Thank you, Iowa workers!
This Labor Day, let’s look around and thank those who are working hard in what often feels like thankless times. The best “thank you” we can give hard-working Iowans is real opportunities to get ahead.
Issues
Iowa is COVID hot spot
Six months into the pandemic, when many of us thought we might be in the clear, Iowa is in the thick of it with record-high infection rates and mounting deaths. Yet, the Governor continues her half-hearted approach that is preventing Iowa from getting the coronavirus under control.
“The time for half-hearted public relations gestures is over.”
Reynolds’ refusal to listen to medical experts has contributed to the spread of COVID-19, leading to increasing death and disease and making it harder to restart both Iowa’s economy and Iowa’s schools on a sustainable basis.
Let’s send kids back to school safely
It’s back-to school time, and most parents would love for kids to return to their classroom – when it is safe. No amount of seat time in a classroom will make up for jeopardizing the health of our kids. Let’s put their safety first as we continue to assess our return-to-learn plans.
Celebrating the right to vote
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, we have another voting rights victory: Iowa will no longer automatically institute a lifetime ban on voting for all Iowans convicted of any felony.
Senate GOP failed to support bipartisan effort to restore voting rights
A permanent solution was blocked by Senate Republicans, who failed to amend the Iowa Constitution to allow more Iowans to vote. Sen. Brad Zaun, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, waited until the 11th hour of the 2020 session to finally get it through the Judiciary Committee but there was no effort to bring it to a vote by the full Senate.
Governor “abusing the power of her office” to force unsafe school reopenings
“Nowhere in Senate File 2310 does it state that Iowa students, teachers and staff will be required to work and learn in unsafe buildings.” the percentage of time Iowans need to spend in buildings. She cooked up that unsafe and unrealistic number herself.”
Health care community asks Gov. Reynolds for statewide mask order
The Iowa Medical Society and a coalition of health care organizations representing more than 12,000 physicians, clinicians, providers, pharmacists, health care facilities, public health professionals and providers-in-training, are calling on Gov. Reynolds to issue a statewide mask mandate to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Statement on Gov’s executive order on schools
Iowa schools are being forced into difficult choices between in-person learning and the health and safety of students and staff. Only when we get serious about knocking down this virus can our kids have a quality education and a safe school environment.
GOP blocked protections for vulnerable seniors; Pandemic intensified damage
The Republican majority in the Senate failed to move a bill that called for minimum help for our state’s elderly in long-term care facilities. The pandemic has laid bare that under-funding in times of crisis can kill.