STATEMENT: Trying Trump As A Criminal Protects Our Freedom
Des Moines, Iowa — Earlier today the D.C. court of appeals issued a unanimous ruling that former President Donald Trump can face criminal charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and rejecting his claim of immunity.
Within the court’s unanimous decision, they stated “We [cannot] sanction his apparent contention that the Executive has carte blanche to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count.”
Matt Sinovic, the Executive Director of Progress Iowa, released the following statement in response:
“Today’s court ruling makes it clear: the law applies equally to everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a former president or any other American. Former President Trump will be tried as a criminal, which is the only appropriate response to the criminal conspiracy he launched to overturn the 2020 election results and that MAGA Republicans still in office today supported, schemed, and covered up.
“This case reaffirms our most fundamental freedoms. It doesn’t matter how rich and powerful you claim to be or what political office you once held, in America you still have to follow the law. This reaffirms that ‘We the People’ elect our leaders. We must continue to come together and elect those who legislate on our behalf and ensure that everyone who played a part in attacking our country is held accountable and pays for their crimes.”
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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.
Boone, Iowa public library – in Sen. Jesse Greene’s (R-Boone) district. Current street address: 702 Greene St, Boone, IA, 50036 Carnegie address: 702 Greene St, Boone, IA. Original building still standing: Yes Still in use as a library: Yes
The Iowa Fascist party, aka Republicans, are thinking it would be a good idea to ditch free public libraries. Never having been big on facts or the common good, they have a hard time seeing the value of an informed citizenry, apparently.
Continuing their quest to drown publicly funded services in the bathtub, Republican Sen. Jesse Greene (R-Boone) introduced a bill last week SSB 3131 that would change how cities and counties fund public libraries by changing the language of Iowa law from “shall” to “may,” which would allow local entities to stop funding libraries, as I understand it.
What other great ideas for Iowa can the Rs think of? Every week the legislature is in session brings a fresh, new, terrible idea. Hail to the Republican trifecta! Iowans need to wake up and stop voting for this crowd.
“Iowa Republican’s bill would defund public libraries, eliminate local library boards
Greene has been at the forefront of Iowa’s book-banning efforts over the last few years. His latest bill is a more roundabout way of continuing that path, especially in light of recent failures to censor public libraries even in Iowa’s most conservative communities.
In an open letter, the Iowa Library Association said SSB 3131 could undermine the autonomy of more than 500 public library boards across Iowa as well as “vital funding that sustains our libraries and their invaluable services.”
Such a drastic measure threatens the operational and financial sustainability of communities and their libraries,” the board stated. “Library operations and services heavily rely on levies as well as volunteer Iowans appointed by elected bodies to represent, serve, and support the mission of their library. Libraries are cornerstones of education, providing free access to information, technology, and cultural enrichment.”
I am not alone in using the word “crazy” for some Republican ideas. Bob Leonard wrote about this speaking from his experience as a former member on the Knoxville, Iowa Library Board.
“..We can’t trust elected officials to necessarily do what is best for our libraries and our communities, given the Republican tax-cutting fever. It’s difficult for librarians to advocate against a hostile board or city council, as they can and have lost their jobs. They need board members to advocate.
“..Republicans used to tell me that some bills were pure crazinessand that they would never pass a floor vote, and not to worry about them. They would laugh them off. I believed them then. No more. No matter how crazy the proposed legislation is, no matter how hurtful it is to Iowans, it may pass. Take, for example, school vouchers. It took years, but eventually passed. Public dollars for private schools, a handout to the wealthy, no accountability and our public schools are having budget cuts as a result.”
And here is a link to the public comments on the bill. Most people opposed as is the case for most crazy bills Rs bring to the table. The initial subcommittee scheduled for Monday was cancelled.
Attendance at subcommittee meetings by lobbyists and the public is via zoom or in-person. See agenda for zoom details. Only authenticated users are permitted access.
A bill for an act relating to public libraries, including city and county tax levies for public libraries, and city library board authority and property.
I frequently write a review of Iowa Press on Mondays. Hardly anyone I know watches the program because of its obvious disdain for Democrats and clear favoritism for Republicans. So I try to watch it so friends don’t have to.
