GOP Focused On Culture Wars

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Sign up for the House Democrats weekly newsletter and stay connected to what’s happening at the state capitol. Below is this week’s update.  If you sign up to receive the weekly newsletter in your email it will include links to all the bills and more. Click this link for this week’s Facebook Live.

GOP FOCUSED ON CULTURE WARS & DIVISIVENESS

This week we saw divisiveness and the GOP’s obsession with culture wars on full display with the passage of these proposals in the Iowa House:

Weaponizing religious beliefs passes House: A state version of a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) passed the House this week on a party-line vote. The bill could be used by individuals and businesses to deny services or business to people because of conflicting religious beliefs. In other states, similar laws have been used to deny services to LGBTQ+ individuals, prohibit reproductive coverage under employer-offered health care plans, or protect faith-based foster care agencies that were turning away members of other faiths.

Anti-abortion propaganda required in schools: Iowa schools will now be required to show a computer-generated video detailing pregnancy, such as the anti-abortion propaganda video known as “Baby Olivia”, despite its many inaccuracies.

Mandated history curriculum: For the first time, a mandated history curriculum will be set in the Iowa code. Instead of trusting teachers, a curriculum was written by a conservative out-of-state company to control what Iowa students learn.

Arming Teachers and allowing guns in schools: Instead of common sense gun safety solutions, GOP lawmakers advanced a bill that would allow public and private educational staff to apply for a professional weapons permit and carry firearms anywhere on school property.

GOP PASSES CUTS TO IOWA’S AEAS

Despite outcry from thousands of Iowans who have spoken out against changes to Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs), Republican lawmakers still passed changes that cut mental health, disability, behavioral, and reading recovery services to kids in public, private, and home schools.

Currently, school districts are partnered with the AEAs and provide their federal and state special education funds to the agencies. While there are differences between the Governor’s proposals, the changes in the House version are significant enough to make it more difficult to provide services to Iowa kids.

There was growing concern throughout the last two months about the AEAs being put under the control of the Governor in Des Moines. Beginning July 1, 2024, the Governor’s Department of Education (DE) will oversee offering recommendations to the AEAs, set their budget, and make any services or personal changes.

House Democrats listened to Iowans and spoke out against the cuts to special education and mental health resources.

JOB & RETIREMENT SECURITY FOR WORKING IOWANS PROPOSALS

Now more than ever, Iowans are frustrated with politics and the deep divisions in our country, state, and neighborhoods. Too many Iowans still struggle to make ends meet today. Their paychecks simply aren’t keeping up with the rising costs of healthcare, food, childcare, and utility bills.

All the while the wealthy and corporations just keep getting richer and corporate profits are at record highs. Big corporations continue to raise prices, while in turn failing to raise pay for workers. In 1989, the CEO-to-worker pay ratio was 59-1 and today it is 399-1.

Introduced by Democratic lawmakers, here are five things we can do to help Iowans pay their bills and provide some economic stability:

Puts the right to collectively bargain into the Iowa Constitution (HJR 2003)

Creates more retirement security for more Iowans by establishing a public option retirement account for employers that do not offer a retirement plan (HF 2632)

Raises the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years (HF 2293)

Extends Iowa’s tax-free holiday to two full weeks at the beginning of August and expand it so more Iowans can participate (HF 2300)

Makes childcare more affordable for childcare workers who need childcare for their kids so they can afford to stay on the job (HF 2338, HF 695)

BLUE STATEHOUSE ALERT LIVE ON MARCH 5

House Democratic Leader Rep. Jennifer Konfrst will outline the 5 things Iowa lawmakers can do to help Iowans pay their bills and provide some economic stability. We will also have an update for you on the AEA bill. Join us live on Facebook on Tuesday, March 5 at 7pm.

Watch live on Facebook.

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Disinformation Poisoning Minds: What We Can Do About It

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Trish Nelson

From our inbox. Action alert from Indivisible – Sign up for this upcoming training series on the power of persuasion.

Our Powering Progress campaign is teaming up with the Indivisible Truth Brigade to bring you the best strategies for fighting disinformation in 2024. If you haven’t heard of the Indivisible Truth Brigade before, they are our front line fighters against the disinformation poisoning the minds of people all across the country.

Come to our next Persuasion to Power training series event: Combatting Disinfo Through Education in Persuasion Conversations with Dr. David Campt on Wednesday, March 13 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT.

