Iowa Communities Are Fighting For The Environment And Strong Schools

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Trish Nelson

From our inbox:

Here are a few items from CCI’s weekly organizing update. Click here to join, donate or sign up for updates.

Everyday Iowans know what’s best for our communities. And we don’t take too kindly to bullies and corporate power coming to town and telling us what to do.

And yet Bruce Rastetter and his money-hungry Summit Carbon Solutions just can’t seem to help themselves, as they’ve now sued a third county over their CO2 pipeline ordinance protecting their community.

But here’s the thing – we’re not going to get bullied for doing what’s best for the people and places we love. And that’s exactly what CCI members and residents in St. Ansgar did last week when they applauded their city council for filing an objection to the pipeline with the Iowa Utilities Commission.

Together we’ll keep at it until it’s impossible for Bruce Rastetter to ignore us. If you’re interested in getting your city council to file an objection, drop us a line and we’ll be in touch.

Kudos to the folks in St. Ansgar! Read on for more ways to speak up and speak out. Our communities before corporate greed,

Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director

TAKE ACTION

Tell the EPA to force Iowa DNR to do its job, report the truth

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has told the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that seven impaired water segments should be added to the 2024 Iowa Impaired Waters list due to high nitrate levels that are toxic to human health. But the DNR is dragging its feet and failing to comply.

If impaired water segments are being left off the list, it creates misleading data that can be harmful to people and the environment. We need the Iowa DNR to be held to high standards and strong regulations.

December 3: Public School Strong

Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers expanded their majorities in the state this election, so they may feel emboldened to do more on education in the upcoming legislative session. But we also saw voters – many in red states – reject private voucher scams and politicizing school boards. This tells us that despite the political makeup at our statehouse if we stay organized we can, and will, win.

It’s as important as ever to build power at the local level to protect and strengthen our public schools. To make an impact, we want to ramp up our Public School Strong presence across the state.

Join us on Dec 3 at 6pm to learn how you can get involved with a statewide effort to build our power to win honest, equitable, and fully funded public education!

What We’re Reading

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

Judge says Iowa DNR should consider environment, public health when weighing water permits  [Des Moines Register] The woman whose crusade gave today’s book-banning moms a blueprint [Time]

Project 2025 is coming for our wetlands [Bleeding Heartland]

Trump may start his second term with a stunning power grab [Vox]

Why we’re challenging Bayer and the chemical industry (by CCI board chair Barb Kalbach) [Marshalltown Times Republican]

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Confronting Christian Nationalism

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa

“Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, will offer insights from her new book, How to End Christian Nationalism. She will share from the book and draw on her experiences, conversations with pastors and laypeople, research, her Baptist convictions, and her work as a constitutional law expert to help us confront Christian nationalism.”

 

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RELEASE: Exit Poll: Iowa Voters Still Favor Progressive Policies

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Dave Bradley

(Note: I will try to return to the quiz next week. Just not in a lighthearted mood)

(We received this via email Friday morning from progressiowa.com:)

RELEASE: Exit Poll: Iowa voters still favor progressive policies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –  November 15, 2024

Parker Williamson, Press Secretary

press@progressiowa.org

Exit Poll: Iowa voters still favor progressive policies 

Conducted by Public Policy Polling, the poll shows that Iowa is more purple than red when it comes to policy.

Des Moines, Iowa — Progress Iowa released an exit poll showing where Iowans’ top priorities were at the ballot box this year. The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling and the results show that Iowa voters heavily favor progressive policies and solutions, including repealing Iowa’s 6-week abortion ban, raising the minimum wage and supporting public education.

Along with clear support for more progressive policies, Governor Reynolds, often cited as the least popular governor in America, saw a 12-point drop in her approval, down to 44 percent. Additionally, 51 percent of Iowans would consider her challenger for the Governor’s office if the election were held today and 43 percent want someone more progressive or much more progressive.

