Iowa Senate News Release For Immediate Release: September 23, 2021
“Iowans overwhelmingly support fair, non-partisan maps, and they don’t want politicians making changes to benefit one side or the other.”
Statement by State Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines:
“Iowa citizens have had their say on the first redistricting map.
“At both the federal and state levels, the districts have nearly the same number of voters and follow local government boundaries when possible.
“Iowans overwhelmingly support fair, non-partisan maps, and they don’t want politicians making changes to benefit one side or the other.”
“For 40 years, Iowa has shown every other state how to do redistricting fairly, without partisan gerrymandering. Iowa voters pick their politicians; politicians don’t get to pick their voters.
“Other states, red and blue, should follow Iowa’s lead.
“The Legislature should do what we did last time. Approve the new maps and move forward.”
Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls on Iowa Redistricting Plan 1
“We are currently reviewing Plan 1 to ensure it meets all the legal and constitutional requirements for redistricting. We believe Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments. We encourage Iowans to examine Plan 1 and to make their voices heard at three public hearings next week.”
Background:
The Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission is scheduled to hold virtual public hearings to gather public input on Plan 1 on the times and dates below:
The Iowa Supreme Court issued an order September 14 announcing that the Court’s constitutional duty to “cause a map to be reappointed” will be met by following the redistricting process laid out in Chapter 42. This means redistricting is in the hands of the Legislature. The Court set a December 1 deadline for the Legislature to complete its work. Here’s a link to the order: www.iowacourts.gov/collections/666/files/1398/embedDocument
Governor Reynolds sent out a news release earlier yesterday announcing that she signed a proclamation convening a special legislative session on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, “to consider and enact a plan of legislative and congressional redistricting in accordance with the framework set forth in chapter 42 of the Iowa Code.”
Estimated Timeline and What to Expect:
9/16/21 — At 10 a.m., the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) will deliver packets to the House and Senate chamber that includes a map, a copy of the bill (which describes in detail the boundaries for each district), and a memo regarding data on standards, populations, and deviations for Plan 1.
9/16/21 — Shortly after it is released to legislators, Plan 1 and accompanying information will be available on the Legislature’s website: www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/redistricting
Week of 9/20/21 — The Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission is scheduled to hold virtual public hearings to gather public input on Plan 1 on these dates:
14-day deadline to submit report — The Commission is required to submit its report from the public hearings to the Legislature no later than 14 days after the first plan is submitted to the Legislature.
October 5, 2021 – Special Session on Plan 1
December 1 – Redistricting process must be complete.
Here’s the statement that Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls released yesterday:
“We are currently reviewing the order from the Iowa Supreme Court regarding redistricting. As we have said since Day 1, Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments. The Legislature should approve Plan 1 during the October 5 special session if it meets all the legal and constitutional requirements.”
Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:
“We are currently reviewing the order from the Iowa Supreme Court regarding redistricting. As we have said since Day 1, Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments. The Legislature should approve Plan 1 during the October 5 special session if it meets all the legal and constitutional requirements.”
“Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments.”
“Iowa’s historic $100 million investment in affordable housing was made possible by President Biden and Rep. Cindy Axne. Thank you!”
“We are in this dangerous delta surge because of failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. They rejected $95 million to protect our students, have embraced vaccine skepticism, and continue to ignore our responsibilities to each other.”
COMPLETE REMARKS
DES MOINES—In today’s weekly press availability, Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery:
“It’s been a big news week here in Iowa, and next week may be even bigger. First, on redistricting, I want to reiterate our commitment: Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments. Senate Democrats will support a plan that meets those criteria. We stridently oppose any efforts by legislative Republicans and the Governor to attack democracy and rig redistricting in their favor.
“Additionally, this week we saw Governor Reynolds attempt to take credit for the $100 million investment in Iowa’s affordable housing. Let’s be 100% clear. Governor Reynolds gave a TV interview opposing this bill. Every single Republican in Iowa’s congressional delegation voted against this bill. Iowa’s historic $100 million investment in affordable housing was made possible by President Biden and Representative Cindy Axne and the Democratic Party. Thank you!
“Next, yesterday, President Biden announced crucial measures that give Iowans a clear choice if they work for a large employer: get vaccinated or participate in weekly testing. And once again, we’re seeing failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. We are in this dangerous delta surge because of failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. They rejected $95 million to protect our students, have embraced vaccine skepticism, and continue to ignore our responsibilities to each other. Governor Reynolds should pick up the phone and call President Biden today to get our $95 million back to Iowa to protect our students. Yesterday, the Gazette reported that most new COVID-19 cases are among children. The Register reported that our hospitals are filling up. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, and it never has been. This is about public health and protecting the lives of Iowans. Other Republican Governors have learned from their mistakes. It’s time for Governor Reynolds to start learning from her mistakes and stop putting her party politics over public health.
