This week in Iowa organizing…
Valentine's Day is around the corner, so let's talk a little bit about love.
Our work is rooted in love. Love for our people and the places we call home. Love for an Iowa where people from all backgrounds, identities, abilities and political affiliations have an opportunity to succeed, thrive, and feel welcomed in their communities.
bell hooks wrote "love is an act of will, both an intention and an action."
So this week I'm asking that you take action out of love and contact your legislators. It's funnel week at the Iowa legislature, and there's plenty of bills that need to move - and not move - to put our people and planet before profits, politics, and polluters.
Read on for some key bills we're watching, and other ways to plug into the work ahead,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
Funnel week
It's here, and it's going to be busy. Bills must pass out of a House or Senate committee (minus spending bills) to be considered alive after this Friday. You can find your Representative and Senator here, House switchboard is 515-281-3221 and the Senate is 515-281-3371.
Here's some bills we're particularly interested in seeing what happens this week:
HSB 608 and SF 2097 to restrict eminent domain abuse by CO2 pipelines. Needs to pass committee to stay alive. Send a quick email here!
HF 2354, the Clean Water for Iowa Act to require Clean Water Act permits for factory farms. Needs assigned a subcommittee. Email your legislators here!
A slew of misguided, sometimes hateful, bills targeting immigrants trying to make Iowa home. Some have survived the funnel, some have not. Read more on these bad proposals here.
HF 2389, Gov. Reynolds' bill harming transgender Iowans by erasing their identity. Has survived the first funnel. Public hearing at the statehouse today at 5pm, make your public comment here.
SSB 3073, Gov. Reynolds' attempt to undermine our state's AEAs. The House tabled the bill but it remains alive in the Senate in the Education committee.
HSB 678, an attempt to bully our public libraries, for some misguided reason. Hopefully does not pass out of committee this week.
On another note, it's basically been confirmed that Rep. Dean Fisher's Environmental Protection Committee does nothing to actually protect the environment.
Take action
Tonight in Dubuque: author book talk!
Across the country, a level of unaffordable housing that once seemed unique to global cities like New York and San Francisco has become the norm, with nearly a third of all US households considered housing cost burdened.
We're joining with the author of homesick, Brendan O'Brien, to talk about housing in Iowa and more specifically in Dubuque. Come join us at 6pm at River Lights Bookstore for this author talk! Copies of the book will be available for purchase.
This Wednesday, Feb. 14: we love clean water and we're gonna show it!
We’re going to two meetings for clean water this Valentine’s Day:
Natural Resource Commission Meeting
When: February 14th, 9:30 AM
Why: Summit Carbon Solutions wants water permits that would use an estimated half a billion gallons of water per year. The Natural Resource Commission (NRC) is the “citizen voice” to protect and manage our natural resources. We need them to take a stand on this issue.
Factory Farm Rulemaking Public Hearing
When: February 14th 1:30 - 3:30 PM
Why: We need stronger rules and regulations to protect our water from factory farms! The Environmental Protection Commission is working on completing updated rules for factory farms in Iowa but their most recent draft walks back on small improvements and ignores key problems. Join us to stand up for our right to clean water!
For a more detailed schedule of the day’s events and to RSVP click here. If you can’t join us the day of please add your name to our letter to NRC Chair Marcus Branstad.
Also Feb. 14: join us for treats and thank-you calls
Calling volunteers to help us spread some love!
We're holding a Thank-A-Thon phone bank this Wednesday from 1-6PM at our office in Des Moines. Come by for some treats, socialize with other volunteers, and help make calls to show our appreciation for the people who make CCI a powerful force for good!
These will be easy calls and we had some great conversations last year! Folks loved a thank you without an ask. Whether you only have time for a treat and a couple of calls, or want to hang out with us all afternoon, we'd love to see you!
To RSVP, or if you have any questions, please give us a call at (515)255-0800 or email kim@iowacci.org. If you want to help out but can’t make it in to the office, reach out and we can talk about remote options!
Feb. 15: No CO2 pipelines in Floyd or Mitchell counties!
CO2 pipelines are a new and unproven technology being pushed by already wealthy, greedy corporations. They’re dangerous to our health, communities, and the environment - and are threatening to take Iowan’s land for private gain.
Join CCI members and local residents for an informational meeting about the proposed CO2 pipelines in Mitchell and Floyd counties and discuss how we can take action to protect our communities from pipeline profiteers!
We'll be meeting at the South Square in St. Ansgar on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6pm. Register here to join us!
Last call for comments on factory farms!
This month the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission is finalizing updated rules for factory farms in Iowa. But the current draft walks back on small improvements and ignores key issues like:
Closing the LLC Loophole to prevent factory farms from skirting around permitting laws
Developing a public database for factory farm Manure Management Plans to be submitted online and readily available to the public
Increasing the separation distance from factory farms and karst terrain to at least 25 feet
Here’s two ways you can take action to stand up for our water and say NO to factory farms:
Submit a comment to the EPC!
We need stronger rules and regulations to protect our water from factory farms! Take 5 minutes to send in your comment here.
Attend the virtual rulemaking public hearing!
When: Monday, February 19, from 1:30-3:30pm.
Where: Virtual. attend via phone or computer on Zoom.
How: RSVP to join us here.
Feb. 20: 25 questions for civic love
We tried it last year and we’re bringing it back by request. It's a conversational experiment designed to not only help us share things about ourselves but also to listen, without comment, as someone shares with us.
These types of conversations are at the core of how we organize for the people and places we love.
There's a lot of talk these days about what it means to come together and understand where each other is coming from. This is a great way to explore what that can look and feel like for yourself. Adapted from the National Public Housing Museum.
When: February 20, 2024 from 6 - 7:30PM
Where: Online - via Zoom. RSVP to attend here!
Updates
Water testing with Nitrate Watch
Iowa's water crisis is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. The partnership between Iowa CCI and Izaak Walton League's Nitrate Watch continues to make water testing kits available.
Information about the 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.
Let's keep getting loud about the water quality issue in Iowa!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Governor's AEA proposals wrong for Iowa [Quad City Times]
Are Americans really committed to democracy in the 2024 election? [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
What Biden should say when he finally visits East Palestine [Common Dreams]
Climate change caused the storms. Our failing infrastructure made them lethal [Mother Jones]
Kim Reynolds scrambles to make Iowa less welcoming, leaving real needs unmet [Des Moines Register]
Can you hear us, Governor Reynolds? [Bleeding Heartland]