“Iowans may have voted for Trump again, but you can still see shades of purple through the policies they support,” Policy Analyst for Public Policy Polling Jim Williams said. “The data from our poll shows that Iowa voters support funds for public schools over private, access to health care and their abortion rights, and economic policies that favor working families over wealthy corporations.”

While President-elect Donald Trump received 56 percent of the vote in Iowa, many progressive policies in the poll received even more support from Iowa voters:

  • 59% think public tax dollars should be spent to fund public schools only.
  • 66% support stricter regulations for carrying firearms, such as limiting concealed carry, requiring permits or background checks, and safety training.
  • 87% say it is very important to maintain Social Security and Medicare.
  • 57% think the Governor and the Iowa legislature should increase funding for public schools.
  • 57% prefer their tax dollars be used to adequately fund public services like education, infrastructure, and clean water over saving a few hundred dollars on their taxes.
  •  81% believe the minimum wage should be increased.

“More than half of Iowans support tons of progressive policies – like abortion rights, public funds only in public schools and tax breaks that put working families first,” Katy Siddall, Progress Iowa’s messaging director said. “In the past, voters have been focused on single issues but this year they were split on four. They’re clearly frustrated with politicians and eager for solutions to the issues they care about.

“Overwhelmingly, 79 percent of Iowa voters agree that politicians have been too focused on private, personal issues. Our legislators need to get back to basics – stop trying to divide us and make personal decisions for us. Let us decide our futures by focusing on issues that improve our communities and help everyone get ahead.”

###

— 

Progress Iowa is the state’s progressive communications hub with a network that reaches nearly 100,000. We conduct research, develop winning messages, communicate with Iowans about critical policy issues, and empower people who want to improve our state.

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Iowa-01 To Be Recounted

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Dave Bradley

Bohannan Needs Our Help Once More

Recount in Ia-01

From an email Thursday night:

I want to personally thank you for your patience and commitment as we await the final outcome of this race. As you might be aware, it’s been a little over one week since Election Day, and Iowa’s 1st Congressional District race still remains incredibly close.

To make absolutely certain that every voter is heard, our campaign will request a recount in all 20 counties across the district, as permitted by Iowa law. We have full trust in this process and will accept the results, no matter the outcome. This transparent, precinct-level recount will ensure every lawful vote is counted and reported accurately so that all Iowans can feel confident in the result.

From the very beginning, we knew this would be a true “toss-up.” We did the work – every phone call, every door knock, every conversation shared, and every dollar donated made a tremendous impact. It’s because of that unwavering commitment that we’re here today.

We knew how close this race would be – remember, Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by only six votes in the last presidential election. That’s why I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together, and every step we’ve taken has led us to this moment.

So, will you pitch in today to support our recount efforts and ensure every vote is counted and every voice respected?

DONATE

Thank you for your faith, passion, and for standing by my side every step of the way. Let’s keep that hope alive together as we take this next step.

With gratitude,

Christina

https://bohannanforcongress.com
First district Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan

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A Loyalty Test?

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Dave Bradley

Brian Taylor Cohen reacts to the Matt Gaetz nomination for Attorney General. (9 minutes):

Wednesday’s announcement of Congress member (now former congress member in order to avoid further investigations into allegations of sexual trafficking) Matt Gaetz will be Trump’s nominee for Attorney General set off a bit of a media storm and no doubt smaller friendly storms across the country. I called a couple of friends to commiserate on something that sounded pretty much unbelievable.

This is putting the fox in charge of the hen house personified. Who knows more about criminals than criminals. In this little scenario we get a double dose – Trump and Gaetz. We all know Trump has been pulling every dodge in the book and then some to keep his keister out of the hoosegow. One of his dodges was to run for president even as a convicted felon.

Well, that seems to work as the voting public – a little over half of America – seems to think breaking laws and injuring people and our country is no reason to not reward this guy. And Trump passes it forward. In this instance it is Matt Gaetz. He is only the first of what will be a shitstorm of negating the rule of law. Think about it: the rule of law in this country will be ended by the party who so vociferously backed the “rule of law.”