“Finally, to close, tomorrow we will commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. I will never forget walking into my elementary school on that crisp autumn morning and watching on the television as our nation was attacked. For my entire generation, our lives changed forever. I will never forget the fear and anger and confusion that I felt — or the sense of unity and pride as we learned the stories of heroism from first responders and everyday Americans on that trying day, from Flight 93 to the Pentagon to Ground Zero.
Twenty years later, the ideals of this great country endure. Despite the enormous challenges we continue to face today, we know that what makes our country strong is our commitment to each other to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. The same spirit of mutual responsibility and shared destiny that we all felt on the morning of September 11, 2001 is still with us today and is more important than ever.”
Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls released a statement praising President Joe Biden, Congresswoman Cindy Axne, and Democrats in Congress for their historic investment for housing in Iowa:
“Iowans have another reason to be thankful that President Biden, U.S. Representative Axne, and the Democratic Party passed the American Rescue Plan. Because of their leadership, Iowa is moving ahead with a multi-million dollar effort to increase the availability of affordable housing across our state. This is great news for hard-working Iowans and their families as we work to build back better.”
Background
100% of this funding was allocated by the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, which passed without a single Republican vote and over the objections of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
The Democrats’ American Rescue Plan investment in housing includes:
Federal Housing Tax Credit Program – $45 million The $45 million investment into the Federal Housing Tax Credit Program is estimated to move approximately 15 housing tax credit projects forward that otherwise would not be able to proceed and is expected to create an estimated total of 700 rental homes for Iowans. Eligible projects include developments that applied for a 2021 9% Federal Housing Tax Credit Program award but did not receive an award of tax credits. Projects will be prioritized based on scoring criteria and must be shovel ready. The financing will be paired with the federal 4% Tax Credit Program.
Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program – $20 million The $20 million investment will provide gap financing to current Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program projects to assist with the increased cost of construction building materials. These funds will help ensure that existing Workforce Housing Tax Credit projects are able to be completed, expanding housing opportunities for Iowans.
Downtown Housing Grant Program – $20 million The newly created Downtown Housing Grant Program will provide financial assistance for projects that support local downtown revitalization through the creation of new housing opportunities in communities with populations of 30,000 or less.
Homes for Iowa – $10 million This investment will assist in providing a larger pipeline of skilled workers for our employers and more opportunities for homebuyers to purchase a home in their price range through the Homes for Iowa initiative. Homes for Iowa is a public/private partnership that trains offenders in skilled building trades while building single family homes at the Newton Correctional Facility. The $10 million investment will assist in material costs, the construction of a permanent shop and home moving equipment set-up that will allow the Homes for Iowa program to scale production and training efforts.
Home Repair Block Grant Pilot Program – $4 million The housing stock in Iowa is comparatively older than that in the rest of the country, with an average median home age of approximately 50 years. This investment will provide qualified homeowners with financial assistance for eligible repair expenses to help preserve their homes. The application will be open to eligible organizations and based on program guidelines and scoring criteria.
Minority Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Pilot Program – $1 million Homeownership is a leading driver of wealth creation, yet minority homeowners in Iowa are underrepresented. This initial $1 million investment will assist in breaking barriers to homeownership by providing 200 eligible Iowa minority households with assistance purchasing a home. The program will provide a $5,000 down payment and closing costs assistance grant when used with an Iowa Finance Authority mortgage program.
According to the Iowa Constitution, local governments in Iowa are granted “home rule” powers, unless their policies are inconsistent with state law.
How have Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans responded?
Iowa’s Republican trifecta took away the authority of local governments 21 times since gaining power in 2017. They replaced local control with their one-size-fits-all agenda—undermining democracy, local elected officials and the will of local voters.
We must lay the foundation for a robust and equitable recovery for all Iowans. The bipartisan infrastructure framework making its way through Congress can jumpstart our efforts.
It’s a significant long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness—something Iowa desperately needs. On its most recent infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Iowa a C grade.
The federal proposal would allow us to overhaul our critical infrastructure, build a stronger Iowa economy and improve life in every community, while creating great jobs and training students and workers with the skills they need to do those jobs.
Here in Iowa, we’ll get to:
Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges. Iowa has 4,571 bridges and more than 403 miles of highway in poor condition. Commute times are on the rise, and expenses are going up for care repairs and other costs of driving on bad roads.
Improve transportation options. Iowans who take public transportation spend an extra 30% of their time commuting via transit vehicles that are often past their useful life. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will allow us to modernize and expand transportation options Iowans need.
