges 13 that individuals are free under the Constitution of the State 14 of Iowa to practice Satanic worship in their private thoughts 15 and on their private property in ways that do not violate any 16 Iowa law or harm or infringe on others. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill relates to Satanic displays or Satanic worship on 21 property of the state and its political subdivisions. 22 The bill provides that the state or any political 23 subdivision of the state shall not recognize organizations or 24 individuals who refer to Satan as a deity, worship Satan, or 25 who reference Satan or Satanism as part of the organization’s 26 or individual’s religious practice as an establishment of 27 religion. Displays, symbols, or the practice of Satanic 28 worship shall not be allowed on public property, in public 29 schools, on property owned by public schools, or on any 30 property owned by the state or its political subdivisions. Any 31 act of Satanic practice or worship that involves the ending of 32 a life or the shedding of blood, whether the sacrifice be an 33 animal or human, is prohibited. 34 The bill provides that a violation of the bill is a criminal 35 -2- LSB 5931XS (3) 90 as/js 2/ 3
S.F. 2210 offense subject to prosecution under the laws of the state. 1 The bill makes legislative findings concerning the religion 2 and the practice of Satanism. 3 -3- LSB 5931XS (3) 90 as/js 3/ 3
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