This week in Iowa organizing…
On April 1, 2016, Iowa's entire Medicaid program became managed by for-profit health insurance companies. I'm not an expert in the worst jokes in Iowa history, but this one sadly has to be in the top 5.
Governor Reynolds didn't sign her AEA 'reform' into law on April Fools' Day this year, but she came pretty close. I'm thankful she didn't get the complete gutting and privatization she wanted, and hopeful the AEAs won't be met with the same disastrous consequences as our Medicaid program.
Speaking of hope, holy cow did y'all show up for our kick-off with CCI member Austin Frerick for his book talk about Barons last week! Over 250 of you already joined us in Des Moines, Iowa City, or Hiawatha... and there's still more to come!
Overzealous privatization of our public services and corporate consolidation of our economy are ultimately unsustainable, and their bill will become due. We're paying attention, taking action, and people-power will win when the buzzer sounds (come on, it's March Madness, go Hawks!!).
So enough about that, let's get to it, organized people for the win!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
The end is near?
With passage of AEA reform, most issues not related to spending or the state budget are done for the legislative session. There's still rumblings that lawmakers may take up additional tax cut reform (wealthy and corporate give-aways), there's not much left to do as lawmakers eye an April 16 adjournment date.
That said, there's still a handful of issues that'll come up that we're keeping an eye on:
Department of Education Director confirmation: Kim Reynolds’ choice to be the Director of Iowa’s Department of Education is McKenzie Snow. She was a top aide to Betsy DeVos and has worked to undermine public schools in Virginia and New Hampshire as a private voucher advocate before moving to Iowa last summer. To boot, she has little to no experience actually working in education. The Senate will likely vote on her confirmation this week. Send your Senator a quick email urging them to oppose her confirmation.
Protections from CO2 pipeline profiteers: House File 2664 passed the House last week in overwhelming bipartisan fashion. The ball is yet again back in the Senate's court where previous efforts have stalled. But they're feeling the pressure, especially in an election year, so don't let up know! Take a moment to send Senate leadership an email here.
Restoring funding to water quality monitoring: As you may recall, last session $500,000 that funded 66 water quality monitors was “reallocated” to other conservation programs. The legislature has the ability to restore the funding for water quality monitoring. But we need to keep the pressure on our elected officials to make it happen. You can send a note to members of the Ag & Natural Resources Appropriations subcommittee here to urge them to restore this critical funding.
Take action
Book talks w/ Austin Frerick - Dubuque, Ames, Sioux City on deck!
Join CCI member Austin Frerick for a talk and Q & A based on his new book "Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry"
Austin's book dives into seven barons in the food industry, their rise to power, and the consequences for farmers, workers, eaters, and democracy itself. It prominently features Iowa and the stories of CCI members fighting in the trenches against Big Ag.
Check out our website here for details on the book talk closest to you!
Barons paints a stark portrait of corporate consolidation, but Austin also shows that a fair, healthy, and prosperous food industry is possible - if we take back power from the barons who have robbed us of it.
Thursday April 4 - Our water belongs to the people!
Join us to learn more about Iowa’s water with environmental lawyer Carolyn Raffensperger and research engineer Chris Jones this Thursday, April 4 from 6:30 - 8pm.
They’ll share what we need to know about the real toll that Summit Carbon Solution’s CO2 pipeline would have on our drought-impacted state. It's our water, our most precious natural resource, and we need to know what's at stake. RSVP to join us on zoom here.
Not a fan of Zoom or want and opportunity to connect with your community? You can join one of our several Watch Party locations:
April 9 - Public School Strong!
Iowa CCI is thrilled to be part of the Honest Education Action and Leadership (HEAL) Together network. HEAL launched Public School Strong, a movement made up of parents, educators, students, and community members around the country who are organizing to strengthen our public schools so that all children can thrive.