For Friday’s episode, I’ll just say you didn’t miss anything. The panel asks some good questions but they are wasted on Republicans who either don’t answer or use the question to promote a crazy Republican idea or blame Democrats for something. Whoever is in charge at the station doesn’t seem to believe in follow-up questions or challenging Republicans in any way.
Thanks to public pressure, Republicans took a beating on a couple of their brilliant ideas last week such as the gutting of AEAs and denying transgender individuals the same civil rights and protections as everyone else. When asked about the endangered bills and others upcoming, Senate majority leader Jack Whitver had a lot of non-answers like, I don’t know yet, haven’t looked at the bill, we’ll continue to have those conversations, etc. He made a couple of lame defensive tries.
The panel also asked some softball questions like this lead in referencing the school shooting in Perry – “It seems like Republicans in the Iowa legislature don’t want to take action on guns.” Seems like? I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but why not, “Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. Why won’t Republicans take action on guns? ” But no, the question became what will they do about school safety. They moved right past the obvious question that every Republican should be asked to defend on the air, to Whitver lamely pointing out that a lot of money has already been spent on “school safety.”
Big bad mean powerful Republicans are being coddled by Iowa Press. Iowans remain uninformed. Every week it’s the same thing.
And just for the record, in 2024, there have been five Iowa Press episodes. The program is so far continuing its trend from last year of favoritism for Republicans. Don’t believe me, look at the numbers. This year, Republicans were the guest on four out of the five episodes. Republicans: Nikki Haley, Pat Grassley, Kim Reynolds, Jack Whitver.
Democrats: Jennifer Konfrst.
No both-sides-ism for Iowa Press! They know whose side they’re supposed to be on.
The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway is a keeper. It was written in the context of a number of contemporary books that outline the role of market fundamentalism in our society. The authors present a convincing case that U.S. Government is smaller than many other industrialized nations and could be better used than it is. The reason our government is not better used is that on the spectrum of free markets to government control, a small group of people have perpetuated the myth that the free market can solve all of our ills and government is too intrusive. They intentionally retard social progress. The book is not a quick read, yet it is vitally engaging throughout.
If you are familiar with the work of Jane Mayer, Nancy MacLean, Anne Nelson, Anne Case, Angus Deaton, Matthew Josephson, and Dahlia Lithwick I recommend reading The Big Myth.
Having married just after Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, I lived through much of the second half of the book. The history Oreskes and Conway wrote is illuminating. What I suspected, and the authors confirmed, was that market fundamentalists found a way to use popular culture to indoctrinate the population in basic tenants of their beliefs. Whether it was the collaboration between Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane in the Little House books, Ayn Rand’s work in Hollywood censorship, Ronald Reagan’s work for General Electric, or Milton Friedman’s numerous and widely read opinions, op-eds and columns, there was an intentional effort to add a layer of conservative ideology to mass culture. Call it what it is: propaganda.
The book made me reflect on how my basic views toward life in society were influenced without me knowing it.
My self-view is one of self-reliance. I stand on my own two feet and endure whatever challenges come my way, hopefully successfully navigating them. I wrote something similar to this many times over 50 years of writing. After reading The Big Myth, I realize this mental attitude may have been a form of indoctrination by active, libertarian agency that found its way into literature, movies, and television programs to which I was exposed from an early age. While self reliance is not bad, that it became part of my mental outlook through indoctrination is not good.
I am not freaking out! The disturbing part of libertarian propaganda about market fundamentalism is the absence of any alternative response. In fact, conservatives constantly accuse liberals of brainwashing children in public schools, to the extent the Iowa Legislature passed a significant private school voucher law to address their fears. Why aren’t liberals in the game? They, like me, likely didn’t understand how deep the propaganda went. There have been few comprehensive stories written about what libertarian radicals have been doing for a hundred years. Oreskes and Conway remedied that.
Pick up a copy at your independent bookstore or, if they have it, from your public library. The Big Myth is essential reading as Republican extremists work to undo American democracy with the backing of large-sized business interests. We can do better than that.
I am a Cold War warrior. I was in the U.S. Military during the period NATO stood down Soviet forces at the West German border. Based on intelligence received from friends who spied on Soviet troops, we believed we could whip their collective asses on any given day. That was likely our youth speaking. In 2024, Russian progress in Ukraine brings me chills. Russia could win that conflict, annex Ukraine, and commit genocide on the Ukrainian population. To a Cold War warrior, those are real and concerning possibilities. They should be the same for every American.
