Iowa lawmakers consider requiring students, teachers to sing national anthem at school each day

by Robin Opsahl 

Iowa Capital Dispatch

Iowa students would be required to sing part of the national anthem at school each day under a bill advanced Wednesday by a House Education subcommittee.

Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshalltown, stood and led the room in singing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” during her closing comments.

Today, Iowa lawmakers sang the national anthem in a subcommittee on a bill that would require it to be sung each day in school and require teaching students how to “love, honor and respect” the national anthem. pic.twitter.com/d4ywHFcDZB

— Caleb McCullough (@calebmcculIough) January 24, 2024

Cahill said she sang because “our Capitol is the perfect place to show patriotism,” but requiring the singing of the national anthem in school classrooms each day is not the best path forward as it would be “mandating patriotism for students.”