Our Work
Our work doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Like the quilt above, it is a patchwork of rallies and events, calls to action and email campaigns, interviews, public testimony, lobbying and citizen education. It began during the COVID lockdowns, when Iowans needed a strong voice defending medical freedom and religious liberty. Since then, our mission—and our impact—has continued to grow.
At the heart of everything we do is a powerful grassroots network of everyday Iowans willing to speak up, contact lawmakers, attend hearings, share their stories and stand together at the Capitol. Their voices give our work its strength and remind elected officials that government is accountable to the people.
We have built trusted relationships with legislators and regularly meet with them about the challenges facing Iowa families. They know Iowans for Freedom will help educate the public, mobilize citizens and build support for legislation that protects our rights. They also know we will oppose legislation that threatens those rights and, when necessary, help voters hold elected officials accountable at the ballot box.
From medical freedom and parental rights to school choice, protecting women and children, fair competition for Iowa businesses and preserving our constitutional rights—including the Second Amendment—we have helped turn grassroots voices into legislative action and lasting reform.
This timeline tells the story of that work.
Collaborative Efforts and Accomplishments
Preserving our Rights and Liberties
May 18th, 2021
Removed Masks From Iowans
June 28th, 2021
American Frontline Doctors
September 24th, 2021
Iowa Civil Rights Commission
October 18th, 2021
Meeting with Senate Majority Leader
July 24th, 2022
World Wide Freedom Rally
January 10th, 2022
FREE IOWA
January 9th, 2023
Meeting at the Capitol on Education Reform
January 24th, 2023
Helped Win School Choice for Iowa Families
February 20th, 2023
Moderated Private Educational Legislative Forum
March 6th - 8th, 2023
Aided in Passing Legislation to Protect Iowa Children
March 22nd, 2023
Protected women's private spaces in Iowa Schools.
March 26th, 2023
Helped Secure Landmark
Parental Rights Reforms
March 17th, 2024
Stood Up For Iowa Businesses and Fair Competition
February 28th, 2025
Helped Restore Biological Reality In Iowa Law
May 27th, 2025
Won Vaccine Exemption Transparency
May 27th, 2025
Helped Remove DEI From Publicly Funded Institutions Across Iowa
June 6th, 2025
Restored A Mentorship Pathway Into Parbering
October 11th, 2025
Hosted "Injecting Truth" At The State Capitol
February 5th, 2026
Launched The Iowa Medical Freedom Act Campaign
May 19th, 2026
Closed The Parental Consent Loophole
May 19th, 2026
Suported The Medical Ethics Defense Act
May 20th, 2026
Helped Advance Iowa's MAHA Reforms
June 2nd, 2026
Helped Secure Emergency Powers Reform
Lobbied and organized a rally at the capitol in protest to mask and vaccine mandates in Iowa, writing 140 hand written letters to the governor, many of which were written by Iowa's children. Within 24 hours of our rally, Iowa passed it's mask prohibition law which prohibited our schools from harmfully masking our children and lifted all mask mandates in cities through out Iowa.
Collaborated in a massive coordinated effort between freedom groups across the state, to bring the American Front Line doctors to Iowa. The event attracted nearly 2,000 Iowans with Simone Gold headlining the event and several of our legislators speaking to inspire Iowans to stay strong and resolute in the fight for their medical freedoms.
Wrote 200 emails to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. Oliver and many Iowans 4 Freedom members spoke at their September meeting to to bring awareness to the mass religious and medical civil rights violations occurring in Iowa. They took notice and put out a press release to inform Iowans that they were there for them and would be investigating each claim and holding businesses accountable for any violations.
Helped to organize and facilitate a meeting with 30 nurses from all across Iowa and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver to bring to light the medical discrimination that Iowa Nurses were facing. What was originally scheduled for one hour turned into a two hour session in which Senator Whitver listened to every nurses heartfelt testimony.