Truth Brigade and Persuasion to Power - Combat Disinfo through Persuasive Conversations with Dr. David Campt March 13 6:30-8:00pm ET

Many people spreading disinformation are actually spreading misinformation — they’ve been fed lies by bad actors who fake credibility to sow discord. The Truth Brigade takes advantage of best practices to break through those lies and spread the truth.

In this session, White Ally Toolkit Workbook author and Founder of The Dialogue Company, Dr. David Campt will provide hands-on instruction in how to open persuadable hearts and minds — and even heal divisions among friends — through dialogue. You’ll learn who to talk to, practice how to have meaningful conversations, and leave with the confidence to bring people along with us.

This meeting of the Truth Brigade is presented as part of Persuasion to Power: A 2024 Training Series. 

Powering Progress Education Series

This is your opportunity to learn how to persuade the uncertain, energize our base, and cut through the extremist noise. If you missed our first event, you’re in luck, you can watch Ezra’s conversation with Anand Giridharadas about his book The Persuaders here.

This five-part series is provided to ensure Indivisibles feel prepared for the year ahead. One of the most common refrains from reluctant activists is, “I just didn’t know what to say.” Join us and Dr. Campt on Wednesday, March 13 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT to equip yourself with exactly what you need to succeed.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

P.S. — Don’t forget that our second session, Persuasion to Power: Know Your Audience with Loretta Ross, was **rescheduled** to Wednesday, March 20 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Everyone we speak to, whether neighbor, friend, community member, or family, carries a slightly different set of values and expectations. In organizing conversations, it’s up to us to listen well and make strategic, thoughtful assessments of how to move our goals forward by taking into account the other person’s responses. We’ll learn from veteran activist Loretta Ross about how we can assess and adjust our communication approaches based on the person we’re talking to and how closely they already align with our goals.

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Sunday Grab Bag 2024-03-03

Posted on March 3, 2024 by Paul Deaton
Rural Polling Place

The machinery of our politics has so many moving parts it is hard to keep up. Important things are pushed from sight just because so much attention is paid to the distractions of Republicans. Here are some items that merit our attention.

Iowa Legislature

Democrats in the legislature are doing a great job of communicating Democratic policy even if Republicans have been dominant. It seems easier to track Democrats and that is attributable to their improved messaging this year compared to previous ones. We are in the minority and Democratic legislators need our support to hold the line. They need our encouragement more than ever. Thank you Democratic senators and representatives.

Godly Iowa?

It is history 101 that two primary traditions in white America, the denominational biblical tradition and enlightenment utilitarianism, worked together to contribute to the American Revolution. In doing so the civil belief system which marks American culture today was created. Do the United States operate on God’s law or man’s law? Whatever answer one asserts, it doesn’t matter to how the country was formed and has been operating since the Declaration of Independence. My State Representative, Brad Sherman, believes otherwise.

The decline in our culture is disturbing to all who understand that the foundations of freedom are based in compliance to the laws of God.  We know that it will take the power of God to restore America to the godly principles and moral values that are so badly needed. But because God always uses people, we have a part to play. There are many avenues where God uses people, but one is in the laws we pass. Good government will always reflect God’s values because God is good.

Rep. Brad Sherman, God’s Law Versus Man’s Law, Jan. 19, 2024.

Sherman asserts, “The Declaration of Independence tells us that rights come from our Creator and the purpose of government is to secure those rights.” Here is the mention of God in the Declaration of Independence to which he refers:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Declaration of Independence, John Hancock, et. al. July 4, 1886.

Call me heathen but I can’t connect these dots. To make matters worse, this is from a man who, with all the pressing problems in the state, focused his efforts on a bill that would prohibit Satanic displays on government-owned property. Luckily for us all that bill didn’t make the first funnel, saving us time and distraction from other, more pressing problems.

Imagine my surprise when Thursday night, a press release from the governor arrived with this statement: “The right of religious freedom is endowed upon us by our creator – not government. Our founders recognized this principle, and today the Iowa House took a step forward to protect it. Twenty-three states around the country, with both Republican and Democrat governors, have passed similar laws. Now, it’s Iowa’s turn.” Republicans are out of touch with Iowans on the role of government in religious freedom.

Kids Online Safety Act (S.1409)

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which sets out requirements to protect minors from online harms, has strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate. Why, then, does the LGBTQIA+ community have trouble swallowing it? They, like most everyone, believe protecting minors on the internet is important. What they don’t like is they believe KOSA as it stands would inadvertently block LGBTQIA+ and other youth from accessing valuable digital content and supportive online communities.

