This week in Iowa organizing…

Written By Katie Bryan

Well, if sports is your thing then it was quite the weekend of excitements and upsets! And of course political advertising that sometimes wouldn't know the truth if it bit it in the behind.

8 days left until the elections and then we get a breather. If you haven't cast your ballot yet or have questions about your registration or polling place, check out Katie Biechler's email from late last week here.

More below with events coming up and some articles we're reading. Onward,

 

Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director

 

Member spotlight  

Greg Wickenkamp
Johnson County

What got you involved with CCI? What keeps you engaged/motivated? Who are you fighting for? 

"I was born in Cedar Rapids and have remained, for better or worse, a life-long Iowan. After working in nonprofits and as a public school teacher, I now find myself researching social movements and their repression. I’ve been a CCI member for years because it is one way to work for a better Iowa and a better world.

As an educator my work is driven by a desire to create a better future – a value CCI shares and acts on. As a student of history I know that creating a better future often comes through grassroots, organized struggle. CCI does this. The work done on environmental issues and racial justice make me proud to be a CCI member.

I’m especially excited that CCI is taking on a new initiative demanding honest, fully-funded, and equitable public schools. I’ve seen how a quality education can change the entire trajectory of a student’s life. And I’ve also seen how a lack of state support for honest education can warp curriculum and deprive students of the tools they need for a good life.

Those of us who want to see a robust public school system can find community and opportunity for collective action through CCI. If we want schools to be crucibles of democracy, we need to work together to make that happen. Thank you CCI for offering an opportunity to do just that!”

 

Take action

October 28: Worth County CO2 pipeline ordinance hearing

The Worth County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold their first public hearing on a CO2 pipeline ordinance on October 28 at 6:30pm. At this public hearing we want to thank county officials for their work on this important issue and show our support for the ordinance.

Some good things included in this draft ordinance include a 1/2-mile separation distance between the pipeline and occupied structures, a minimum 6ft pipe depth requirement, and required annual fees paid by Summit to the County. 

This ordinance would give local elected officials the power to ensure future county development and community needs are prioritized in Worth County. Let us know if you can join us by registering here!

 

October 29: next meeting of the 'The Education Wars' book club!

Thanks to all of you who showed up, spoke up, and committed to take action for honest, equitable, and fully-funded public education along our book tour with author Jennifer Berkshire! We learned so much and met so many great people along our stops in Iowa Falls, Tama and more!

Couldn't make it or want more discussion? Then join us for our Education Wars book club on Zoom! We kicked the book club off on October 15, but if you couldn't make it you're still more than welcome to join us! We're taking this book in bite-sized chunks so there is no pressure to finish it all in one sitting, although you might anyway!

Need a copy of the book? We've still got some here at the office for sale! Click here to order! 

October 29: Achieving democracy together

Join our allies at Interfaith Alliance of Iowa as they welcome the national Interfaith Alliance bus tour stopping in Des Moines.

A week out from the election, it is important to be mindful that voting is a right and a responsibility in a strong democracy. Christian nationalism has impacted our state and harmed its people. National and Iowa leaders will emphasize voter turnout and spotlight the critical religious freedom issues that are at stake in our state.

The bus stop and press conference will be at 10am on Tuesday, October 29 on the West Capitol Terrace Stage of the Iowa Statehouse.

 

October 30: Housing next steps in Dubuque

There's two big things on the horizon that will impact housing in Dubuque so we're going to talk about it!

In the coming weeks we expect the Department of Housing and Urban Development to announce their decision on the city's grant application to create a community land trust. We also expect to know soon whether Iowa intends to opt in to a program that would offer homeowners thousands of dollars to upgrade their energy systems and reduce their energy bills. 

Join us to get updates and discuss our next steps so we're prepared to maximize upcoming investments in housing for everyday people - not landlords or the big banks. We'll be meeting at the UAW Hall in Dubuque on October 30 at 6pm, RSVP here!

 

CCI Action 2024 year-end campaign - join us!

Our year-end campaign is our week-long, power building party! It's our biggest fundraiser and membership drive of the year and is critical to growing CCI Action's membership.  Dec 2 - 6 members and staff will be working together to raise much needed funds for 2025, renew current CCI Action members, and ask new people to join our movement. 

Here are two fun and important ways you can participate: 

  • Help us get out the mail! The week of November 11, we’ll be assembling mail together at the CCI office. You can drop in, chat with staff and other volunteers, enjoy some food and help us complete the largest piece of our year-end fundraiser! We'll have structured shifts, but the hours will be flexible. Reply to this email if you can help!

  • Get on the phones! We'll be calling fellow members all five days of the campaign. In Des Moines, we have two shifts daily Mon-Thurs from 12-3pm and 5-8pm, and a 12-3pm shift on Dec 6. We are planning for a couple phone banks outside Des Moines - stay tuned! Calls are a great way to connect with members across the state, renew their membership, and raise funds to do the work. Sign up here to join a phone bank. Any questions, contact kim@iowacci.org.

BONUS! Fundraising volunteers will receive this year's limited-edition CCI Action swag. 

  

Water Talk

  

Articles of interest:

  • Iowa legislative candidates send mixed messages on water quality [Cedar Rapids Gazette]

  • Drought conditions continue to worsen across Nebraska, Iowa [WOWT]

  

Recap of our last monthly call of 2024!

Thank you to our speaker last Thursday - Heather Wilson - Save Our Streams Coordinator for the Izaak Walton League. She made creepy crawly things cool! Here's what we learned:

  • Officially they are called Macroinvertebrates and there are lots of them. They have different sensitivities to pollution. See slide 9 of Heather's presentation.

  • Biological monitoring involves 3 steps - collect, sort, identify & count. These bugs live underwater and breathe dissolved oxygen.

  • Monitoring season is spring and fall only. This is when the critters are most tolerant of our citizen science!

  • Trained volunteer stream monitors are uncovering pollution problems and urging their local leaders to take action on water quality. The work of these volunteers also creates a critical record of water quality over time.

Helpful links from Heather:

Thank you for participating in our Nitrate Watch program and feel free to keep testing! You can reach out to kim@iowacci.org or hwilson@iwla.org if you need help or support. And don't forget our website for additional resources and information.

 

What We're Reading

 

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

Katie Bryan
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