Former State Rep. Wayne Ford responds to House Study Bill 668, eliminating budget accountability in Iowa’s Racial (Minority) Impact Statement law

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When I passed Iowa’s Racial (Minority) Impact Statement legislation in 2008, it was never intended to be a narrow or single‑issue reform. It was designed as a two‑part governing framework — one that recognized how both policy and public spending shape real‑world outcomes for people across our state.

The House Study Bill 668 passed recently through subcommittee eliminates the second part of the framework: the provision requiring entities seeking state funding to assess whether public dollars could unintentionally harm protected communities. As the author of the law, and as someone who has watched its influence grow nationally, I want to be clear about how I feel about that decision. I am deeply concerned.

What the second part of the law does

The second part of the law applies to budgets, appropriations and grants. It requires applicants for state funds to answer a basic but important question:



Will this funding, as designed or implemented, negatively affect minority populations as defined under Iowa law?



This provision does not deny funding. It does not impose quotas. It does not accuse anyone of discriminatory intent. It simply asks for awareness and accountability before taxpayer dollars are spent. That is good government.

Who is protected under Iowa law?

Much of the confusion surrounding this issue comes from misunderstanding the term “minority.” Under Iowa Code, the definition of minority is explicit and longstanding. It includes women, people with disabilities and racial and ethnic minorities, including Black Iowans, Latinos and Native Americans.

 This definition is broader than race by design. The second part of the law simply ensures that public money is not used — intentionally or unintentionally — to harm these protected groups.

Why removing the budget provision is troubling

Budgets are upstream policy. They shape outcomes long before anyone encounters the criminal justice system.

They determine where schools are built, which communities receive services and which problems are prevented versus ignored.

 Keeping racial impact analysis only at the sentencing stage while removing it from budget decisions means measuring harm after damage has already occurred. That was never the intent of the law.

National validation and best practices

Since Iowa led the nation in 2008, racial and equity impact statement policies have spread. Today, approximately 10 states are implementing similar laws, and more than 30 have drafted or introduced legislation.



Some states that struggled to pass criminal‑justice‑focused language still adopted budget and fiscal equity review provisions, recognizing their equal importance.

California’s Reparations Task Force specifically recommended implementing racial impact analysis across legislation and budgets. My hometown of Washington, D.C. operates an Office of Equity whose core responsibility includes reviewing budgets through an equity lens.

These developments mirror what Iowa put in place years ago.

The People’s Budget

I have often referred to the budget component of the Racial (Minority) Impact Statement law as the People’s Budget. The communities most affected by public spending decisions are often those with the least influence over how money is allocated. 

This provision gave those communities a small but meaningful safeguard — a pause, a question, a moment of accountability — before harm could occur.

If the governor signs legislation removing the second part of Iowa’s Racial (Minority) Impact Statement law, the state will be stepping backward rather than forward.

However, the broader movement this law helped spark will continue.

 The framework created in Iowa has influenced governments, scholars and policymakers across the country.

Through the Wayne Ford Equity Impact Institute, I will continue assisting states as they strengthen — not weaken — this important accountability tool.

 This movement began in Iowa, and its momentum continues nationwide.

This piece appears in the upcoming January/February 2026 edition of the Black Iowa Newspaper. Distribution begins Feb. 12.