This week in Iowa organizing…
Yesterday we both "sprang forward" and observed International Women's Day.
As much as I'd like to talk about Daylight Saving Time (I'm team "in favor"), there's an awful (mainly bad, but some good!) lot of bills in the statehouse on the move that need to be stopped or moved in the next two weeks, so let's just get to it. Read on for more!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
Friday, March 20, is the next deadline where bills not related to spending must pass a chamber (House or Senate) AND a corresponding committee in the other chamber to remain alive for consideration. A reminder you can find your legislators and their contact information here.
Close to the finish line:
BAD:
HF 2527 / SF 2427: would limit the ability to sue Big Ag for greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible for debate by the Senate, would go to Governor's desk if passed.
SF 579: would ban local civil rights protections above state law. Eligible for debate on Senate floor, would go to Governor's desk if passed.
Passed the House, in the Senate's hands:
The bad:
HF 2104: would have banned the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. Sen. Klimesh pulled a bait-and-switch and amended the bill to mirror language of SF 2067. Eligible for debate on the Senate floor, would need to be sent back to the House if approved.
HF 2711: would remove several affirmative action and equal opportunity measures currently required under Iowa state law. Assigned to Senate Judiciary committee.
HF 2296: would take local control away from municipalities by prohibiting them from issuing Community IDs to their residents. Assigned to Senate Local Government committee, subcommittee scheduled.
HF 989 concerns anaerobic digesters, which encourages expanding CAFOs (they need more and more manure to remain operational) and do not get rid of nitrates and phosphorus. Check out this guest column on the issue from CCI member Kim Hagemann. Revived from 2025, assigned to Senate Agriculture committee.
Awaiting floor debate in the House, must be sent to Senate and pass committee to survive March 20 deadline:
The good:
HF 2447: would require data centers to submit regular reports on their water and energy use, and to not pass their water/energy usage costs onto other customers.
HF 2117: would provide funding to retrofit up to 100 existing private wells with groundwater monitoring equipment, more than doubling the approximately 60 wells currently monitoring our groundwater.
HF 2709: would allow farmers the "right to repair." Read more on this from Iowa Farmers Union president Aaron Lehman here.
The bad:
HF 2530: would prevent the DNR from adding a waterway to an impaired water list until they can ID what kind of animal contributed to fecal bacteria levels. Send a quick email to your Representative with our action alert here.
In limbo:
SF 2269: funds the Iowa Water Quality Information System at $500,000 for fiscal year 2026-27. Assigned to Senate Appropriations committee, funnel proof, but no subcommittee scheduled.
Take action
March 26: CCI water testing returns
Time to start thinking about testing water with Iowa CCI and Nitrate Watch. It's our THIRD year of this partnership program! It’s GO time for the new season!
If you are interested and don't have a test kit, click here to order one. If you have a test kit, check the expiration date on the bottle and order a new one if needed.
Our first monthly Zoom meeting is Thursday, March 26 at 5pm. Mark your calendar and click here to register. We are excited about some ideas to grow our water work, and we always appreciate feedback to help strategize. If you don’t mind sharing:
What worked in the testing program previously?
What were the challenges?
What inspired you to sign up?
What would you like to learn from our monthly Zooms?
Send your thoughts / suggestions to kim@iowacci.org. Details about the program are available here.
March 31: Public School Strong strategy session
In the last 10 years, the Governor and state legislature have underfunded our schools by passing a paltry state supplemental aid rate (SSA) of just 2% on average, not enough to keep up with inflation. They are asking our schools to do more and more with less and less and we are at a breaking point.
Imagine if we had 100 districts pass our Public School Strong resolution to help set the stage for the November elections and 2027 legislative session? Join us over Zoom on Tues, March 31 to learn about the campaign and how to expand it by bringing it to your district.
Upcoming rallies, mobilizations, trainings
No Kings will hold another round of mobilizations on March 28 in response to the Trump administration's ongoing attacks on Americans, our democratic institutions, and more. Find the event closest to you here.
Virtual ICE and community defense trainings:
Thursday, March 12 @ 4pm: Iowa MMJ Legal Observation Training
Ongoing: States at the Core (SATC): ICE Watch & Community Defense trainings
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
'The digital colonization of fly over states': how data centers are tearing small-town America apart [The Guardian]
Legalized discrimination: HF 2711 attacks civil protections for marginalized groups in the state of Iowa [The Spartan Shield]
Troubling facts about Iowa's latest impaired waters list [Bleeding Heartland]
ICE has spun a massive surveillance web. We talked to people caught in it [NPR]
We destroyed one of the best health IT systems ever built - and replaced it with something worse [Health Care un-covered]