Lawmakers in the Hawkeye State approved legislation yesterday that would strip gender identity protections from the state's civil rights code despite widespread protests.

Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature voted Thursday to remove gender identity as a protected class from the state’s civil rights code, sending the first-of-its-kind measure to Gov. Kim Reynolds

The Iowa Senate and House debated for several hours before passing the legislation overwhelmingly along party lines. The governor is expected to sign the bill.