Strengthen infrastructure for 21st Century challenges, such as cyber-attacks and extreme weather events. From 2010 to 2020, Iowa had 32 extreme weather events, costing the state tens of billions in damages. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework aims to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support disaster recovery.
Deliver clean drinking water. Over the next 20 years, Iowa’s drinking water infrastructure will require $7.9 billion in additional funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will invest in clean, safe drinking water for all communities, and eliminate lead service lines and pipes.
Connect every American to reliable broadband. 13.4% of Iowans live in areas where there is no access to high-speed Internet, and 61% have only one broadband option. The Framework will bring universal, reliable, high-speed, affordable service to every Iowa neighborhood.
Since the New Deal, the Democratic Party has been defined by our dual commitment to civil rights and workers’ rights, the twin pillars of democratic politics in America. This Labor Day, workers across America will commemorate and celebrate the struggles, sacrifice and advancement of the labor movement, whose victories benefit every American. In addition, this Labor Day is a reminder to the Iowa Democratic Party about the importance of returning to our roots of prairie populism.
While much of the focus on Labor Day rests on the rights secured by the labor movement, another way of looking at this progress is through the lens of responsibility. Over time, the labor movement has changed how our country considers the responsibilities of employers and governments. And the labor movement has taught us about the responsibilities we owe to each other and to the greater good.
Our nation’s 18-month battle with COVID-19 has underscored the importance of strong workplace protections for every Iowan and continues to remind us that we all truly are in this together. Americans from all walks of life have learned and been reminded of the powerful lesson from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that we are all “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Dr. King’s words foreshadowed a lesson from Sen. Tom Harkin, and his late colleague Sen. Paul Wellstone, that, “We all do better, when we all do better.” I couldn’t agree with these sentiments more, and these values are why I am so proud to be a leader in the Democratic Party. These are Labor values, and these are Iowa values.
The Republican Party has recently started claiming they are the party of working people. But let’s look at the facts; when Republicans took power in Iowa, they wasted no time passing an agenda meant to hollow out the middle class. Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislative Republicans passed laws to gut collective bargaining rights, slash wages for union and non-union workers alike, and even to increase property taxes on middle class families.
That’s not a party of working people. That’s not a party that treats Iowans fairly or rewards hard work. That’s not a party that believes in the Scripture that tells us “from those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
The difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is simple: the Democratic Party believes in fairness for every Iowan. We believe in improving the quality of life for all people, not just those at the top. We believe that we all do better when we all have great public schools, have affordable health care, and are members of strong and caring communities.
The Republican Party believes you’re on your own. Period.
The Republican mentality works for those at the top, but not for the people whose blood, sweat, and tears built this country and whose sacrifices ensured the rights and freedoms we will all be celebrating on Labor Day.
The Democratic Party is at a unique moment in our party’s history. The lessons of COVID-19 are universal and speak to fundamental, democratic truths: no man is an island, we are all in this together, and we all do better when we all do better. These are guiding principles of the labor movement that built the American Middle Class. These are the roots of the Iowa Democratic Party’s progressive prairie populism. And they are the most promising path for our future.
I hope you and your family have a safe, responsible, and healthy Labor Day.
Zach Wahls of Coralville is the Democratic leader in the Iowa Senate.
On Labor Day, let’s renew our commitment to Iowa’s working families.
When you put in a 40-hour work week, your contributions should be valued enough that you can make ends meet and provide opportunities for your family.
Hard-working Iowans have faced a lot of challenges in recent years—wages that don’t keep up with inflation, a lack of child care options and a pandemic that has upended everything. Statehouse Republicans have added to worker woes with attacks on bargaining rights, workplace health and safety protections, and resources for out-of-work Iowans.
The result? Workforce challenges, a child care shortage, a maternal health crisis, small businesses that still have not recovered from the pandemic and more.
Iowans continue to fight for an economy that works for all of us. This year, you succeeded by fending off multiple proposals to reduce help for Iowans who lost jobs through no fault of their own during a global pandemic and record-high unemployment.
Working Iowans, the engine of our economy, said, “We deserve better,” and defeated this mean-spirited legislation.
Senate Democrats’ Build Back Better plan this year made a variety of proposals to help all Iowans get back on their feet, return life to normal as quickly and safely as possible, and rebuild our economy. The plan included an Essential Workers Bill of Rights and would have positioned Iowa for long-term economic growth. Unfortunately, Governor Reynolds and Republicans in the legislature chose not to work with us on these common-sense proposals.
We still have a lot to do to ensure a fair shake for Iowans who punch the clock every day.
