This week in Iowa organizing…

Written By Guest User

Happy Tuesday everybody, hope you were able to have a good weekend and hopefully were able to attend a Juneteenth event in your area. I know some CCI members were out at events meeting folks from the community from Des Moines to Dubuque over the weekend (thank you!).

Juneteenth celebrations might be new to some of us, but the holiday has deep historical roots. Finally made an official federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth recognizes the day in 1865 - 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation - when a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned about their freedom from slavery.

Emancipation and establishing clear democratic rights for Black Americans is a work-in-progress. The Black Freedom struggle continues today, as some politicians and judges try to roll back voting rights, advances in economic and social justice, and other rights gained since the Civil War.

It's up to us to remind ourselves and those that come after us that our work isn't finished, we're all in this together, and that "we all do better when we all do better."

Keep reading for some upcoming events (lots happening on the Clean Water Fight!), a bit of a sticker obsession, what we're reading and more!


Matthew Covington (he/him)
Strategic Operations Director

Take action 

This Thursday: June 22 - CCI meetup w/ guest Chris Jones 

Iowa CCI is hosting Chris Jones as guest speaker on Thursday, June 22 at 5:30pm in Des Moines! It's such a hot ticket that it's almost SOLD OUT!

Venue capacity is limited - please register to attend.

Clean water is vital to healthy people and a healthy planet. Expert and fierce truth-teller Chris Jones knows the importance of clean water, having spent years researching and writing about Iowa’s water quality. He recently published a book, The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality, wherein he confronts the pollution of Iowa's waterways.

We're thrilled to have Chris Jones join us in the Barrel Room at Confluence Brewing to talk about his work and his new book, which will be available for purchase and signing, and ways to take action for clean water in Iowa.

We also hope you'll come early or stay late to meetup and socialize with fellow CCI members and clean water warriors. 

Next Wednesday: June 28 - Legislative Session Debrief & Look-ahead 

We're not sure how you would describe it, but we think it's safe to say the recent Iowa legislative session was. . . rough. And that would be to put it mildly.

It was a flurry of activity, and the dust is still settling. The aftermath and full impacts of the legislation passed will likely be felt for months and years to come.

But we're not ones to sit back, let alone throw in the towel. That's why we're asking you to join other CCI members for a 'Legislative Session Debrief & Look-ahead' online meeting Wednesday, June 28 at 6:30pm.

We'll come together over Zoom to:

  • review key legislation that was passed, and unpack how this is part of a long-term agenda pushed by corporate power,

  • provide space to process what these policies could do to the people and places we love, and

  • discuss ways we can reach more everyday Iowans, take action locally, and harness the fight-back energy we'll need going into the next legislative session.

Register to join us on June 28 here!

Iowa CCI's Clean Water Fight summer - attend a meeting near you! 

At Iowa CCI, we believe clean water is a human right. And it's why we're calling for a Clean Water Fight this summer to highlight the need to crack down on factory farm polluters.

This August the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to respond to a legal rule-making petition from Iowa CCI and ally organizations demanding they enforce the Clean Water Act for factory farms in Iowa.

Clean Water Act permits create higher standards for factory farms, a track record of pollution by factory farms, and the ability to shut repeat offenders down!

Here are ways you can take action in our Clean Water Fight:

July 15 - Open House & Meet CCI's New Director 

Have you ever wanted to see where the magic happens at Iowa CCI? Our walls tell a story, and we just had a cleaning day - so we're ready to welcome you in! It's also a great chance to meet and celebrate our new Executive Director Lisa Whelan. 

The staff and board could not be more excited about Lisa’s ability, commitment, and love for Iowa CCI. She's an organizer in her heart and soul. Come to our open house to meet Lisa and check out our power place! We'd love to see you!

Date: Saturday, July 15

Time: 9:30 - 11:30am - Open house style, with a short program

Place: Iowa CCI office, 2001 Forest Avenue, Des Moines, 50311

What to expect: Coffee & pastries (including handmade specialty Laos coffee and tea drinks from a board member!), conversation with Lisa, tour the headquarters, and socialize with CCI folks. 

This event is for CCI members, the community, and anyone interested in building progressive, people-fueled power in Iowa. 

Your RSVP helps us plan for the day. Thank you!

Deadline this Friday - The costs of factory farms are too high, contact the DNR today 

As part of Governor Reynolds’ plan to consolidate state agencies, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has drafted rules to regulate factory farms in Iowa.