Co Hosted a World Wide Freedom Rally at the Capitol with over 700 Iowans in protest to Vaccine Mandates. We invited many freedom loving legislators and doctors to speak and continued working to move the needle in the direction of freedom for every Iowan.
Brought hundreds of Iowans to our FREE IOWA rally at the capitol protesting vaccine mandates. After the rally we hosted a 2 hour Lunch and Learn with 5 doctors from Iowa and across the US and 40 legislators to discuss the importance of the freedom of choice when it comes to Covid Vaccines and some of the discrimination and persecution that doctors had been facing. We were told by legislators that this was one of the most impactful events of the year.
Invited to the capitol on the first day of the session to meet with a dozen Representatives to discuss education reform and collaborate on ideas and strategies for legislation the would protect Iowa's children and restore parental rights.
Iowans for Freedom joined parents and education advocates working to pass the Students First Act. We mobilized supporters, communicated with legislators and spoke at the Iowa Capitol in support of giving families greater control over their children’s education. Governor Kim Reynolds signed HF 68 into law, establishing Education Savings Accounts and expanding educational options for Iowa families.
SEE OUR SCHOOL - CHOICE ADVOCACY
Hosted and moderated a private educational forum with legislators and Dr. James Lindsay, the leading expert on CASEL, SEL and CRT.
We helped protect Iowa children from being subjected to dangerous surgeries and hormone treatment by lobbying and sending out a Call To Action for HF623/SF538 and other important education legislation. Our CTA resulted in hundreds of emails and phone calls to legislators. This life saving legislation passed through both the House and Senate with no amendments.
Iowans for Freedom interviewed mothers and daughters who had experienced serious privacy violations in women’s bathrooms and changing areas, then brought families to the Capitol so lawmakers could hear their stories firsthand. Their experiences helped demonstrate why sex-separated private spaces matter. Governor Reynolds signed SF 482, protecting privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms in Iowa’s public and accredited nonpublic K–12 schools.
Through calls to action, direct lobbying and public advocacy, Iowans for Freedom supported SF 496 and related age-appropriate education proposals, including HF 597. The final law established parents’ fundamental right to direct the care and education of their children, strengthened curriculum and library transparency and placed age-appropriate limits on instruction. Oliver Bardwell was invited to the bill signing and received a ceremonial signing pen from Governor Reynolds.
Following the Perry High School shooting, HF 2652 proposed a firearm-detection software grant with requirements that effectively favored one out-of-state vendor while excluding qualified Iowa businesses. Oliver Bardwell produced a video for legislators, organized briefings with local business leaders and worked directly with lawmakers to expose the problem and advocate for fair competition. The Senate amended the bill to replace the restrictive grant with broader eligibility for qualifying “software or other innovative technology” through Iowa’s SAVE school-infrastructure fund—giving Iowa companies an opportunity to compete while expanding the safety options available to local schools.
Iowans for Freedom published action alerts, interviewed Representative Steve Holt and mobilized Iowans during the public hearing and final legislative votes on SF 418. The law established biological definitions of sex in Iowa Code and removed gender identity as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. This was a major legislative victory in the effort to preserve sex-based distinctions and protect women and children in their sports and private spaces.
Working alongside Informed Choice Iowa, Iowans for Freedom advocated for legislation requiring families to be told about Iowa’s lawful immunization exemptions whenever schools or the state communicate vaccine requirements. We issued calls to action, contacted legislators and worked directly with Senate leadership to keep the measure moving. HF 299 became law, helping end the misleading “no shots, no school” message and ensuring parents receive more complete information.
After HF 856 passed the Iowa House, Iowans for Freedom launched a focused campaign to secure a Senate vote. Oliver Bardwell worked directly with Senate Education Chair Lynn Evans, Senate President Amy Sinclair, House floor manager Representative Henry Stone and other lawmakers while supporters contacted Senate leadership. The bill passed both chambers and became law, prohibiting Iowa public entities from using taxpayer money to operate DEI offices, positions and programs, subject to the law’s specified exceptions.