More specifically, they note KOSA’s “duty of care” obligation, which could cause online platforms to inadvertently remove legitimate and vital content to avoid violating the law. This risk is particularly concerning in states with policies already hostile to the LGBTQIA+ community, where political actors could exploit KOSA to further their anti-LGBTQIA+ agenda.

The group LGBT Tech petitioned the U.S. Senate to amend the bill. To read the letter they and more than 70 other LGBTQIA+ groups sent to the Hill, click here.

It is hard to disagree that “striking a balance between protecting minors and safeguarding fundamental rights of expression and privacy is of the utmost importance in our digital world.” KOSA, as it stands, requires modification to do so.

Elect Democrats

A positive thing is when the Iowa Democratic Party puts people before politics, we gain supporters. Our numbers increase in a way to empower us to take back control of the state government. By focusing on how to help Democrats win elections in November we may miss a few things, yet have the big picture right. If you see something I missed, please make a comment on this post.

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Politics Doesn’t Change

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Paul Deaton
Congressman Dave Loebsack

Editor’s Note: I was cleaning up old email files and found this April 10, 2005 email from Dave Loebsack announcing to a small group he was exploring a run for the Congress. As we now know, Loebsack beat 30-year incumbent Jim Leach and served until Jan. 3, 2021. His analysis of the direction of the Republican Party seems spot on, not only for 2005, but from a perspective in 2024. It is presented without editing. I hope readers will be inspired to help Christina Bohannan re-take this seat in November.

Recently, I sent a message to a number of listservs in the 2nd congressional district noting that I am beginning an informal “exploration” of a run against Jim Leach in ’06.

Many of you know me as a teacher of political science at Cornell College since 1982 and a long-time Democratic Party activist in Linn and Johnson counties and beyond. I have also worked hard to help the public engage in important issues by serving as a resource person for various civic groups, delivering lectures, facilitating discussion, moderating events, appearing on local television public issues programs, etc.

Why am I considering running at this point?

It is time that we in this district begin to halt George Bush and the hard right of the Republican Party as they try to move America ever farther in their direction. In recent days, we have seen this movement evident by the efforts of Tom DeLay and his allies as they try to capture control of the federal judiciary. Apparently, it is not enough to control the executive and legislature. They want all three branches of government in their grasp.

The simple truth is that Jim Leach remains a Republican who, as Julie Thomas put it in 2002, at a minimum serves as an enabler for the right-wing leadership in the House and the Bush administration. What is needed at this point is a representative who is in touch with the concerns of folks in this congressional district and who is willing to “lead” on issues that matter.

Just one example of Jim Leach’s bad votes makes this point. Recently, he voted for the House version of Bush budget that would significantly scale back if not completely gut many of the programs that are the only sources of support for those who have nowhere else to turn, in many cases just to survive. Indeed, the House budget is even harsher than the Bush budget. The values reflected in this budget, I believe, are not the values of the vast majority of folks in the second district of Iowa. Interestingly, there were a few Republicans in the House had the courage to vote no, but not Jim Leach.

At this point, I invite you to be in touch with me if you have questions about what I stand for, who I am, etc. Also, I am open to all advice and support. If you think I should move forward with this “exploration,” please let me know. If you think you would support me as a volunteer or financially, please let me know. If you think there are others who are more qualified than I and who deserve our unified support, please let me know. I do not plan to do this if I don’t believe the necessary support (perhaps most critically the necessary financial support) will be forthcoming.

No doubt the road ahead will be difficult for any candidate who ultimately takes on Jim Leach in 2006. He is a well-entrenched figure who has been in congress for nearly 30 years and he can self-fund any campaign if need be. Given these realities, any campaign in this district will likely have to build from the ground up.

We need to begin NOW to build a true grassroots movement to take back this district as a first step towards taking back America from the right-wing of the Republican Party. This will take some time but it can begin right here in the 2nd district of eastern and southeastern Iowa!

Over the course of the past few weeks since I first sent a version of this message out, support for this “exploration” has been quite humbling. Indeed, I have taken the next step and set up an account where I will deposit any contributions that might be sent for this effort. Should you be so inclined to help, simply make the check out to “Loebsack Exploratory Committee” and send it to the address below.

