Voter Suppression, Huge Judicial Appointment Process changes still in the mix.
Once again we access infonetone.org for the weekly list of forums. As usual the list is by date and time. When you find a forum you wish to attend click on the city for the specific location.
04/06/2019 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Legislative Forum – Prairie City
04/06/2019 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Eggs & Issues – Emmetsburg
04/06/2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Legislative Coffee – Grinnell
04/06/2019 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Legislative Forum – Muscatine
04/06/2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Legislative Coffee – Council Bluffs
04/06/2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Town Hall – Hinton
04/06/2019 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Legislative Forum – Johnston
04/06/2019 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Coffee – Waukee
04/06/2019 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Cracker Barrel – Dubuque
04/06/2019 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Legislative Forum – Ottumwa
04/06/2019 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Office Hours – Clive
04/06/2019 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Legislative Forum – Onawa
04/06/2019 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Legislative Forum – Newton
04/06/2019 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Legislative Forum – Oelwein
04/06/2019 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Town Hall – LeMars
04/08/2019 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM Coffee with Marti-Des Moines
04/09/2019 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Legislative Forum – Johnston
04/12/2019 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Office Hours – Ankeny
04/12/2019 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Legislative Lunch – Ankeny
04/12/2019 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Legislative Forum – Waterloo
ISSUES:
| Health Care Disrupted for 425,000 Iowans
Last Friday, Governor Reynolds announced UnitedHealthcare is leaving Iowa’s managed care program. Since they currently manage 70% of Iowans on Medicaid, it means 425,000 Iowans will have their health care disrupted again and our most vulnerable could be faced with life or death situations. Medicaid privatization has been a disaster since day one and it keeps getting worse. Medicaid privatization is not saving money for Iowa’s taxpayers and it is not resulting in healthier Iowans. It isn’t working for patients or providers and the Governor and GOP lawmakers still refuse to fix the problems. Some Democratic lawmakers have a plan to end Medicaid privatization and prevent another health care disruption for Iowans. First, the most vulnerable Iowans who need long term assistance (LTSS) would move back to fee for service to guarantee they get the care they need. Second, Medicaid privatization would end on June 30 and the Governor and lawmakers would be forced to work together to develop a system that actually improves access to health care. But Republican lawmakers have blocked debate on the proposals. We believe it’s time to make health care affordable and accessible. But we can’t do it without your help. Can you take a minute and sign this petition? We need Iowans to weigh in and help build pressure at the Capitol. It’s the only way we can force Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers. Please sign and share with your friends and family. |
Sign Petition To End Medicaid Privatization. Every Iowan’s name should be on this petition!
| Bill Watch
Below is a list of bills we’re tracking this session that may be of interest to you. As session continues, we’ll be updating this list for you to keep you up to speed on the legislative process and take action. |
| Bad Ideas from GOP Lawmakers | |||
| Bill # | Bill Description | Current Status | Take Action |
| SJR 21 | Constitutional Amendment banning abortion in all cases | Senate Floor | Contact your lawmaker |
| SF 523 | Personhood bill | House Human Resources, Passed Senate | Contact your lawmaker |
| SF 237/HF 503 | Politicize judicial branch by allowing GOP to appoint all judges | Passed Senate, House Floor | Contact your lawmaker |
| SF 508 | Religious exemptions, license to discriminate (similar to North Carolina) | Senate Floor | |
| SF 547 | Vouchers for private schools/home schools | Senate Floor | |
| HF 636 | Allows concealed weapons in weapon free zones, courthouses, and public/private workplaces | House Floor | |
| SF 588 | Reinstates the death penalty | Senate Floor | |
| SF 307/HF 438 | Repeal the state inheritance tax | House Ways & Means/Senate Floor | |
| SF 575 – HF 692 | GOP voter suppression bill | Senate Floor | |
| SF 583/HF 669 | Sunshine tax, end solar energy industry in Iowa | Passed Senate; House Floor | Contact your lawmaker |
| Democratic Bills: Improving Life for Everyday Iowans | |||
| Bill # | Bill Description | Current Status | Take Action |
| HF 135/SF 156 | Fixing Medicaid Privatization | House/Senate Human Resources | |
| HF 383 | Investing in public schools beyond rate of inflation | House Education Committee (GOP passed another record low investment in public schools) | |
| HF 147/SF 176 | Restoring the rights of Iowa workers | House/Senate Labor | |
| SF 107 | Protect the wages earned by employees | Senate Labor | |
| HF 109/SF 117 | Reasonable accommodations for pregnancy/child birth | House/Senate Labor | |
| SF 72 | Affordable housing/revitalizing old homes | Senate State Government | |
| HF 91/SF 247 | Raise Minimum Wage | House/Senate Labor | |
| SF 104/HF 221 | Expand Medical cannabis use | House Public Safety | |
| HF 129 | End GOP voter suppression/voter ID law | House State Government | |
| HF 501 | Help working families with high cost of child care | House Human Resources | |
| Signed In to Law | |||
| HF 306 | Low funding for public schools | Passed House and Senate; Signed by Governor | |
| SJR 18 | Eliminates Background Checks; allows guns on college campuses, state fairgrounds, school buses | Passed House & Senate; Must approved by Legislature in 2021-2022 to put to people for a vote |
Let’s be honest, the only bills that have a chance of passing are that batch of bad bills from the Republican Party. All are onerous, but the particularly onerous are:
- The voter suppression bill aimed directly at Johnson and Story Counties. They may as well have named it the suppress the votes in the University counties bill. (Now HF 692 I believe)
- The personhood bill (SF 523)
- The overhaul of the judicial appointment process (SF 237 HF 503)
- The tax aimed at solar energy, to help out one special utility interest and delay switching to renewables (SF 583 HF 669). Talk about working for special interests!
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