I wrote my U.S. Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, about the stalled supplemental aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other items. Congressional Republicans insisted on tying passage to immigration reform and when they did, the supplemental hit a logjam. After emphasizing to my senators the importance of aid to Ukraine, I wrote they should sever the immigration portion of the bill and pass it separately to free up passage of the military aid bill. I’m not the only one with this opinion.
“It’d be nice to change the status quo on the border, but if there’s not the political support to do that, then I think we should proceed with the rest of the supplemental,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters. “I don’t think we have any real choice (but to do so).” A Thursday headline in the Cedar Rapids Gazette read, “Deal on wartime aid and border security stalls in Congress.”
What is going on? Grassley spilled the beans Wednesday on NBC while answering reporter questions about a tax bill.
“Passing a tax bill that makes the president look good — mailing out checks before the election — means he could be re-elected, and then we won’t extend the 2017 tax cuts,” Grassley told a reporter.
The bill does not include checks for Americans; what it includes is a tax credit. Republicans don’t want President Biden to “look good” on any front, including by passing aid for Ukraine and immigration reform, both of which have strong bipartisan support.
It is irritating Grassley and Ernst dodged the supplemental aid issue in their response to my note. I told each of them I needed no response, that I would watch how they voted. They quickly responded with a full page of comments without mentioning Ukraine, Israel or Taiwan.
I have had reasonable interaction with both Senators Grassley and Ernst. I don’t always agree with them, yet they usually respond to my queries and if we disagree, they tell me why. They have been courteous when we interacted personally, even when disagreeing. In a red state that’s the best we can expect.
For her part, Ernst acknowledged the oversized role played by drug cartels on the southern border, and listed some legislation she introduced or sponsored to address the situation. She asserted there is a humanitarian crisis at the border. I don’t disagree, only it’s not the kind she’s talking about.
Chuck Grassley has been my Iowa U.S. Senator all the time since I married in 1982. I left the state for six years, and he was still there when I returned. I lost count of how many times I met with him or his staff.
Grassley’s approach is similar to Ernst. He lists legislation he supports to address issues at the southern border. He briefly mentioned the House Speaker’s concerns about the border bill, and accused the Biden Administration of “abusing the parole system” to enable admission to the country of large groups of people outside “established pathways.” In a self-serving way, he times the start of the border problem as beginning when Biden took office. As I wrote in my note to him, immigration has been an issue in the United States almost since he was first elected to the Senate. We seem no closer to changing it in a way that will make sense to most Americans. We’ll recognize something went right when Dreamers have a path to citizenship.
Author Tom Nichols summarized the political situation in The Atlantic.
At this moment, the United States is on the verge of failing a challenge of will and commitment, much to the delight of the neo-fascist Russian regime that has turned Ukraine’s fields and homes into an immense abattoir. President Joe Biden, most of NATO, and many other nations recognize the crisis, but the world could face a Russian victory—and an eventual escalation of Russian aggression against Europe—solely because of the ongoing drama and inane bickering within the Republican Party.
Immigration reform is a distraction from the importance of America’s leadership role in the world and our support for Ukraine. For those of us who wore a uniform and remember the wind-swept hills and plains of the Fulda Gap, it is critical we pass the current supplemental.
Legislative Democrats Weekly Press Conference – Please share. Follow House Democrats on Facebook
Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa House Democrats introduced a legislative policy package to lower costs for Iowans today at the State Capitol as a part of the People Over Politics agenda. It’s the first package in a series of bills that lawmakers will be introducing this year.
“Iowans are frustrated and tired of politics. Our job as lawmakers is to listen to Iowans and work together to finally get something done that will improve their lives. It’s people over politics,” said Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights). “The common sense bills we announced today will lower costs, raise wages, and leave Iowans with more money in their pockets. The special interests and corporations in Des Moines have gotten their way for far too long, it’s time to get to work for Iowans.”
