This week in Iowa organizing…
Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all who are moms and all who mother.
And thanks for another successful Plant Sale Fundraiser raising $2,600 for the work ahead! Much appreciation to the organizers, the plant donors, and the shoppers.
The state House and Senate gavelled in already this morning, let's see if they can bring this session to a much needed close in the coming days.
Let's get to it,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
End in sight?
GOP lawmakers seem to have come to an agreement on the state budget, leaving the showdown over eminent domain legislation the primary sticking point before the legislature can adjourn.
House File 639 was on the Senate debate calendar last Friday, only for the Senate to adjourn without taking it up. But it's back on the calendar for today, so if you haven't contacted your Senator yet please do so today (click here to find your Senator). Tell them to support House File 639 as it was passed by the House, not Sen. Bousselot's watered down version.
Take action
May 15: stop the billionaire budget boondoggle
Lawmakers are back in Washington, D.C. hammering out details of their proposed federal budget. When the budget framework was first unveiled, it certainly wasn't good for our people and planet.
But cracks are beginning to show in Washington, D.C. because of overwhelming opposition from everyday people. Now is the time to keep that pressure up.
Our allies at People's Action are hosting a virtual phone bank this Thursday, May 15 from 5-8pm CDT. Folks from across the country will be calling Iowans in the first Congressional district asking them to contact Rep. Miller-Meeks and urge her to vote NO to harmful cuts to Medicaid.
Please consider joining this effort by clicking here to sign up and for more information. There will be a short training before calls so folks are comfortable with the system and script.
May 27: Public School Strong orientation
Our Public School Strong campaign is spreading across the state! We were in Keokuk at the beginning of May to ramp up the fight for fully funded public schools in the southeast corner of the state. And back in April, a CCI Public School Strong leader presented to a group in Wright County. An article about that meeting in the Clarion Wright Co. Monitor ended with:
"In the face of education and property tax policies that risk leaving small communities behind, it may be the quiet voices in the corners of rural rooms that rise up to shape Iowa’s future.”
Here's ways you can plug in and "rise up to shape Iowa's future":
Join our next Public School Strong orientation session on Tuesday, May 27 at 6pm over Zoom. School is about to be out for the summer, but our work doesn't stop. RSVP here!
Collect signatures to urge your local school board to pass a resolution calling on the Governor and legislature to fully fund our public schools at a 5% annual increase and to phase out private school vouchers. Learn more and add your name here!
Join us May 29 for our monthly Zoom
Click here to get registered for our monthly Zoom on Thursday, May 29 at 5pm.
We are excited to have Dr. Martin S. Clair joining us as our guest speaker! Dr. St. Clair was a professor of chemistry and environmental studies at Coe College for 30 years. He now works at the University of Iowa splitting his time between the CHEEC and IIHR Hydroscience & Engineering programs. He has a lot of experience with water quality testing in Iowa, and we can’t wait for you to hear from him!
Thanks to everyone participating in CCI’s water monitoring campaign. Regional teams and enthusiastic volunteers are working to build our community of practice, and it is fun to connect our Citizen Scientists in areas across the state! Great job getting out there to test and record the data!
Resources
Record your data on the Clean Water Hub
Helpful EPA map for finding waters to test
Deltares app for recording nitrate data
Join CCI’s Citizen Science – click here for more info and to order a Nitrate Watch test kit
Thanks for caring about and taking action for Iowa's water!
June 11: first book club read of 2025
We're back with another installation of Iowa CCI's book club. This time we picked The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, the latest book by bestselling author Robin Wall Kimmerer. And we invite you to join us for a book club discussion on Wednesday, June 11 on Zoom.
Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.” The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that “hoarding won’t save us, all flourishing is mutual.”
We offer up this book to the CCI community, in this turbulent time, as a thought-provoking pause and breath of fresh air. A communal meditation on "Another World is Possible," if you will.
Let us know you're in! Sign up for the June 11 book club here. RSVPing is the best way to stay in the loop and get updates as we get closer to the date.
4 days remain to weigh in on Medicaid work requirements
Back in April, Governor Reynolds requested a waiver from the federal government to impose burdensome work requirements for Iowans on Medicaid expansion (the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan). Her proposal would require people on this Medicaid plan to work 100 hours a month, be in school or job training, or be caring for a person with disabilities.
There are exceptions, but it's still a bad proposal that will kick people off of Medicaid. An overwhelming majority of adults on Medicaid are already working. What Reynolds won't say is that people will lose coverage through onerous reporting requirements or lost documentation.
Written comments are due May 15, email QIMP_Public_Comment@hhs.Iowa.gov and put "1115 Work Requirement Amendment" in the subject line. More info can be found here.
We're hiring!
Iowa CCI is looking to hire Community Organizers who have a strong desire to meet people where they are at, move people to action, help CCI build our people power, and win on issues.
Learn more and how to apply at iowacci.org/jobs
Save the Date
Early bird registration open for CCI's 50th!
We're hammering out the details, but we know we're turning 50 this year! We've got the Iowa Events Center reserved for July 25 & 26, and we want to see you there!
Save the date and stay tuned in the coming weeks for more details - it'll be good! Know you'll be joining us regardless of the details? Then get the "early early bird" rate by signing up here today!
Coming from out of town and need a hotel for the night? We've booked a block of rooms at the Comfort Inn & Suites in downtown Des Moines. Click here to book your room or call them at 515-282-5251 and use the code: Iowa CCI
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
A lawmaker's blatant overreach as he ignores Iowa law [Stray Thoughts]
Bayer's full court press to end glyphosate lawsuits heats up [Investigate Midwest]
Beyond the Ivy League, international students at rural colleges are being detained by ICE [Barn Raiser]
Top-earning 10 percent responsible for the majority of global warming, study finds [Mother Jones]
States bear the brunt of House GOP Medicaid plan [Politico]