In The News
CCI Action Candidate Training
We know that the legislators at the Statehouse putting forward bills like school vouchers and proposals to take food away from Iowans don’t serve us or our neighbors, they serve corporate interests. And all too often our city councilors and county supervisors cater to entrenched, wealthy elites rather than everyday people. It’s clearer than ever before that we need folks like us – folks who share our values and our dream for a better Iowa – in elected office. That’s why we are holding our first Candidate Leadership Training on March 10th and 11th. We’ll cover everything you need to know to run a successful campaign grounded in building people power to win on our issues. This training is for prospective candidates, campaign workers, and CCI Action members committed to building base through elections. The training will be held the evening of Friday March 10th and all day Saturday March 11th. If you are interested in attending, please fill...
read moreStop Governor Reynolds’ public school heist scheme
At CCI Action, we believe that every child – no matter their zip code, background, race, gender, identity, or ability – has an equal right to a quality education. That means fully funding our public schools, urban and rural, so that every child gets an accurate and honest education that prepares them for their future and pursue their dreams. Which is why what Governor Reynolds is proposing regarding school vouchers troubles us. Though she says it’s about giving parents choice, it’s really an attempt to undermine faith in our public schools, cast doubt on public educators, and keep us from coming together to demand our public schools get the resources they need to equip each and every student with critical skills and life lessons. Adding insult to injury, Gov. Reynolds pulled a bait-and-switch on everyday Iowans. For the past two years, she campaigned on giving 1,000 students vouchers to attend private school at a cost of about $55 million. Now that initial...
read morePeople’s Condition of the State
Last night, Governor Reynolds delivered her Condition of the State address. She claimed the condition of our state was strong, but her priorities will do anything but prepare our state for the future. What we need are investments in our public programs and rural communities, not more dangerous tax cuts and giveaways for the wealthy. We need fully-funded public schools to ensure each and every child no matter their zip code, background, identity or ability receives a quality education that prepares them for the future – not funneling taxpayer money into vouchers for private schools. That’s why at the conclusion of Reynolds’ address, we delivered our own “People’s Condition of the State” address! View and share it on Facebook here or visit our YouTube page to view. In our address, grassroots leaders from across the state laid out what is truly needed to move our state forward, from investing in rural healthcare and public schools,...
read moreIt’s yearend team fundraiser time!
Letter from CCI Action’s board chair Cherie Mortice I Double your gift here It’s a cliché, but it’s true—the work we do together isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Yes, as a former high school coach I use a lot of sports analogies. And I see lots of similarities between coaching and building political power. For both we’ve got to rally our folks, celebrate our wins, and learn from everything we do so we keep getting better. Winning the changes we want takes a strong team, a solid game plan…and time. And, I’ll tell you this: As far as teammates go, CCI Action members are THE BEST. They’re engaged, involved, and take action for and with each other. You’re determined to make Iowa, and this country a better place. This year we’ve: Talked with over 10,000 voters in key districts across the state about our issues and endorsed candidates who are serious about our kind of change Canvassed and collected stories to stop price gouging by Big...
read moreThe results are in: we have a lot of work to do
The results are in: we have a lot of work to do. We always do. We expected some disappointments last night, but oof. Though we aren’t seeing the huge national red wave that was projected, we are certainly seeing it here in our home state. The playing field in Iowa is now even friendlier to our opposition. This is a hard pill to swallow as we’ve seen so many legislative attacks on our friends, families, and neighbors these past two years. Iowa continues to be written off by many as a lost cause, but we’re not buying it. The change we need won’t happen overnight. It happens step by step, conversation by conversation, election by election. People ask me if I get down about the results? The answer is: not really. Why? Even though we’re living in tumultuous times, I’m a part of CCI Action and we plant the seeds for a better future every day we do this work. I feel that uncertainty, but I continue to feel clear on the path forward. It’s...
read moreHow to vote in the Nov. 8 election
Let’s get out the vote for our endorsed candidates! We need to elect leaders that will work with us to make changes that we all want and need. To vote in this fall’s general elections you must be an Iowan who is registered to vote. Here’s three ways you can vote: Early in-person voting: Starting Oct. 19 and through Nov. 7 you can vote early in-person at your County Auditor’s office 8am-5pm. Use this link to find your County Auditor. Vote by mail: Request your vote by mail ballot here. Last day to request a ballot is Oct. 24. Absentee ballots MUST be received at your auditor’s office or ballot drop box by the close of polls on election day. On Election Day: Find your polling place here. Polling places will be open on election day from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Find out if you’re registered in Iowa! If you have moved to Iowa from another state or to a different county in Iowa, pre-register to vote in your new county before the first...
read moreRacial Profiling Community Event
In 2018, YOU the community, helped create an anti-racial profiling ordinance passed in June of 2020. What has happened since then? Our Racial Justice Team members are inviting you to our community meeting and celebration to find out. We want to share and celebrate with you the work that’s continued, the wins along the way, and what’s ahead to keep our community safe for all people. We couldn’t do it without you. We invite you to join us in appreciation for your support and we are excited to update you on our recent victories and what’s coming next (including the Nov. 8 elections). What: Racial Profiling Community Meeting When: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 Where: John R. Grubb YMCA, 1611 11th Street, Des Moines, IA Time: 6-8 p.m. There will be live music and food. Please RSVP...
read morePhone banking for our issues and candidates!
At CCI Action we believe in doing politics differently. That means using elections to advance our key issue campaigns and supporting candidates who believe, like we do, that we need to put people and the planet first, and supporting candidates who understand that change comes from the bottom up, that the solutions to the issues we face come from those who experience them every day. To help us make sure such leaders are elected, we are phone banking leading up to the election this November. These aren’t your typical political calls – we lead with the issues and our work and connect that to the candidates we endorsed (click here for more on our People and Planet First legislative candidates and our candidate for governor ). Our voter calls aren’t just turning voters out to the polls, when we find voters who align with us on our issues – we invite them into our year-round work to organize for the Iowa we need. More people, more power! CCI Action’s...
read moreCCI Action members take DeJear on factory farm tour
Leaders from CCI Action spent more than two hours speaking with DeJear and educating her on the issues brought by factory farms. CCI Action members met with gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear in Poweshiek County on Saturday. Members took DeJear on a bus tour of a factory farm and shared personal stories about the impacts that CO2 pipelines and factory farms have on Iowa communities. Members shared stories of how CAFOs have impacted their lives. Joyce Otto of Poweshiek County described a day when it was particularly difficult to endure the smell. “I was running late and I had my children and work equipment, finally rushing out the front door,” Otto said. “It was like a wall, I didn’t want to breathe, I was holding my breathe. It was so bad that my kids were crying.” Otto went on to describe how after awhile it felt like she and her family had lost their freedom to enjoy their own backyard. Members explained how the foul air has caused health problems in...
read moreThe election results are in
A note from CCI Action’s Movement Politics Organizer after the June 7 primary: The election results are in, and one thing is clear – our people power movement is getting stronger. Not every candidate we endorsed won, but we won big on the issues. Jaylen Cavil (Des Moines House District 36) came in a strong second in a six candidate primary, Austin Frerick (Linn County Senate District 37) came within 148 votes of winning against a two-term incumbent, and Glenn Hurst (Iowa Senate) made issues like Medicare for All a top-tier issue in the race. These movement candidates knew it would be an uphill battle, but that our fight for racial justice, healthcare justice, and environmental justice was worth it. And racial justice won big in Polk County with Kimberly Graham winning the Democratic nomination for County Attorney. This came on the heels of over four years of our organizing for police accountability, criminal justice reform, and racial justice....
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