Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is proposing a change to the state’s constitution to allow children and people with intellectual disabilities to testify by closed circuit TV in court. This comes after a recent ruling by the state supreme court deemed this practice unconstitutional. Bird argues that forcing children to face their abusers in court can re-traumatize them and make it harder to get victims to testify. She believes that without this option, there will be fewer prosecutions of crimes against children. The proposed amendment now goes to the legislature for approval, and if passed, would need to be approved in two general assemblies before being put on the state constitution for voters to decide in 2028. This change is seen as a way to restore protections that were previously in place before the state supreme court’s ruling. Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa.
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Iowa’s Attorney General suggests constitutional amendment to protect children from testifying in front of their abusers