Iowa CCI and allied organizations are submitting comments because the DNR’s proposed rules just don’t cut it. The Governor is ordering departments to consider the cost-benefit of proposed rules and regulations during this process.

The costs of factory farm pollution on Iowa’s water is much, much too high. At Iowa CCI we know:

  • ALL Iowans deserve clean water! But poor water quality, particularly nitrate pollution, increases risk of cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. These problems are not just theoretical; long-term medical research has revealed these effects specifically in Iowans.

  • Polluters need to pay to clean up the mess they made! Poor water quality forces water utilities to increase treatment and reduces positive water-based tourism and recreation. Iowa DNR has previously identified 260 communities that face increasing nitrate in their drinking water supplies. The burden of cleaning up this pollution should not fall on taxpayers in local communities.

  • Protecting water quality is essential to healthy ecosystems! The factory farm system isn’t just a health and economic hazard, it degrades our natural resources. The Iowa DNR needs to do its job and protect our natural resources from factory farm pollution. A livable future for us and the people that we care about depends on it.

Read more about the costs of factory farm pollution on Iowa’s water and submit a comment to the Iowa DNR here.

Issue updates

Are you PROUDly for People & Planet? 

Show it with our new CCI Action Pride month sticker that our Movement Politics Organizer Taylor Nelson is modeling above. There's just 10 days left in June and we'd love to get these out in the world!

To get yours: just fill out this form.  Free. But, if you can make a gift of any size - $3, $5, $10 or more - it'll help cover costs AND proceeds from our sticker campaign will be split between CCI Action and One Iowa Action, the state's largest LGBTQ advocacy org. We're stronger together!

(If you've already got your sticker, send us a photo!)

Donate to CCI's No CO2 Pipeline campaign 

This summer and into the fall, CCI members are organizing and making noise to protect our communities and the environment from corporate pipeline profiteers. And you can help. 

Donate to our No C02 Pipelines campaign today! We'll send you our new bumper sticker (in the photo above).

Polling shows 78% of Iowans are with us in opposition to these greenwashing pipeline schemes. That includes Democrats, Republicans, and everyone in between. That's a BIG DEAL!

Together we’re creating an inescapable ‘whose side are you on’ moment that's forcing legislative leaders to respond.

In areas where the pipeline crosses, we risk irreversible harm to soil, plants, animals, and public health. Whether we live in Iowa's rural areas or big cities, this issue affects so many things we care deeply about: clean water, the health and vitality of our communities, stopping the impacts of climate change, and leaving a habitable world for our kids and grandchildren.

Join with us as we make a stand for ourselves and our fellow Iowans and the places we love. Donate today!

Are you a book club person? 

We have two great books by Iowa author's we want to read as part of our summer Clean Water Fight. We're looking for 3-5 volunteers to work with our membership team to help think through and plan what a summer and fall book club could look like for CCI. Is that you? If so, please email katie@iowacci.org and we'll be in touch!

August 19 - CCI Action's Summer Membership Meeting 

On August 19 you'll want to be in the Des Moines metro to reconnect with friends and meet other CCI Action members from across the state for a day of information, inspiration, and action.

And we're excited to begin announcing featured speakers for the day!

  • Sarah Trone-Garriott, a faith leader, high-profile State Senator and progressive champion at the Iowa Statehouse

  • Sylvia Secchi, a well-known University of Iowa professor, fearless truth-teller and ally on clean water and CO2 pipeline issues

  • Lori Young, a long-time grassroots leader on racial justice and police accountability issues

  • Jon Green, a Johnson County Supervisor working to put people before profits and communities before corporations

At this day-long meeting, we'll hear updates about our top-tier issue organizing campaigns, educate ourselves on some Iowa history and deepen connections with key allies in our fight for justice, and enjoy some good, local food! Full program and speaker lineup coming soon.


Register today to save your spot!

Join the CCI/CCI Action team - we're hiring 

We are looking for a new Community Organizer to join the Farming & Environment team. 

Come work with our outstanding people and planet first staff!

Apply by June 30. More info/apply here. 

What We're Reading

These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!

  • The Organizer's Superpower: Starting Where People Are At [George Goehl]

  • Former staffer: Grassley using oversight for "political battles" [Bleeding Heartland]

Guest User
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