Here is the legislative package introduced by House Democrats today that will put more money in the pockets of Iowans:
Raise Iowa’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026
Clear the list of Iowans with disabilities waiting for services
Expand and extend Iowa’s tax-free holiday in August
Affordable childcare for childcare providers with their own kids
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Lowering Costs & Raising Wages: Background Information
Raising Iowa’s Minimum Wage
For too many families, Iowa wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living. Today, there are 231,000 Iowans who make less than $15 an hour. Iowa is also losing workers to bordering states because they all have higher minimum wages than Iowa, except for one. Last raised in 2007, it is time for Iowa to raise the minimum wage to attract workers and stay competitive.
What does the bill do?
Raise Iowa’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next three years
$10.85 on July 1, 2024
$13 on July 1, 2025
$15 on July 1, 2026
Expand Iowa’s tax-free holiday to two weeks
Since 500,0000 Iowans received no benefit from recent income tax changes, expanding Iowa’s tax-free holiday will put more money in the pockets of Iowans to purchase necessities like school supplies, clothing, work boots, and uniforms. Iowa’s sales tax-free holiday currently only runs for two days in August.
What does the bill do?
Extend Iowa’s tax-free holiday to two full weeks at the beginning of August
Add school supplies, art supplies, instructional materials, and musical instruments to the list of tax-free exemptions
Raise the tax-free cap on clothing items from $100 to $250 so Iowans can purchase uniforms, work boots, and other items that currently don’t qualify
Clear the waiting lists for Iowans with disabilities
Some children with severe mental health needs and Iowans with intellectual disabilities, health disabilities, or brain injuries have to wait five years or longer to get services like personal care, preparing food, home repairs, and modifications to stay in their homes. While these Iowans are waiting, they may be forced to go without care, pay for services out of their own pockets, end up in the emergency room, or stay in a more expensive institutional setting. Today, there are 20,468 Iowans with disabilities waiting for services, and about 1,000 more are added every year.
What does the bill do?
Eliminate all the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver waitlists. The waivers with current waitlists are below:
Health & Disability Waiver – 8,147
Intellectual Disability Waiver – 6,494
Brain Injury Waiver – 3,082
Physical Disability Waiver – 1,828
Children’s Mental Health (CMH) Waiver – 917
AIDS/HIV Waiver – 0
Elderly Waiver – 0
State Cost: $69 million to completely clear all waitlists
Affordable childcare for childcare workers
Many Iowans cannot afford to work in a childcare setting while also having to pay for childcare for their own children. Given Iowa’s severe childcare worker shortage, the state should partner with childcare providers to make childcare affordable for workers in this essential industry.
What does the bill do?
Make Iowa’s current pilot program permanent and expand statewide
Provide a subsidy for childcare workers who need childcare for their own kids so they can afford to stay on the job
DHHS pays the subsidy directly to the provider through the Childcare Assistance Program (CCA)
Guest Opinion | Voting from our phones is not as beneficial as it seems
by Sean Flaherty and Douglas Jones
While there is something to be said about the convenience of voting in elections from our phones, the security risks are far too great given the lackluster technology.
Why does online voting worry security experts so much, at a time when we work, apply for jobs, and conduct our most important financial matters online?
The answer is the secret ballot. When we bank online, we can check our bank’s records to see that the bank got our transactions right or verify that a boss or professor received the project we submitted. The secret ballot means that we can’t check to see that our vote was received as we intended in the same quick and easy way we check our bank records.
We need secret ballot voting. U.S. states adopted the secret ballot in the late 1800s because election day had become a payday for many. The secret ballot protects your vote by protecting you from coercion, and it protects your vote from being canceled out by other voters selling their votes to the highest bidder.
And in case you missed it, The Daily Iowan has purchased two small town Iowa newspapers.
“The Daily Iowan has purchased two weekly newspapers near Iowa City — the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun and Solon Economist.
The acquisition from Dubuque-based Woodward Communications marks the first newspaper purchase for the DI. Publishing of these newspapers is effective with the Feb. 8 editions.
“We are excited for this opportunity and it’s a great fit for our organization,” said DI Publisher Jason Brummond, who will manage and serve as publisher of each publication. “Community newspapers play an important and integral role in their communities, and we believe strongly in quality local journalism.”
Please read the following alert from Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors (JFAN) and take action if you agree whistleblowers should not be subject to retaliation. Time is of the essence. The bill is on its way to committee.
ACTION ALERT – Stop Senate Study Bill 3103!