Now here is how the Gaetz nomination throws a little kink into the long off 2026 federal election. According to the current rules the president names his cabinet with the ‘advice and consent of the senate.’ That has come to mean that a president must get a majority vote in favor of a nominee.

This seems to be a rather strange loyalty test for Trump to use to test the loyalty of ‘his’ MAGA senators. To prove they are loyal to him and not the voters they must vote to install a scurrilous, totally unqualified nominee as AG. But then some group of senators will have to defend such votes to the home state voters.

As usual, provided the president hasn’t somehow usurped the constitution, there will be mid-term elections in 2026. As usual 1/3rd of the senate seats will be up for election. Voting for an accused criminal to lead the Justice Department may be a bridge too far for many voters. Especially when that crime involves trafficking underage girls.

So a senator like say Joni Ernst may have a hard time answering questions concerning a vote to make an accused criminal such as Matt Gaetz the top lawman in the country. Despite the lessons of this last election where a felon was selected to be president, we would hope that an accusation of sexual dalliances with underage girls would be a bridge too far for a senator to defend.

Which may be why Trump once more has a way worked out to avoid the rule of Law. Trump has asked the senate to allow him to install nominees into office during a senate recess. So let’s say that the senate decides to take a month’s recess for Valentine’s Day and Trump could install Gaetz as AG. Slick, no?

And gutless senators like Joni Ernst can sidestep those nosy questions by the ‘fake’ news about voting for such a scurrilous person. Slick, no?

This comment on some forgotten board summed up how unbelievable the Gaetz nomination is:

“In fairness to Trump, Matt Gaetz was his second choice to run the Department of Justice, because Jeffrey Epstein is dead.”

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Jack E. Smith Hits The Nail On The Head

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Dave Bradley

(Editor’s note: Jack E. Smith is a parody X account and is in no way affiliated with the special counsel Jack Luman Smith)

Tip of the hat to democraticunderground.com

Don’t miss what’s happening

Jack E Smith

Jack E. Smith 

@7Veritas4

I, like many of you, have been contemplating our predicament since election night.

We are in a losing war for our democracy and I’m not sure we collectively know who our true adversary is.

It’s not the voting blocks…white women, Latinos, Gen X. It’s not MAGA. It’s not even Trump.

It’s an insidious power that has been hiding in the shadows for some time…and when the stakes were at their highest in this election, it fully revealed itself.

The American Oligarchy.

They control our Supreme Court, much of Congress, and the flow of information to the masses via legacy, mainstream and social media.

They decide the national conversation, how to keep us at each other’s throats while they continue to amass wealth and power completely unchecked.

They put their thumbs on the scale of justice and poured billions into this election. They chose Trump because he was desperate and would capitulate to their demands. They chose a running mate to replace him in case he became too unhinged to control.

Consider how many disqualifying facts about Trump never saw the light of day…or didn’t get the attention they deserved…or got drowned out by propaganda. They took a mentally spent buffoon and presented him as a hero to the masses.

Despite Biden successfully steering us out of a global recession and strengthening our economy, they maintained the national tone about the price of groceries being too high. Despite Trump’s obvious mental decline, their media outlets remained reticent to press the issue.

We struggle to unite as a nation because they’re too good at keeping us divided. We are drowning in disinformation because they control all of it.

They have successfully created imaginary villains for us to fight…each other.

It seems like we are a democracy careening towards fascism, when the reality is they’re using the specter of fascism to keep us on edge while they turn America into a compliant oligarchy.

Whether you are a democrat, republican, independent or MAGA, we have a common foe.

Some of us just don’t know it yet.

As I noted this is a parody account on X. However, this post points out perhaps the biggest single point of control – the media monopoly.

