This week in Iowa organizing…
We hope you all had a good weekend, stayed warm, and on Monday had time to engage in service or reflect upon the work we must continue doing to achieve a more just, equitable, and democratic society.
Our history shows us that even in the darkest of times, when everyday people come together, we can fight back incredible dangers. As Dr. King said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
A lot is coming up over the next few days and weeks, so please read on for ways to take action, legislative updates, and more.
Onward,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
The first week of the 2026 legislative session is in the books. While the first week is usually just speeches and introductory procedures, legislators got moving on introducing bills and setting some in motion.
Two bills caught our attention: HF 2104 and SF 2008. House File 2104 would ban eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. It was introduced by Rep. Holt (R - Crawford Co.) last Monday, passed subcommittee 2-1 on Tuesday, passed the Judiciary Committee 19-2 on Wednesday, and is on the House Debate Calendar for consideration as early as tomorrow, January 21. Find your Representative and contact information here to send them a message urging support, or use our action alert here.
Senate File 2008 is a bill that would make private schools utilizing vouchers to have the same transparency and reporting requirements as public schools. It was introduced by Sen. McClintock (R - Linn Co.) and referred to the Senate Education Committee and assigned a subcommittee of Senators Sinclair, Kraayenbrink, and Quirmbach. Senate President Amy Sinclair is chairing the subcommittee but hasn't scheduled a subcommittee meeting. Encourage her to let this bill be considered by emailing amy.sinclair@legis.iowa.gov.
Both chambers are scheduled to meet today through Thursday, and Friday, Jan. 23, is the final day for Senators and Representatives to request bill drafts from the Legislative Services Agency.
You can read a good recap of the first week of the legislative session from the Cedar Rapids Gazette here, and CCI Action member Barb Kalbach's take on what legislators will, and what they should, focus on here.
Take action
Jan 24: Clean Water town hall w/ Chris Jones
When it comes to elections, our job is to elevate the experiences of everyday Iowans and push for the solutions we deserve. That's why CCI Action members will host town halls and public forums, while also bird-dogging candidates to ensure these issues are front and center in 2026.
We're kicking off the new year with our first town hall on Jan. 24 in Grinnell with Chris Jones. At this event we'll discuss the crises facing Iowa's waterways, rural communities, and family farmers and ask the tough questions we need answered by anyone running for Secretary of Agriculture.
More info and RSVP to join us here.
Jan 27: Legislative 101
This 101 is designed to demystify the legislative process - for newbies and seasoned citizen lobbyists.
We'll cover the basics of the legislative session, and use a bill we're currently monitoring to illustrate how the process works, including steps along the way where citizen lobbyists can have an impact. There will be plenty of time for questions! RSVP here
Jan 29: Farm & Environment monthly organizing meeting
We will be coming together each month through the end of the legislative session to learn about the issues related to land & water and strategize about next steps.
On January 29 we will be joined by Kat Ruane, a researcher at Food & Water Watch, where she produces reports and fact sheets for organizing campaigns. She is the author of several pieces on factory farm gas and Iowa’s water quality crisis, and most recently worked on FWW’s new map displaying the locations of all anaerobic digesters operating in California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Program.
At this meeting she will give an overview of factory farm biogas and how the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard is driving factory farm expansion across the country. RSVP to join us then share this meeting with others who care about creating a better food & farm system!
11 days left for counties to pass Master Matrix
It’s time for County Supervisors to vote on, pass, and submit the Master Matrix resolution to the Iowa DNR. This resolution allows county supervisors to weigh in on factory farm construction. But they must pass and submit the resolution between January 1 and January 31 each year.
The Master Matrix resolution is far from perfect but is an important tool to protect our communities. It can be used to stop or slow the factory farms that want to build next door to people's homes, schools, or even waterbodies.
Don't see your county highlighted above? Then that means they probably haven't passed the resolution yet, so contact your County Supervisors today! Check out a sample here of what this resolution looks like.
Feb. 2: Public School Finance 101
Want to get a better understanding of your local school district's budget and how public schools are financed? You are in luck!
David I. Backer, associate professor of education policy at Seton Hall University and author of As Public as Possible: Radical Finance for America's Schools will join us for an online presentation on Feb. 2 at 7:30pm. RSVP to join us here.
“David Backer has accomplished the seemingly impossible here, making the complex issue of school finance not just accessible, but provocative and inspiring.”—Jennifer Berkshire, co-author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door and The Education Wars
Feb. 10-13: Iowa CCI's week of love and thank-a-thon
We’re turning what’s usually a one-day event into a “Week of Love”, and we would LOVE to have you join us!
Our amazing community comes together every year to call through our membership list just to connect and spread gratitude for all their hard work and support. RSVP to make calls with us!
We’ll be phone banking at the CCI office in Des Moines to connect with members and thank them. These calls are super easy and fun to make. If you have any questions, email kim@iowacci.org or give us a call at 515-255-0800.
Feb. 19: Our water, our health rally & lobby day
During the 2026 legislative session it’s our job to keep the Cancer Gag Act dead and to push for common sense policies – like restoring funding for water quality monitoring and increasing funding to map our aquifers.
On February 19 from 1 - 4pm we'll be joining with our allies at Food & Water Watch and Progress Iowa for a lobby day to tell our legislators it's time to take meaningful action to protect our water and crack down on big ag polluters. RSVP to join us here.
We're Hiring!
Iowa CCI is looking to hire a Community Organizer who has a strong desire to meet people where they are at, move them to action, help CCI build our people power, and win on issues.
Learn more and how to apply at iowacci.org/jobs
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in rural Iowa [Growing New Leaders: Perspectives from Coyote Run Farm]
Supreme Court takes up Bayer's bid to limit Roundup weed killer liability [The Hill]
It's easy to imagine a world without ICE [Jacobin]
To make something better, we have to face it at its worst [Reviews 4 Radicals]
Changes to federal loans leave rural students behind [Barn Raiser]