This week in Iowa organizing…
I hope you all had a good and reflective Memorial Day weekend. Luckily it appears we missed yet more severe weather during the weekend, we've had enough recently.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to the community in Greenfield after last Tuesday's deadly tornado. A reminder to check with local authorities before heading to town, and check here for ways to help recovery and relief efforts.
Lastly, the weekend marked the unofficial start to summer, usually associated with sunny days at the local beach - but not necessarily if you live in Iowa thanks to corporate ag polluters. Keep an eye on your local beach's water quality over the summer by checking the DNR's monitoring here.
Alright, let's get to it,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
May 30: Let's go to the movies!
Iowa CCI is coming to an outdoor theater in Iowa Falls!
This Thursday we'll be watching The Biggest Little Farm - a film about a couple who left their city life behind to set out to grow food for their community while creating a farm that doubles as a functional ecosystem for both people and planet.
Together, we'll talk about ways we can take action for our water and people and places we love, meet neighbors, and build community. Our screening is for everyone, so come hang out at the park for this inspiring doc and some CCI-style fun! We'll have good snacks and refreshments waiting for you.
May 30 @ 7pm in Iowa Falls: info and RSVP here
June 6: CO2 pipeline informational meeting
Did you know there’s a hazardous liquid pipeline proposed to go through Ida County?
Summit Carbon Solutions wants to build 1,000 miles of CO2 pipelines in Iowa, including Ida County, and plans to connect to two ethanol plants- Poet and Quad County Corn Processors.
Join us on Thursday, June 6 at 7pm in Ida Grove for an informational meeting to:
Learn about the CO2 pipeline projects and how they impact Iowans.
Hear from impacted landowners, including presenter Jan Norris
Ask questions and share your concerns
More information and RSVP to join us here!
June 8: Teach Truth day of action in Iowa City!
Join our allies in Iowa City as we face down attacks on our public education!
For the past three summers, teachers rallied across the country to speak out against anti-history education bills, receiving national media attention and providing a counter narrative to the well-funded attack on public education, libraries, students, and honest curriculum.
Come and hear from a speaker lineup that includes students, teachers, and community members who believe in the value of being honest about our history.
Kim Reynolds's actions to expand private school vouchers, ban books, dismantle our special AEAs, and more are all part of a coordinated national effort to keep us divided. But we know when we work together across our differences, we accomplish great things for ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
June 8 from 2:30pm - 6:30pm in Iowa City at College Green Park. More info can be found here!
Public education - where do we go from here?
Thankfully the legislative session is over. Our public schools, AEAs, and more were once again under attack, but thanks in large part to folks like you speaking up and taking action, it could have been a lot worse.
Our AEAs will see changes, a Betsy DeVos protégé - McKenzie Snow – is now our state’s Director of Education, and school vouchers will continue and expand in the coming years. Yet Reynolds was forced to dial back her ambitious proposals because of the volume of calls, emails, and noise folks like you made.
Thanks for taking action! But, where do we go from here? What is your vision for public education?
Please take a few minutes to fill out our public education survey here.
Input from folks like you is incredibly important as we plan the next steps in our organizing on education issues in the months ahead (and before the next legislative session).
DNR - our water is not for sale to pipeline profiteers
Our water is not infinite and we can't afford to let corporations like Summit extract billions of gallons of it so they can line their pockets. That’s why we have this sign on letter demanding the DNR deny water permits for Summit.
Reach out to groups, elected officials, and other influential figures that you know of to add their support to protect our water from CO2 pipelines.
Save the Date
August 10 - CCI Action's "People Power is How We Win" Summer Meeting!
Join CCI Action members and supporters on Saturday, August 10 in Ankeny for our annual Summer Meeting! We'll connect with folks from across the state, get educated on the issues, and plan the work ahead.
Our theme this year is “People Power is How We Win”- a recipe for success in my book! Here’s the basics:
What: “People Power is How We Win” Summer Meeting
When: Saturday, August 10, 9am – 3pm
Where: FFA Enrichment Center, DMACC campus in Ankeny
Who: CCI members, supporters, and folks from across the state ready to take action for our people and planet
Registration: $25 early bird rate until July 31 ($35 beginning Aug. 1) – register today to save your spot here!
Our keynote speaker this year will be Dr. James E. Ford. Dr. Ford is an award-winning world history teacher, community leader, and founder of the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED) based in Charlotte, NC. He knows that attacks on our education aren’t new, but also believes in the power of people to rise up and fight for strong public education systems that prepare all students for their future and our communities.
More details and speaker announcements coming soon!
Water Talk
Let's talk about water! Below we have a selection of some stories that caught our eye relating to water quality and ways to take action for our water.
Articles of interest:
Behind the Green Door [The Swine Republic]
How safe is America's drinking water supply? [Newsweek]
Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa - with a lot of water [AP]
Don't miss our next monthly call Thursday, May 30!
Register to join us Thursday, May 30 at 5pm on Zoom to hear from Jason Palmer, Natural Resource Biologist with the DNR. He will help us understand what happens to our surface water during the summer months. What's the deal with E. coli and algae blooms in lakes? You don't want to miss it!
Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, to share an update about your water testing, or if you have ideas for a topic for a monthly call. And please take photos of your testing if you can. If you need a new test kit, visit the Iowa CCI website to get one ordered.
Look forward to seeing you on the call May 30!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
About 500 Iowa AEA workers are leaving. How Area Education Agencies are adjusting to new law [Des Moines Register]
Hunger in the breadbasket [Storm Lake Times Pilot]
Mitchell Co. residents protest CO2 pipelines [Mason City Globe Gazette]
One vetoed bill exposed four big flaws in Iowa legislature's work [Bleeding Heartland]
States need to keep PFAS 'forever chemicals' out of the water. It won't be cheap [Iowa Capital Dispatch]