In The News
Gubernatorial Candidate Interviews on Video
There is a wide field of contenders to take on Kim Reynolds and her corporate cronies. We're looking for a candidate to endorse who puts people and planet first.
In August, members of CCI Action’s endorsement committee met with four gubernatorial candidates and conducted interviews about their views on the issues. Watch each interview below.
2018 Governor’s Race Candidate Questionnaires
The 2018 Iowa gubernatorial race will be hotly contested. There’s a wide field of challengers who want to take on Kim Reynolds and her corporate cronies.
But will our state's next governor be a People & Planet First champion or yet another “business as usual” politician?
That’s where we come in!
To kick start the process, we sent an issue questionnaire to all gubernatorial candidates.
We’re endorsing Ross Grooters for Pleasant Hill City Council
CCI Action Fund has an exciting announcement: we're endorsing Ross Grooters’ campaign for Pleasant Hill City Council!
You might know Ross – he’s been a leader on all of our issues. Because of his experience with CCI Action, Ross has been inspired to run for office.
His platform is clear: “living wages, clean water, and a welcoming city.”
Why is CCI Action weighing-in on Pleasant Hill race?
Iowans Ready to Turn Political Revolution Into Reality
by Evan Burger, organizer for CCI Action
I was among the more than one thousand Iowans who recently packed into Des Moines’ HyVee Hall for “Revolution Iowa: From Protest to Power,” a day-long event organized by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI). State and national media were drawn by speculation keynote speaker Bernie Sanders might be there to lay groundwork for a 2020 presidential bid.
But the main event for me was to see so many Iowans, from so many walks of life, coming together around people-first issues that affect us all – from housing and racial discrimination to protecting clean water and family farms – and coming up with fresh strategies to address them.
Our plan to endorse a People & Planet candidate for governor of Iowa
The CCI Action board of directors sees Iowa's 2018 governor's race as an opportunity to inject our style of progressive populism into the race to do politics differently. I’m excited to announce that CCI Action has decided to start a formal endorsement process for the governor’s race.
- Specifically, we think our endorsement process is a way to:
- Advance our organizing campaigns, by making candidates take a stand on our issues.
- Build our people-power base, bringing like-minded Iowans into our work.
- Train ourselves on doing electoral field work – knocking on doors, making calls, talking to voters, etc.
News roundup: Revolution Iowa in the press
On July 15, nearly 1,000 progressives and freedom fights cheered and chanted through a day of powerful speakers and action-oriented issue workshops. Plenty of press from across the state was on hand to see what movement politics will bring to Iowa. The headlines may focus on Bernie, but the content reflects the momentum of the movement.
We've selected links from a few sources to share...
Revolution Iowa Livestreams
On July 15, Uphill Media ran a hosted livestream of our entire convention. Whether you are here to relive your memories of the day, or you're here to see Alicia Garza speak for the first time, enjoy our archived video coverage.
read moreOp-Ed: We need Medicare for All, Not a Heartless Healthcare Bill
By Barb Kalbach, Iowa CCI Action Fund president
As a cardiac rehabilitation nurse in rural Iowa, I spent 10 years helping patients recover from procedures like valve replacements and heart bypasses. I saw patients survive against the odds, thanks to incredible health care provided in our state’s rural hospitals.
Now all of us in rural Iowa – including our hospitals – face a grave threat with the health care repeal passed by the House. The only way we’ll survive is by making sure our senators stop it.
That includes our Senators Grassley and Ernst, who will put a whole lot of our children, parents, and grandparents at risk if they vote for this terrible health repeal.
The Congressional Budget Office says the legislation will throw 23 million people off coverage – with 14 million tossed off Medicaid alone. An older person with limited income will be hit with premium hikes as high as 850 percent.
I won’t mince words. This legislation is heartless.
Catch The People’s Summit vibe with our photo recap
Spoiler alert: Bernie closed out The People’s Summit with a new speech — and he’s returning to Iowa on July 15 as the keynote speaker at Revolution Iowa. Register now! [View the story “The People’s Summit Puts People and Planet First” on Storify]
read moreFour questions every gubernatorial candidate must answer
The Branstad era is over, but our work is just getting started! We know that Reynolds represents a continuation of Branstad’s pro-corporate policies, and she’s made it clear that she’s planning on running for another term in 2018. Now is the time to start asking ALL gubernatorial candidates where they stand on the issues that matter to Iowans. These are our top four:
read more
