This week in Iowa organizing…
It appears fall has arrived early. If cooler temperatures are your thing, I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the weather over the weekend.
Once again, it's (sadly) a pretty safe bet none of you were out enjoying Iowa's beaches.
Let's just get to it - please read on for ways to take action for Iowa's water, public education, and more!
Onward,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
(Tomorrow) August 26: Why Public Schools?
We know public schools are the lifeblood of so many of our communities. And Iowa's public education system was once the envy of the nation. But what is it that makes them so special, and what can they be if we fully fund them?
Join us over zoom this Tuesday, Aug. 26 @ 6:30pm with CCI member and educator Nick Covington to discuss how we talk about public schools and build the movement to fully fund them. In this interactive workshop we’ll discuss the importance of perspectives on public education, dispel myths about school vouchers, and develop a strong vision for our public schools.
Together we can create a strong vision of Iowa education beyond simply meeting minimum standards - we can craft a vision of how our state could once again lead the nation in preparing our children for the future. Register to join us here!
September 4: Defeat the Cancer Gag Act (again)
This past legislative session, Iowans came together to defeat Bayer's Cancer Gag Act. So now they've set their sights on Congress to gain immunity from lawsuits if folks are harmed from using their products.
We're not backing down and will keep fighting for what's right. That's why we're coming together over Zoom on September 4 at 6pm to get the latest on Bayer's efforts and strategize ways to defeat their Cancer Gag Act again. RSVP to join us here!
In the Des Moines area and want to help us get lots of folks to join us on September 4? Join us for an hour of making calls from the CCI office on August 28 @ 2pm (RSVP here).
Tell your U.S. Representative - oppose the PERMIT Act
Legislation is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act (“PERMIT Act,” H.R. 3898). If passed by Congress, it would “PERMIT” more pollution to be discharged into Iowa’s waterways, threaten the health of Iowans, and remove protections from wetlands and streams that filter pollution and reduce flooding.
This bill could to come to a vote in the U.S. House when they come back from summer recess on Tuesday, September 2. Join our allies with the Environmental Law & Policy Center by emailing your Congressperson here.
This legislation would dramatically narrow Clean Water Act protections that Iowans have relied upon for more than 50 years to safeguard Iowa’s rivers and lakes for drinking water, for swimming and boating, for businesses that need clean water, and to support thriving fish and wildlife populations.
CCI's fall book club & author events
We're back with another installment of Iowa CCI's book club! This time we picked Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America, by Sonja Trom Eayrs, winner of the 2025 Midwest Book Award and a finalist for the 2025 Minnesota Book award.
It's a well-timed read for anyone concerned with Iowa's escalating corporate ag-fueled water crisis and lack of action from elected leaders. And, it's a fitting read for our 50th anniversary, as Sonja's powerful personal account of fighting a hog factory in southern Minnesota mirrors that of CCI members' organizing to stop factory farms for the past three decades.
Click here to learn more about the book, then plan to join us for one of three opportunities to be in conversation with the author and fellow Iowans concerned about our land, water, and communities.
School board candidate filing begins today
Our school boards play an important role in protecting public education, which isn't just important for students and teachers, but to our society as a whole. It's a cornerstone of our democracy, and one of the first places where it doesn't matter who you are or what your background is. You have the right to an education regardless.
If you've ever thought about running for school board, or if you haven't but now you're curious, take a look at the video above! Hear from experienced CCI members who have done it before and know you can too.
And when you decide it's your time to run, get in touch with Katie Biechler at kbiechler@iowacci.org!
Water Talk
Join the water testing crew August 28 @ 5pm
Click here to get registered for our monthly Zoom on Thursday, August 28 at 5pm.
Iowa feels a bit like a canary in the coal mine on water pollution, especially in the wake of the EPA rescinding a decision to list Iowa drinking water sources as impaired. CCI testers are still recording numbers like 15 or 20 mg/L in Iowa’s streams and rivers. The EPA nitrate standard for safe drinking water is below 10 mg/L.
We will talk about this and how critical our testing is on our monthly Zoom this Thursday. Join us!
Join CCI’s Citizen Science - click here for more info and to order a Nitrate Watch test kit and record your data on the Clean Water Hub.
THEY dump it. WE drink it. WE won’t stop until THEY clean it up.
Articles of interest
Make America Polluted Again Starts in Iowa
Will Iowa’s political leaders put the focus on water quality? Why That’s Not Likely
You, Central Iowans, helped us meet this summer’s water challenges, opinion
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Missouri community defeats secretive project to build massive AI data center [Democracy Now!]
As voucher programs expand, many public school districts are fighting to keep students [PBS]
Factory farms don't just stink - they make it harder to breathe, too [Grist]
Band-aid care: when keeping rural people healthy requires creative solutions [Barn Raiser]
What this moment demands [Our Moral Moment]