HELP BLOCK LEGISLATION TO FINALIZE CLOSURE OF CENTENNIAL BUILDING! 

Senators will vote starting the week of February 23. Here is a link to Find Your Legislator: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find 

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) introduced a bill in the Iowa Senate (now SSB 2293), which “strikes the requirement that the department maintain such a research center in Iowa City.”

SF 2293 is essentially a legalizing act for the illegal action taken by DAS administrators in May 2025 to unilaterally close the Iowa City center without legislative approval or public input.

Please take a moment right now and send a short and polite note to your State Senator (and a few others from across the state) and tell them:

Vote “NO” on Senate File 2293;

Iowa law is clear, there is to be a historical resource research center in Iowa City and Des Moines;

The closure of the Iowa City center is currently the subject of legal action, so please allow the courts to rule on this first.

Now is the time to express your opinion on the closure of the State Historical Society of Iowa’s research facility in Iowa City. Please counter the arguments used to justify this closure as their reasoning is based on misinformation and a lack of understanding of why citizens are concerned.

REMEMBER: IOWA CODE and ADMINISTRATIVE RULES currently mandate the existence of research facilities in Iowa City AND Des Moines!

As of Friday, February 20, the bipartisan-sponsored House File 2025 is no longer eligible for further consideration as a stand alone bill for the rest of this Legislative Session. All policy bills must be approved by a standing committee in its house of origin to remain eligible for further consideration that year.

HF 2025 - Keeping the Iowa City Research Center Open (F) - This bill specifies that the historical resource
research centers that the Department of Administrative Services must maintain under current law in Des
Moines and Iowa City must be in buildings located in those cities, adequately staffed, and open to the public.

We wait for legislative debates to continue and hope our allies will continue to enlighten those in the statehouse as to what is at stake. The public needs to weigh in on any proposal that does not address the full range of issues needing consideration if we are to properly preserve Iowa's historical record.

You can make a difference by urging other Iowans to find out what is at risk and ask them to question why the State Historical Society of Iowa is under attack after 169 years of existence.

Thank you for your support.

Please visit https:\\saveiowahistory.org