A new bill introduced in the Iowa Senate would discourage people from reporting a possible CAFO violation to the Iowa DNR.
Senate Study Bill 3101 would require anyone filing a complaint with the Iowa DNR to provide their name, eliminating the option of anonymous reporting. If the DNR investigates the complaint, the agency would be required to provide the name of the complainant to the potential violator.
Since the DNR doesn’t have sufficient resources to proactively enforce regulations, it’s often up to community members to report problems they notice. JFAN works with many people reluctant to call in valid complaints because they are legitimately afraid of retribution. In those cases, we encourage people to do so anonymously so violations, such as manure spills, can be addressed.
SSB 3103 was introduced by Senator Tom Shipley to eliminate frivolous complaints. Yet, the January 25 Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that of the 1300-1500 complaints the DNR receives annually, half of them are reported anonymously and a “vast majority” of those lead to corrective actions or fines.
It’s clear from DNR records that the agency receives few frivolous complaints. This bill will discourage valid reporting and eliminate needed investigations to correct problems threatening the environment that the DNR would otherwise not know about.
With fines for violations already insufficient, CAFO owners would have even less incentive to properly follow regulations. Senate Study Bill 3103 benefits no one but an offending violator.
The bill passed out of the Natural Resources and Environment subcommittee and is headed to the full committee for further consideration.
Please call or email your senator today to oppose Senate Study Bill 3103. If you are in Jefferson County, Senator Adrian Dickey can be reached at 641-919-3406 or adrian.dickey@legis.iowa.gov.
Click here for a sample letter. We also encourage you to send a group email to all members of the Natural Resources and Environmental Committee. Their addresses can also be found here.
Let’s keep reporting possible violations to the DNR a safe for everyone!
From our inbox – State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott has a special place in my political heart for defeating Jake (teachers have sinister agendas) Chapman. Here is her informative newsletter posted on Friday.
There were 89 subcommittee meetings last week in the Senate, with topics ranging from snowmobile registration fees to allowing physicians to deny best practice medical care based on personal preferences.
There is a lot of legislation on the move and these subcommittees are an important opportunity for the public to weigh in. It’s very difficult to keep track of everything going on, even for legislators. Not everything will get covered by the press. For your reference, there’s more information below about the legislative process. As a legislator, I try to highlight the issues on my radar and offer direction to the public so you all can be a part of the process. I also recommend finding advocacy groups focused on the issues that are important to you—they can give you timely updates and help your voice have greater impact as part of a community.
Just a quick update on the Area Education Agencies: the Governor’s proposal has not moved forward and no revised proposals have been presented…yet. Advocacy — especially the advocacy of rural and small-town residents — is making a powerful impact. This week I asked folks from agribusiness groups about the importance of AEAs. Almost everyone had a personal story about the AEAs. One of these agribusiness leaders shared that the quality of AEA services their children were receiving was key in making career decisions, choosing to work for a company in Iowa rather than pursuing opportunities out of state. These personal stories matter and members of the House and Senate Education Committees need to keep hearing them.
I served on the subcommittee for a couple of education bills that I found troubling. On its face, Senate File 2009 seemed like a good idea. The bill proposed creating education supply accounts for educators. The problem was that these accounts were not funded. Instead, an estimated $8 million would be taken out of existing education funding. Each year this funding continues to lag behind increasing costs, and already cannot provide for badly needed raises and supplies.
This year the Republican Majority is proposing a 2.5% increase, again falling below rising cost of educating. SF 2009 also undermined its own supposed goal by pressuring educators to not spend these funds — indicating that unspent funds would be used for teacher pay increases at the end of the year. Educators need raises. Educators need more resources to purchase supplies. Moving the same money around will not accomplish either goal. Ask members of the education committees to put forth real solutions for our state’s educational needs.
I was also on the subcommittee for Senate Study Bill 3092, which allows school boards to directly hire unpaid “chaplains.” I have put the title chaplain in quotes because the bill specifically states that the board “shall not require” license, endorsement, or certification, and the bill does not define what supports, services, and programs these individuals would provide in our schools.
I served as a hospital chaplain in adult and pediatric hospitals, but only with significant training and oversight from an accredited program. Trained chaplains understand boundaries — they are not counselors or social workers or psychologists and they are especially not there to proselytize or convert. When working with a vulnerable population (children) it is incredibly important to make sure that those adults are trained, qualified, carefully vetted, and their work is clearly defined.