In the meantime, I urge you to make a pledge that indicates your interest in this campaign and your support for this effort should I move on to the next stage and declare a formal candidacy.

We can take back our country from the right-wing of the Republican Party and we can begin to so do by electing a Democrat in the second congressional district who will lead on the issues that matter to folks in this part of Iowa.

Thanks, and take care.
David Loebsack
Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Help Christina Bohannan replace a MAGA-R in congress. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Check out her campaign website.

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Citizens File Ethics Complaint

Posted on March 1, 2024 by Trish Nelson

From our inbox: 

Petition alert from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI):

[Wednesday] we filed an ethics complaint against Representative Dean Fisher (R-District 53) with the Chief Clerk of the Iowa House.

We believe Fisher is acting unethical with respect to House Ethics Rules by attempting to cash in on private school vouchers through his Tama-Toledo Christian School, a private school he founded and now serves as Board President.

Fisher campaigned on private school vouchers, voted for them, and now he’s trying to cash in. He plans to use voucher money to pay the bulk of the school’s operating costs (up to $900,000 – $1.2 million of public dollars every year). If that’s not unethical, I’m not sure what is.

We asked the House Ethics Committee to tell Rep. Fisher he cannot discuss, lobby for, or vote on any future legislation that continues or expands voucher benefits.

Governor Kim Reynolds attempted to pass private voucher bills in 2021, 2022, and finally succeeded in 2023 (House File 68) after the unusual move of primarying several Republican legislators. After redistricting in 2022, House District 53 put two Republican legislators against each other – anti-voucher David Maxwell and pro-voucher Dean Fisher. Fisher received Reynolds’ endorsement and won.

We will be sure to keep you posted on how this develops. In the meantime, we want to show strong support for ethical behavior in the Iowa Legislature. Next week, we will be filing an addendum to our complaint with names of Iowans across the state to show they care about this too. Add your name here!

For an honorable legislature,

Tim Glaza
Special Projects Director

P.S. You can check out the full complaint we filed linked here.

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The Media Is Not Neutral Or Liberal

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Continuing to shine the spotlight on the conservative corporate media, Thom Hartmann  predicts we’re “about to shift into another 40-year progressive cycle.”

This is a clip from S12 E23 of Economic Update: Is The US Facing Another Civil War? Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel at    • Economic Update: Is The US Facing Ano…  

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So You Think You Want To Be A Teacher

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Trish Nelson

Republicans would rather give teachers guns and have them engage with active shooters  than concede the need to do something about America’s gun proliferation problem and the natural and logical consequences of that which is, random gun violence.  The problem tragically landed on the doorstep of Perry, Iowa last month.  I can’t think of a better way to convince a young Iowan to NOT want to become a teacher than to make them responsible for taking out an active shooter at school.

Please read and take action on this bad bill by clicking on the link below.  Don’t forget to like and share. 

Action Alert from Iowa House Democrats

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-guns-in-schools/

URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Offered as a response to the tragic shooting in Perry, Iowa Republican lawmakers plan to debate a bill  [HF 2586] tomorrow (2/28) that will arm teachers and education personnel in public schools, private schools, and universities. Arming teachers and putting more guns in schools doesn’t keep our kids safe.

WRITE YOUR LAWMAKER: Now is the time to take action! Write your lawmaker now using our tool below.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-guns-in-schools/

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Bohannan Calls Out Miller-Meeks For Opposing IVF

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Trish Nelson

 Christina Bohannan is a Democrat running for congress in IA-01 to unseat MAGA-Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks who among other things, co-sponsored legislation imposing restrictions on IVF [in vitro fertilization].

Bohannan released a statement yesterday calling out MMM and sharing her personal experience:

Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ is misleading Iowans, claiming she supports IVF, but her actions indicate otherwise –Miller-Meeks co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, a national abortion ban with no exceptions that would impose similar restrictions on IVF and fertility treatments as the Alabama ruling.

“I went through IVF after deciding we wanted to try to have another child. It was an incredibly personal, emotional, and expensive experience,” said Christina Bohannan. “The Alabama ruling preventing families from seeking all avenues to have children puts the government exactly where it should not be: between future parents and hope, between a woman and her doctor, and between our privacy and our freedoms. This is what happens when Miller-Meeks and other politicians push for federal bans and so-called “personhood” bills. This rhetoric has set a dangerous precedent for government intrusion into our healthcare with devastating consequences.”