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Howard Dean On What Happened To Democrats’ 50-State Strategy

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Dean was a guest on Ari Melber’s show on MSNBC post-election. First Ari reviewed some Dean campaign history. Seems like only yesterday..  Howard comes on at about 8 minutes in.  I was glad to hear him say he’s working with some folks from the DNC and his campaign on what we do next.

Some highlights:

“There’s no place that Democrats should fear to tread anywhere in America.”

“The 50 state strategy has gone into some some disrepair… it’s gotta be rebuilt”

“People in the beltway are the last to really know what’s going on in the country…”

“The problem with the DNC is it’s still an inside the beltway organization.”

The DC beltway is “middle school on steroids”

“We need to copy what Howard Dean did.”  (Karl Rove)

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Democratic Stronghold Johnson County Boasts Biggest Turnout In History

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Here in Iowa, the Fight Goes On

In Johnson County, a record-breaking 87,012 people voted on Tuesday. Democrat Christina Bohannan beat the Republican incumbent by over 35,000 votes—just 800 shy of what she needed.

by Dave Leshtz
See the full article published in The Nation

Iowa City, Iowa—“I can’t quit door-knocking until I have the ultimate experience of a naked person coming to the door.”

Organizer Sharon Lake is half-serious as she trains and inspires 15 Democratic volunteers for door-to-door canvassing. At the end of her 20-minute presentation, the volunteers—mostly middle-aged women who have never door-knocked before—charge out of Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel’s garage, clipboards and campaign lit clutched in their hands.

Lake might be joking during training (“So far I’ve only had loosely draped towels”), but she is 100 percent serious about grassroots organizing. Starting as an Obama precinct captain in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, she now trains Democratic volunteers across eastern Iowa.

Iowa caucus organizing was strong 16 years ago, but an effective statewide structure didn’t exist. Volunteers were deployed without adequate training, and systematic canvassing didn’t begin until late summer or fall before elections. Lake, now retired from her job as a supply chain manager for a natural food producer, began to build a team and develop a strategy focused on training (“no meetings, just training and working”) and starting early. This last election cycle, Lake’s team started one year ago and extended its reach to Scott County, an hour’s drive away.

Dan Feltes, an Iowa native who had become the youngest majority leader in the history of the New Hampshire Senate, moved his family back to Iowa City a couple of years ago and quickly became involved in local politics. He helped develop the early door-knocking plan, with an initial emphasis on listening to voters’ concerns rather than campaigning for specific candidates. When it came time for persuasion and turnout efforts, thousands of voters had already been “touched” by a friendly neighbor who wanted to know what issues were important to them.

The army of canvassers recruited and trained by Lake was a major factor in the record-breaking plurality of votes in the latest congressional race in Iowa’s southeast quadrant. As many as 100 volunteers showed up daily in Iowa City alone. Many of them drove to other towns in their congressional district (Iowa’s 1st). State Senators Adam Zabner and Janice Weiner estimated that between them they hit upwards of 4,000 doors in 10 counties (Weiner was often accompanied by Alaska, her 6-year-old granddaughter). Feltes reported that volunteers knocked on approximately 58,000 doors.

The results of this fine-tuned ground game were astronomical in Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa and a longtime Democratic stronghold: 87,012 people voted—the biggest turnout in the county’s history.

—Dave Leshtz is the editor of The Prairie Progressive www.theprairieprogressive.com

Click here to read the entire article

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Will Democracy Survive?

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Trish Nelson

It’s a sign of the times when one of the most hopeful thoughts I encountered over the weekend as I scoured the internet for signs of intelligent life was this:

“There are a lot of stops along the railroad track of bad before you get to Hitler Station.”

Not terribly reassuring..   That was David Frum. I do not know if he was the first one to say it.

