This week in Iowa organizing…
Rest in Power fellow member and so much more, Ann Christenson. To kick off the week, we'd like to share her call to others:
Making a difference in life is mostly a matter of just showing up.
I’ve learned that throughout life there is one overriding truth – we are all connected, connected to one another and connected to all of Mother Earth. We are now on the cusp of destroying all that is dear to us. My fervent hope is that you who come after me show up. Show up to stop the hate. Show up to stop violence. Show up to demonstrate love.
No one of us can solve problems on a global scale, but that shouldn't deter us from trying to make a difference in our own sphere. Just show up.
Let's show up for the people and places we love,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
Funnel week (aka what are they doing pt. 2?)
It's here (finally?), the second legislative funnel. Aside from spending and budget bills, legislation must pass a full chamber and a full committee in the opposite chamber to still be alive for consideration after this Friday.
In this week's (unofficial) edition of "what are they doing?", here's a handful of bills we'll be watching:
House File 2319. Rep. Steve Holt's ongoing attack on local control has a subcommittee scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate. If it passes out of committee and makes it to the Governor's desk, cities and counties will be prevented from implementing guaranteed basic income programs (regardless of where the money comes from).
Speaking of the war on local control, the Senate sent Senate File 2325 to the House where it must pass out of committee this week to remain alive. If enacted, this bill would ban cities from creating citizen oversight boards for police departments.
Senate File 2324. Assigned to a House subcommittee, this bill is the latest attempt to restrict opportunities to enhance Iowa's outdoors — eroding our state's ability to offer outdoor recreation, improve water quality, and preserve threatened natural areas. Read more on this bill from the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation here.
House File 2544. Subcommittee in the Senate scheduled for tomorrow. Those in power write the history, and sometimes go even further to rewrite/erase it. Republicans' latest attempt to rewrite history curriculum and what's taught in school.
Senate File 2386 and House File 2612. Competing proposals to hamstring or gut the state's AEAs, neither of which are any good. The ball is in the Senate's court this week, where they'll either take up their disastrous proposal (modeled after Reynolds' power grab) or the House's version (still bad).
Now we're just repeating ourselves from previous weeks - lawmakers in the House have yet to debate House File 2522 to restrict eminent domain abuse by CO2 pipeline profiteers. Send your legislators an email here.
He said what?! - we may have figured out why Rep. Mike Sexton, House Agriculture Committee chair, has done nothing in his committee to address Iowa's water crisis or holding big ag accountable. He's uncovered the most pressing issue of our time, plant-based meat substitutes.
Lastly, some Iowans fed up with the direction Kim Reynolds is taking Iowa will be visiting the Governor's mansion at Terrace Hill this Saturday at noon. More information can be found here.
Take action
Wednesday: March 13 - United Health (doesn't) care online webinar
Join People's Action and ally organizations this Wednesday, March 13, at 7pm for an online event, UnitedHealth (Doesn’t) Care.
We’ll hear from people who've been denied care by UnitedHealth, including those who have fought back and won. And we'll hear from experts who will break down UnitedHealth’s profiteering and how we can organize to win the care our communities deserve!
UnitedHealth Group took $22.4 billion in profit in 2023 alone. Through so-called Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealth takes tens of billions in public funds that are meant to be used to pay for care for seniors and people with disabilities. Instead, they too often deny care and pocket the profits.
That ain’t right. To learn how you can fight back against UnitedHealth’s denials, join us online Wednesday, March 13, for UnitedHealth (Doesn’t) Care.
Thursday: March 14 - Let's talk (and text) about housing
There's a lot of need when it comes to Iowa in terms of housing. We need action, but we need action rooted in what communities are saying is actually needed.
That's why over the next two months we're going to be reaching out to Iowans to talk about housing. We're kicking these conversations off on Thursday at 5:30pm with a text bank over Zoom!
All you need is a computer and internet access. These will be easy interactions with Iowans and help us reach more people on an issue that all too often merely gets lip service from our elected officials. More information and sign up to join us here!
March 19 - what is 'deep canvassing'?
Hoping to understand how to have compassionate, non-judgmental conversations across lines of difference? Looking to engage with your community around polarizing issues? Or, have you heard about this thing called “deep canvassing” and curious to learn more?
Join our allies with People's Action and the Deep Canvass Institute on March 19 at 5pm to learn more about deep canvassing - what it is, how it’s used and why it works.
Deep canvassing was developed by organizers and volunteers in the LGBTQ rights movement as a way to turn the tide of a decade of losses around marriage equality. It has since become one of the only tactics scientifically proven to be able to reduce prejudice, inoculate people against fear-based messaging, and change hearts and minds on divisive issues.
Kicking off March 26 - book talks w/ Austin Frerick!
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 is a deep dive 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.
Water Talk
Let's talk about water! Below we have a selection of some stories that caught our eye relating to water quality, key happenings at the statehouse, and other ways to take action for our water.
Articles of interest:
New report sparks questions and controversy over possible causes for Iowa's "cancer crisis" [The New Lede]
'Sad and debilitating': rural midwesterners contend with well water tainted by livestock waste [The Guardian]
Downtown site added to Superfund Priorities List by EPA [who13.com]
At the statehouse:
Senate File 2371 is still alive, a bill to allow manure from an open feedlot to be applied to fields before the DNR has approved or denied a nutrient management plan. Take a minute to email your Senator here if you haven't already.
Spring is coming... and so are the nitrates:
The partnership between Iowa CCI and Izaak Walton League's Nitrate Watch continues to make water testing kits available. The spring season is a GREAT time for testing. Join us on Zoom with Nitrate Watch on Thursday, March 21 at 5:00pm to learn more about runoff and why testing is so important.
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. Heather Wilson of Nitrate Watch will review this on the March 21 call.
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!
Immigrants serve the common good, including in Iowa: Those are the facts [Des Moines Register]
The most important labor story right now is in Minnesota - it might be the model we all need [Workday Magazine]
Michigan Gov. Whitmer proposes a caregiver tax credit - an idea many Americans support [The Conversation]
Summit wants to add 340 pipeline miles in Iowa [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
When getting a raise means losing healthcare: Disabled Iowans fighting back [Iowa Starting Line]
Major US corporations threaten to return labor to "law of the jungle" [The Guardian]