This week in Iowa organizing…
Well, that was quite the entrance by the autumnal equinox over the weekend to kick off the fall season. I hope you all had a good weekend with the noticeable swings in the weather.
The weekend also saw the start of Banned Books Week. Check out events from our allies at Annie's Foundation or other organizations and events in your area celebrating the freedom to read.
Okay, there's a lot happening in the coming weeks, please read on for more!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Member spotlight
Susie Petra
Story County
What got you involved with CCI? What keeps you engaged/motivated? Who are you fighting for?
"Back in about 2005, money-in-politics was the issue which first got me interested in joining Iowa CCI. Truth be told, most every barrier to issues affecting your community, your state, your own life & mine, can be tied back to money in politics...and whether our voice has as much impact as those with lots more money & clout have. And, unless & until money stops ‘outshouting’ our individual voices, we won’t have an ACTUAL democracy, one which ensures every person has an equal voice in our republic.
I am a retired public educator and old enough to remember when Iowa’s public education was the envy of the country. What Kim Reynolds is doing to our public education system, is a disgrace – and, unsurprisingly, can be tied back to ‘money-in-politics:’ the feverish desire of corporate power and their cronies to siphon public money -our tax dollars- into private hands, especially wealthy corporate hands...all without public accountability!
Why am I a member of CCI? To fight for a better Iowa. And, I can’t do that alone. With CCI, my friends and I get to work on making democracy work for our state. Together, we tackle tough problems and demand solutions. We work to make an ACTUAL democracy."
Take action
September 24: CO2 pipeline update & letter writing
Join us on Sept 24 at 12PM to get updated on the CO2 pipeline fight and keep pressure on the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC). The IUC Commissioners were missing from Summit's informational meetings, but counties across the state are taking action after hearing from their constituents!
During this call we will hear updates on the CO2 pipeline, learn what counties are doing to fight back, and learn how to file an objection with the IUC. Join us on Sept 24 on Zoom to learn more about this and help us keep pressure on the IUC commissioners. RSVP here.
Also September 24: Public School Strong Iowa
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, and it means we need local school boards free from partisan politics.
And it's why we're part of Public School Strong - a national movement of parents, teachers, students, and community members pushing for honest, equitable, safe, and fully-funded public education. For our launch on August 27 & 28, nearly 100 of you joined us to learn more and discuss ways to take action to defend and strengthen Iowa’s public schools - thank you! Couldn't make it? Then join us on Tuesday, September 24 @ 6pm to be part of the growing movement! More info and RSVP here.
September 25 & 26: public health impacts of factory farms in the spotlight (plus Sept. 25 film screening of "The Jungle" documentary)
Calling all factory farm watchdogs! The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement will be hosting a two-day conference exposing factory farms and the harms they pose to public health and our environment.
Registration for the event is $100, with a $20 virtual option. But because you are a CCI member, you can use discount code ICCI and get $50 off the registration fee. More details and registration info here.
Whether or not you can join for the conference, consider joining folks the evening of September 25 for a screening of the upcoming documentary The Jungle. Matt Wechsler, director of Sustainable and Right to Harm, will be visiting Des Moines to share a work-in-progress screening of his new documentary film. More info and RSVP here.
October 1: talking home improvements in Dubuque
Home rehabs and energy efficient retrofits can be pricey. If you find yourself in the situation of needing new gutters, roof repairs, or plumbing improvements you can be left with a pretty unmanageable bill. We also know that parts of Dubuque deal with higher energy bills.
If you've been thinking of doing a costly home rehab or energy efficient retrofit to your home now is the time to do so. On October 1st from 6-7:30pm we're going to be sharing resources with low to moderate income Dubuque homeowners like 0% interest home rehab loans, coming instant energy efficient project rebates, and home weatherization assistance programs.
More information and RSVP to join us here!
Starting October 2: How to Fight a Factory Farm podcast
Iowa CCI, three other Midwest organizations and key national allies make up Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment Coalition. Together, we have created a four-episode podcast, ‘How to Fight a Factory Farm’. Episode one comes on October 2nd and features CCI’s own Board President, Barb Kalbach, and Strategic Advisor, Hugh Espey.
Episodes will come out each week following the 2nd. You can listen to the trailer here. Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to ‘How to Fight a Factory Farm’ wherever you get your podcasts!
Beginning October 5: 'The Education Wars' book tour
We love our public schools! But in Iowa (and across the country), extremist groups want to ban books, limit what educators can teach, and push private school vouchers. What’s behind these efforts threatening the foundations of public education?
Join CCI Action and author Jennifer Berkshire for a conversation on what we can do together to win honest, equitable, and fully-funded public education here in Iowa. Books will be available for purchase and author signing. We'll be criss-crossing the state from Ankeny to Tama to Cedar Rapids and more - check out dates and locations here.
Weigh in with the IUC
Summit Carbon Solutions has finished their CO2 pipeline informational meetings for phase two of their planned route. Across the state, landowners and community members are showing up to share their concerns about water usage, safety, damage to farmland and much more.
Unfortunately, the Iowa Utilities Commissioners were not present to hear the hundreds of concerns we shared – that’s not right. The Commissioners, appointed by Governor Reynolds, are responsible for permitting phase two of this hazardous pipeline proposal.
Please take 5 minutes to sign onto our petition and add your comments telling the Commissioners your concerns about the pipeline. Click here.
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:
Amend Iowa's constitution to assure the people's access to clean water, clean air [Des Moines Register]
Arizona tribe fights to stop lithium drilling on culturally significant lands [NBC News]
Assistance available for small Iowa communities to meet PFAS compliance [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Our September monthly Zoom call is this Thursday
Register here - 5pm Thursday, September 26!
We have a great speaker panel lined up to share experiences with water quality monitoring and testing. You don't have to be testing to join this call and hear from Citizen Scientists who care about water. This is everyone's issue, and we would love to have you join us!
Who's on the panel:
A Woodbury County CCI member who's been testing rural well water and has a reverse osmosis system.
A Polk County CCI member who's been testing urban tap water and got interested due to a health scare.
A Linn & Johnson County based Research Scientist with years of water quality experience who's been working with a CCI member's testing group in Mt Vernon.
A Black Hawk County CCI member who is an avid kayaker and is testing water all over that area.
We would love to hear from other members with stories about water and testing. Our lived experiences connect us just as our need for clean water does. If you have a story you would like to share, email kim@iowacci.org.
Please plan to join us Thursday to hear from these fellow water warriors!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Kroger-Albertsons merger will increase costs for shoppers, says FTC chair [The Guardian]
Does competence still mean something to Iowa voters? [Cedar Rapids Gazette]
For-profit US healthcare system - once again - ranks dead last among its peers [Common Dreams]
Scientists have captured Earth's climate over the last 485 million years. Here's the surprising place we stand now [Washington Post]
'Huge loss': Minden pharmacy closes amid tornado damage, low reimbursement rates [KMTV News Now]