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Help Christina Bohannan replace a MAGA-R in congress. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Check out her campaign website.

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The Conservative Moral Hierarchy

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Trish Nelson

click to go to framelab.org

George Lakoff is an American cognitive linguist and philosopher, best known for his thesis that people’s lives are significantly influenced by the conceptual metaphors they use to explain complex phenomena. The conservative moral hierarchy described below explains everything you need to know about Republicans. It is basically a “who is better than who” checklist.

Check out this podcast where Lakoff describes the process he went through to discover  How Republicans Really Think

But he doesn’t stop there. Lakoff instructs Democrats on how to better frame issues for maximum effect to fight the self-serving conservative ideology.

Follow George Lakoff on Twitter  or  here at @FramelabNews   or at  Framelab.org

The Conservative Moral Hierarchy:

God above Man

Man above Nature

The Disciplined (Strong) above the Undisciplined (Weak)

The Rich above the Poor

Employers above Employees

Adults above Children

Western culture above other cultures

America above other countries

Men above Women

Whites above Nonwhites

Christians above non-Christians

Straights above Gays

Lakoff also talks about the lying and how we inadvertently help the spread of lies in our attempts to refute them.  I feel it is an important concept but extremely difficult for users of social media to work with.

Here it is:

When you repeat a lie, you spread it.
When you spread a lie, you strengthen it.
When you strengthen a lie, you become an accomplice to it.
In this disinformation age, we must do better.
Avoid falling into simple propaganda traps.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeLakoff/status/1760417496518291756

How does one refute a lie without spreading and strengthening it?

I hope the news media figures it out. They don’t seem to be listening to Lakoff.

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Thanks Joe Biden

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Paul Deaton

The economic mark of the Biden Administration can be found everywhere in Iowa. From electric vehicle charging stations and wastewater treatment facility upgrades, to grants for improved rural broadband connectivity, Biden worked with the Congress to deliver results for Iowans.

Despite these tangible contributions to improving the lives of Iowans, why doesn’t the president get more public credit for his work? I submit the reason is citizens just expect infrastructure things to happen. It is government acting as it should be and therefore if nothing seems broken, no worries. No credit for elected officials either.

At the same time infrastructure improvement happens, there is a coterie of Congress-people sowing chaos in the U.S. Capitol in an obvious, although ill-advised, attempt to re-elect indicted criminal Donald J. Trump as President. I don’t know if Matt Gaetz is the ring leader, yet he is at the center of efforts to disrupt our government and economy at the bidding of the 45th president. Gaetz was recently profiled in The New Yorker.

In seven years in Congress, Gaetz has helped make the institution even more dysfunctional than it already was, threatening to shut down the federal government and force a default on its debt. Gaetz is a paradox: he is determined to attack the modern democratic state, but he harbors ambitions that only modern American politics can satisfy. He articulates an idea of the country that seems so negative—ridiculing his colleagues, trashing the welfare state, scorning embattled democracies abroad—that it is sometimes difficult to see what he stands for. And yet the more Gaetz tears down, the more his supporters love him.

Matt Goetz’s Chaos Agenda, The New Yorker, Feb. 19, 2024.

I recommend reading the entire article at the link.

I have confidence in the American people and in Iowans. The Iowa Democratic Party is on the right path with its People before Politics campaign. As an Iowan, everywhere I turn in state government there are problems with its current direction.

For example, I currently need a certified copy of a birth certificate for the new Real ID program, which adds a gold star to my driver’s license. I don’t like flying in commercial aircraft, yet may have to in event of an emergency. Real ID or additional documents will soon be required. The needed certified government document was available at the county recorder’s office in western Iowa, yet when I called to ask questions, they referred me to an outfit called VitalChek to get it. “You can order it from us by mail and you can also just call them and they will send it to you,” the person answering the phone said. That’s fine if the outsourcing of normal government functions saves money for the state. What VitalChek does is add a substantial fee to the request, in addition to the charge for the document. Perhaps some government staffing was reduced in this move, but the expense was transferred directly to citizens in the form of extra fees. Pile on enough stuff like this, and the people of Iowa may get irritated enough to vote Republicans out of office. Maybe then Iowans will recognize the good work Democrats can and in Biden’s case are doing.

To leave on a positive note, I linked to this video about broadband in Iowa. Whatever you do in the near future, be sure to give the Biden Administration credit for the good work they are doing.

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