Iowans for Freedom helped amplify the work of Craig Hunt and Iowa barbering advocates seeking a practical alternative to costly, conventional licensing programs. Through interviews, public advocacy and legislative engagement, we supported a return to supervised, on-the-job training. HF 711 became law, creating an establishment-based training pathway through which aspiring barbers and cosmetologists can learn their profession under qualified, licensed mentors.
During Vaccine Injury Awareness Month, Iowans for Freedom partnered with Informed Choice Iowa to host Injecting Truth in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda. The event gave Iowans affected by reported vaccine injuries an opportunity to be heard publicly. Speakers included Dr. Ben Tapper, Dr. Walker Porterfield, Lindsay Maher, Representative Jeff Shipley and Oliver Bardwell. The gathering continued our shared advocacy for medical freedom, informed consent, greater transparency and recognition of those who believe they have been harmed.
Iowans for Freedom worked alongside Informed Choice Iowa to mobilize citizens behind SF 2211 and HF 2368, the Iowa Medical Freedom Act. The legislation would have broadly prohibited businesses, government entities and educational institutions from requiring medical interventions or discriminating against Iowans based on their medical choices. These protections were not limited to declared emergencies; separate provisions also would have restricted state authority during public-health disasters. Although the legislation did not reach final passage in 2026, the campaign strengthened the statewide coalition working to end medical mandates and protect bodily autonomy, informed consent and freedom from medical coercion.
Iowans for Freedom continued working with Informed Choice Iowa and allied advocates to restore parents’ authority over medical decisions involving their minor children. SF 304 closed an exception in Iowa law that had allowed minors to receive HPV and hepatitis B vaccines without parental permission. The new law requires parental consent for these vaccines, bringing them under the same parental-consent expectations that apply to other childhood vaccinations.
Iowans for Freedom supported HF 571 as part of our continuing work for medical freedom and freedom of conscience. The Medical Ethics Defense Act protects medical practitioners and health-care institutions exercising ethical, moral or religious conscience, while preserving legally required emergency care. It also establishes protections for health-care whistleblowers and safeguards medical professionals from professional discipline based solely on constitutionally protected speech or association.
Iowans for Freedom supported Iowa’s growing Make America Healthy Again movement and joined advocates at the signing of HF 2676. The wide-ranging health law restricts specified food dyes and additives in school meals, expands nutrition education for medical professionals, limits digital instruction for younger students, increases elementary physical-activity requirements and permits pharmacies to sell ivermectin over the counter. The legislation marked a significant step toward greater health transparency, prevention and individual choice.
After years of advocating for limits on government authority during declared emergencies, Iowans for Freedom supported the principles enacted through HF 2694. The law protects places of worship and conduct inside private residences, prohibits emergency vaccination mandates, limits the forced closure of lawful businesses during public-health emergencies and preserves legislative oversight of disaster declarations. It represents an important restoration of constitutional checks, religious liberty, economic freedom and individual medical choice.
THE WORK CONTINUES
These milestones represent only a portion of the work Iowans for Freedom and our grassroots network have done to defend the rights and liberties of Iowans. Every call answered, email sent, story shared and voice raised at the Capitol helps move Iowa in the right direction.
Our strength comes from informed and engaged citizens who are willing to stand together. We will continue researching legislation, educating Iowans, working with lawmakers and mobilizing the grassroots whenever our freedoms—or the well-being of Iowa’s children and families—are at stake.
Our founder, Oliver Bardwell, has been invited to speak to patriot and grassroots organizations across Iowa about effective citizen engagement—how to understand legislation, communicate with lawmakers, organize calls to action, build coalitions and turn public concern into meaningful results. He continues traveling the state to educate, encourage and equip Iowans to make their voices heard.
Listen to this episode of This Week at the Capitol to hear Representative Jeff Shipley discuss how the research, advocacy and grassroots engagement of Iowans for Freedom have helped influence legislation.
The work continues—and we invite you to be part of it.