Moving on in the process of de-briefing the horrifying election results, I share this podcast (which does not have David Frum in it) and hope some of you will find it helpful. I found it informative, not too long, not too depressing, reality based, honest, not too many tired cliches, no lectures.. well maybe one.  They reviewed some of the data.  They were able to discuss mistakes that we made without blaming. I felt a bit more stabilized after watching and that is worth a lot right now.

The always great Simon Rosenberg and Courier Newsroom Tara McGowan join David Rothkopf  on Deep State Radio.

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Ryan Melton’s Final Campaign Newsletter Holds Good News For Iowa

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Best wishes to Ryan Melton who ran a heck of a campaign as he did in 2022. We hope you run again.

Hello all,

After taking some time to decompress and rest, I wanted to reach out to you one last time (at least for now) with gratitude. I want to thank all of you for your help, whether it be via donations, volunteering, spreading the word, voting, or however else you helped boost this campaign. I will be forever grateful for all the care and support from countless folks I encountered on the campaign trail.

As I’ve always said, this is going to be a long term build in the 4th, a district where a Democrat hasn’t won a U.S. House seat in 40 years, and one the national party has abandoned. However, the progress from my ‘22 campaign to my ‘24 campaign is undeniable. We improved our percentage of votes earned overall by 3 percent, jumping from 30% to 33%. We improved our performance in 31 of the 36 counties in the district. Considering I’ve had so many ’22 supporters move out of the district and state and therefore couldn’t vote for me in ’24, the 3 percent jump felt higher than that. We won Story County again. We had 17 state house candidates running in the 4th in ‘24 compared to only 10 in ‘22, and we have held some of the wealthiest in the world accountable and have delayed their progress on the eminent domain abuse-driven CO2 pipelines that threaten our public health and water. When I was arguably the first candidate to run against those pipelines back in early ’22, I was told it was a fool’s errand, that they were all but guaranteed to be constructed.

We’ve also forced conversations that weren’t happening before at the candidate level here regarding water pollution, the cancer crisis, the damaging influence of excessive corporate power on our politics and our governance, and the hollowing out of rural Iowa. We also got a lot more folks engaged and out to campaign events, and I’m so excited about the growth of our county parties over the last two years.

We also started to build a cross-partisan populist movement, earning an unprecedented crossover endorsement from my general election opponent’s Republican primary challenger, Kevin Virgil, an endorsement that forced the Iowa GOP leadership into a week of a very public panic attack (in which they didn’t address a single concern of Virgil’s).

We also engaged a lot of young folks, and have been answering emails from high schoolers since the election thanking the campaign for what we represented and urging me to run again for the 4th in ’26.

I don’t know what capacity I’ll do this in at this point, but I’ll continue to help the building of our 4th District Democratic Party, and will continue to hold Feenstra accountable for his lack of representation. We aren’t quitting. There are too many voices that would go unheard otherwise, and too many painful problems our district is suffering from that would become much worse if we quit. I’ve had people post-election ask me to run for governor in ’26, to run against Ernst for Senate, to run in the 4th again, to run for state-level office, and to run for IDP Leadership. I’m not sure what my next steps will be in that context, but the focus will always be on doing what I think would be most helpful to the cause of the people. In ’22 and ’24, since I was the only person on the primary ballot in the 4th race, that role was clearly running for the 4th. We’ll see what the future holds.

Thank you to all the candidates, volunteers, county party folks, and others that helped move the needle forward in the 4th. Let’s keep building together. Let’s remained plugged in and engaged. I know the battle will be tough and long, but as MLK said, “The Arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” It is us that need to work to bend that arc.

I’m going to rest and have a normal life again for a little while. I’m tired, but grateful for all the love and well wishes I’ve received from folks of all political affiliations over the past week in the 4th. I ask you to remain subscribed to this newsletter if possible, so we can stay connected and build the momentum we’ve started here together.

Let’s keep fighting the good fight together!

Ryan Melton
P.O. Box 132 Nevada, IA 50201
melton4iowa@gmail.com
https://www.meltonforiowa.com/

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