This bill asks school boards to directly hire staff and define their work — which with the exception of the Superintendent is never the role of a school board. The bill also prohibits the school board from putting in place the same standards that facilities that care for vulnerable and captive populations (hospitals, prisons, military) would follow.
The author of the legislation, House Rep. Helena Hayes said, “This bill is about ministers in the workplace.” As minister is a specifically Christian title, it seems the intent of the legislation is to bring Christian ministers into public schools, give them a title and the endorsement of the district. Supporters in the room also indicated that they had attended a conference in Texas promoting a similar policy passed by that state in 2023. Over 100 professional Texas chaplains and faith leaders issued a public letter in opposition to the legislation. Despite the concerns of many in the room, the bill passed subcommittee and now is eligible for consideration by the entire Senate Education Committee.
We need to provide more mental health support to our students, and that means employing qualified persons to provide mental health care. This week I filed Senate File 2082 to help schools bill Medicaid so they can pay counselors and therapists to provide those services to a broader range students in need. Reach out to the chair of Health and Human Services jeff.edler@legis.iowa.gov to ask him to give this bill a public hearing.
Make Your Voice Heard in Your Iowa Senate
The legislative process can be complicated, but to break it down: most bills pass through three key stages of review and discussion – and each one offers opportunities for regular folks to get involved and make their voices heard.
Here’s a quick guide to understanding the process and taking every opportunity to make your voice heard.
Step 1: Subcommittee
Subcommittees are public meetings where we hear from you.
The first step for most bills under consideration in the Senate is a subcommittee. This is where a small panel of lawmakers review the bill and take public comment. If you want to make your voice heard on the pros or cons of a bill, this is the place to do it!
Subcommittees take place in person at the Capitol, but are usually streamed online as well, with time set aside for public comment.
What do to: If you want to speak on a bill in subcommittee, you can attend in person or participate online. You can also send comments to subcommittee members to read and consider.
Find scheduled subcommittees here. Click “Agenda” for meeting details and the Zoom link. There is a “Comments” link to leave a public comment, which can demonstrate to the press and the public how people feel about this legislation. But know that these comments won’t be read in the subcommittee and legislators may never look at them.
Step 2: Committee
Committees are where we iron out the details.
If a bill passes out of subcommittee (many don’t!) it is eligible to heard by a full committee of senators. A bill passed by a subcommittee does not have to be taken up by a committee. In the Senate, we have 17 standing committees focusing on various policy areas. Each committee has between 6 and 20 members, often with specific expertise in that issue area.
If the committee chair chooses, the bill may be discussed by senators at one of the full committee meetings.
Senators can amend the bill in committee — that is, the majority party can accept changes and additions to the legislation at this point.
Committees take place in person at the Capitol but are also streamed online. The public is not allowed to speak but can attend or watch online.
What to do: Attend in person to show public interest in the issue. Watch the committee live or later (it will be archived on website) to know what legislators are saying and how they vote. Contact senators on the committee to let them know what you think and how you want them to vote. Find committee schedules here. Click here to find senators’ contact information.
Step 3: The Floor
Floor debate is where we make our stand
A bill that passes committee is eligible for floor debate (although the majority party leaders decides when or if a bill actually comes up). Again, a bill that was voted out of committee may not ever be brought to debate.
If a bill is brought up for debate, the sponsor introduces it and then all 50 senators have a chance to speak and offer amendments to change it. At the end of debate, senators vote on whether or not to pass it.
What to do: The Senate chamber galleries are open to the public. Attend in person or watch online. Contact your senator to make your voice heard. Legislators may share stories and comments from the public as part of their speech.
Step 4: What Happens Next
What happens after the Senate passes a bill depends on whether the bill has also been considered by the House.
If the bill originated in the Senate, it moves over to the House and starts the process from Subcommittee to Committee to Debate in that chamber. If there are no changes, it goes to the Governor. If there are changes, it needs to go back to the Senate for debate again.
The same bill could be moving through both the House and Senate at the same time, cutting down the amount of time legislation would take to pass.
If a bill already passed the House, and then passes the Senate, it moves on to the governor. The governor gets the final say on all legislation, choosing whether to sign it into law or veto it.