Join public school parents, family members and supporters from across the country to learn: - How to show your support for well-resourced and inclusive public schools - What to look for when you observe your school district's school board meeting - How to form a Public School Strong team in your school district - Ways to join a national movement to protect and transform public schools that serve all children.
The next online info session will be Tuesday, April 9 at 5:30pm CDT - sign up to join here!
Updates
April is... CCI's Spring Sustainer drive!
A few words from our Executive Director Lisa Whelan to kick us off: "I always knew our Sustainers were special…but it wasn’t until I started as Director last June, that I really came to understand just how important this group of supporters truly are."
Here’s why CCI Sustainers make such a difference:
It’s revenue we can count on. We know these donations will come in each month.
It gives us flexibility. We can take on emerging organizing issues like public education, the CO2 pipeline, and housing. More importantly, it also allows us to plan, to be forward-looking, and to be strategic.
It builds our strength. Member contributions, especially monthly pledges, mean we have so much more control over our organization. And it allows us take powerful positions, backed by our members, that foundations may not support.
Become a CCI Sustainer today! It’s easier on your budget, your time, and your membership is always current! Bonus -- sign up as a new sustainer and we'll send you our "Sock it to 'em CCI!" wool socks.
CCI relies on our people power. Your financial contributions expand our ability to organize for the people and places we love. Our goal is to bring in 20 new Sustainers in our April campaign. Click here to sign up or give our membership staff a call at 515-255-0800.
CCI Action plant sale fundraiser!
Our tenth (and final*) year! As always, the (Friday &) Saturday of Mother's Day Weekend. Organic veggie starts from several local growers, mostly heirloom varieties. Also, herbs, prairie plants, Iowa wildflowers, and other hearty yard perennial plant divisions.
Plant inventory and order form will be posted later in April!
This much-loved community event was started in 2014 by long-time CCI member Ben Zachrich after realizing that he could turn his passion for gardening into a way to help his community. "With the plant sale, there's a shared enthusiasm between everyone who supports the sale. Whether it's getting healthy veggies or beautifying their yard, we're bringing people together to address systemic failures and support CCI, and one another."
Since 2014, the sale has netted $17,723. In this final year, we're hoping to get that total over $20,000!!
Invite your friends and plan to join us for this great fundraiser sale. If you have veggie starts, yard or house plant divisions, or one-gallon pots to donate, please let us know by replying to this email or calling Katie at Iowa CCI 515-255-0800.
*If you're interested in continuing the plant sale fundraiser tradition, reach out to ben_zachrich@yahoo.com.
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:
Iowa fertilizer spill kills nearly all fish across 60-mile stretch of rivers [New York Times]
UN experts decry water woes in Guadeloupe and say scientists and activists are being censored [ABC News]
Protecting our water [Iowa State Daily]
The NITRATES! Spring is the time to start testing:
Spring is an incredibly important time to be testing for nitrates in Iowa’s rivers and streams. Higher concentrations of nitrates in our water are more common in the spring when significant rain washes unused or un-absorbed manure and commercial fertilizer from farm fields into streams.
The goal of CCI's water testing is to develop ongoing data, over time, across the state, so we have a better handle on what’s going on - from direct experience - with out water. We hope to be able to influence the powers that be or others in our community. We have 77 people signed up for water testing and would love to have you join us.
Information about the water testing program and how to order a test kit can be found by clicking this link.
Nitrate Watch has a great worksheet you can use to create a water monitoring plan. Consistency is important!
Mark your calendar for Thursday April 25 when this water testing group meets again on Zoom.
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
School voucher proponents spend big to overcome rural resistance [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Iowa House Democrats strangely quiet on eminent domain bill [Bleeding Heartland]
Rents skyrocketed after out-of-state investors bought Maine mobile home parks [Bangor Daily News]
Yes, I will vote for every single school funding referendum that comes my way [The White Pages]
Iowa City closing an elementary school, blames underfunding from state [Iowa Starting Line]