We made it to Friday!

It’s going to be a cloudy, rainy weekend here in Iowa. But we know that “April showers bring May flowers,” and with spring right around the corner, I’m really looking forward to stopping and smelling the roses.

There’s been a lot of news this week, so we’re going to take a look at a new top story for today, as well as a look back on our other top stories this week.

So, let’s dive on in:

1. DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE: Last night, Des Moines Public Schools held their first community meeting to discuss the recent shootings and gun violence in the community. Just last month, a shooting outside of East High School injured two students and took the life of another.

Kids and teens have more access to guns than before thanks to recent gun legislation passed by Iowa’s Republican lawmakers. It’s time that our elected officials take the necessary steps to pass common sense gun reform to keep our children and families safe.

Click to Tweet: Common sense gun reform is supported by over 80% of Americans, and it’s time our Iowa lawmakers stand up and protect our children from the rising levels of gun violence #Iowa bit.ly/3MKdrjz

After you share that message, check out this week’s run down of our top stories from everyday this week:

2. REYNOLDS vs. PUBLIC SCHOOLS: The Iowa Legislature is still at a standstill, and one big bill holding things up is Governor Reynolds’ plan to send public tax payer dollars to private schools. And there have even been reports that Reynolds may campaign against Republicans who won’t support her voucher bill in the primaries. We know this legislation will hurt public education in our state, especially in rural areas. It’s time Reynolds gave up on this terrible plan. You can use your voice to contact lawmakers with the Iowa State Education Association’s toolkit here.

3. AVERAGE IOWAN PAYS MORE IN TAXES THAN HUGE CORPORATIONS: Tax day has come and gone, and a new report from the Center for American Progress shows just how little the wealthiest corporations pay in federal taxes. AT&T reported receiving a $1.2 billion tax refund from the US government in 2021, despite making $29.1 billion in profit that year. Who do these wealthy companies have to thank? Senators Ernst and Grassley, who voted for the tax law that cut the corporate tax rate and allowed wealthy corporations to claim even more deductions.

Now, Governor Reynolds and Iowa Republicans are rigging our state tax system to benefit the ultra wealthy and large corporations instead of providing meaningful relief to hardworking, everyday Iowans.

4. GOP CUTS IOWANS HARD-EARNED BENEFITS: Corporate Kim Reynolds announced in her Condition of the State address that one of her top priorities this year was to cut hardworking Iowans’ unemployment benefits, the same benefits that help seasonal construction workers and others provide for their families. If signed, Iowans will be forced to take jobs that don’t pay enough to provide for their children. Once again, Corporate Kim Reynolds has put the ultra wealthy and large corporations ahead of everyday Iowa families.

5. IOWA WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY: Iowans are hardworking and generous neighbors that strive to make our communities and state a better place for all. That’s why yesterday, we were proud to stand with our partners in labor to honor the countless Iowans who have been injured or lost their lives on the job.

Want to hear more from our team? You can go to our online news blog, Potluck, to hear from Iowans and leaders around the state. Want to help progressive messaging and policy in the state of Iowa? Sign up at ProgressIowa.org to volunteer, donate, and hear more from our team!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll get back with you Monday for another Hive Five!

– The Progress Iowa Team

Progress Iowa | P.O. Box 548 | Des Moines, IA 50302