The next six weeks will be very busy with bills moving through the legislative process. It looks like we may already have debate next Thursday in the Senate. If there’s an issue you care about, now is the time to get involved and make your voice heard!
Check out the Iowa House Democrats Weekly Roundup with Jennifer Konfrst, followed by video of her appearance on Iowa Press last Friday. Please read, watch, donate and share! Sign up link below. We agree with Jennifer, Rs are up to some serious crazy.
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It’s Sunday, and it has been another crazy and long week at the Iowa Capitol. So it’s time for the Weekly Roundup! Everyone’s favorite time, where we round up the top three wildest things Iowa Republicans did this week. Don’t want to keep you waiting too long so let’s get into it.
1. Iowa House Republicans introduced a bill that would severely limit access to abortion medications through a 19-step process, require doctors to provide false information to women, and even allow any member of the public to confirm an abortion has occurred.
Under this legislation, the only way for a medical institution to access these legal medications is by participating in this new state program, which would create an electronic record for the government every time the medication is dispensed and the medical personnel involved in the process. It also enforces felony convictions for any missteps taken throughout their 19-step process. For a party that claims to have government overreach, are we really not seeing the irony here?
2. Iowa House Republican proposes bill that would strip trans people of their civil rights.
Rep. Jeff Shipley (R- Fairfield), who has made it his personal mission to attack the LGBTQ+ community repeatedly in the Iowa House, has introduced HF 2082 which would take away the rights of some Iowans by removing gender identity from Iowa’s civil rights code. It’s bad for Iowans and it’s bad for business.
Last but not least…
3. Iowa Republicans propose that doctors should be able to refuse care based on their own “moral grounds.”
Wow, I wish I was making this up. Under this bill, medical institutions – hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, or medical schools- and insurance companies would be allowed to opt out of performing and paying for procedures that violate “their conscience.” Yeah.
This is out of hand, the Governor and these GOP lawmakers have just gone too far. We need to bring common sense back to Iowa and start putting people over politics. Please, if you can, become a common sense supporter today and help us bring some balance back to Iowa!
Thanks to Jennifer for doing such a great job of keeping everyone informed of what is happening at the state capitol.
If you put “Iowa Press” in the BFIA search box on the right side of this page, you will see my previous reviews of Iowa Press and the panel’s biased questioning style. In addition, in 2023, Republicans were invited to make appearances on the show twice as often as Democrats, appearing on the program 18 times in 2023 compared to 9 appearances by Democrats. Rob Sand, Iowa’s only elected statewide Democrat, has not been on the program since 2022. Seems odd.
In this episode, the most glaring example of unequal treatment was Erin Murphy interrupting Jennifer Konfrst after she started answering his question, to tell her the other side would disagree with her on her framing. Shock shock, but since when has Iowa Press ever considered it their responsibility to correct Republicans? Answer : Never. I watch this program somewhat religiously and I have never seen him or any other panelist interrupt a Republican to correct them on their framing of an issue. So he wanted her to respond to the other side’s argument but instead she schooled him on the fact that Rs intend to take civil rights away from transgender Iowans.
Then Murphy posed another question mentioning Iowa Democrats’ efforts to hold onto the first in the nation caucuses, which, he added were “unsuccessful,” prompting Konfrst to retort sarcastically, “thanks for pointing that out, Erin.” Murphy, apparently realizing some may think he was being a jerk or an idiot, said, “sorry.”
Democrats have to referee their own appearances on the program. This after Kim Reynolds was allowed to go on a 3-minute nonstop rant last week blaming AEAs for all things wrong with Iowa pubic education and how someone (her) had to stop the AEAs from ruining Education in Iowa. No one interrupted her or challenged her accuracy or framing of the issue. Republicans get to say whatever they want, unimpeded.
Definitely watch if you can because Democrats are under-represented on the program. So far this year there have been four episodes of Iowa Press and she is the first Democrat to be on following Nikki Haley, Pat Grassley, and Kim Reynolds.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
ProgressIowa.org
I frequently write a review of Iowa Press on Mondays. Hardly anyone I know watches the program because of its obvious disdain for Democrats and clear favoritism for Republicans. So I try to watch it so friends don’t have to.
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