DES MOINES, Iowa - A housing bill signed by Governor Kim Reynolds could face a legal challenge from the federal government.
The bill lets landlords deny housing to renters who use low-income federal vouchers such as Section 8.
It will override laws in Des Moines, Iowa City and Marion that require landlords to accept the vouchers.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marsha Fudge has said she would recommend a federal challenge if the bill is signed into law.
The bill does away with city ordinances that prohibit landlords from discriminating against renters who use the vouchers.
Republicans say the legislation prevents landlords from being forced to accept federal vouchers while Democrats say it amounts to discrimination against low-income renters.
Secretary Fudge said the bill could face a legal challenge during a TV interview in March.
“It is a discussion I would need to have with the Department of Justice, but I would clearly believe that we are within our rights to demand that these communities cooperate with what we are doing,” said Fudge in MSNBC. "If they want to get into a fight about it, we're ready to fight them about it."
Reynolds backs an expansion of affordable housing in Iowa and endorsed other legislation that so far failed to move forward this year that would give tax credits to developers of low-income housing.