Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen announced today that she will not seek reelection as Senate Minority Leader.
“It was an incredible experience serving as Iowa’s first female Iowa Senate Democratic Leader,” said Petersen. “I am grateful to my caucus for electing me to the role and for asking me to continue on, but as C. Joy Bell once said, ‘Holding on to something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better.’
“Election night was rough for Iowa Democrats. Fortunately, Senate Democrats weathered a bad year without losing any ground. The Iowa Statehouse may be dominated by Trump loyalists for now, but I don’t see Iowans putting up with that type of leadership for much longer.
“I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of all Iowans and getting our state back on a better path.”
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Senator Petersen was re-elected last week to a third four-year term in District 18, which includes the northwest side of Des Moines.
Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen
“Governor Reynolds’ latest steps to fight COVID are like buying a smoke detector after your house is blazing out of control.
“Iowa has one of the highest positivity rates in the nation, making more schools unsafe to hold in-person classes. Hospitals are above capacity for COVID and non-COVID patients. Iowans are finding it difficult to impossible to get tested for COVID. And the death count is spiking.
“For eight months, Governor Reynolds has unilaterally led a COVID strategy, damaging the Iowa economy and leaving business owners and workers at her mercy. If the Governor had listened from day one to health care experts – including the White House Coronavirus Task Force – more Iowans would be alive today and the Iowa economy would be rebounding.”
“The headline today from the Reynolds administration of 4.7% unemployment in Iowa wildly underrepresents the dire current unemployment situation in Iowa. A truer unemployment number would be 12.3%.
“What the Iowa Workforce Development press release says up top is that there were 76,600 unemployed Iowans this September. That is up from 48,700 unemployed in September a year ago. That is a 57. 3% increase in the number of unemployed in just 12 months. That would be bad enough, but the full story is much worse.
“Only in the fine print at the bottom of the news release do you get the full picture. In addition to the 76,600 unemployed workers, there are another 138,400 Iowans who have left the labor force in the last 12 months. If all those people were also still looking for jobs, the unemployment rate would be 12.3%.
“Here’s how people quitting looking skews the unemployment number. The way unemployment is calculated is a little strange. If you lost your job and are looking for a new one, you are counted as unemployed. However, if you lost your job and have gotten so discouraged about your prospects that you have given up even looking, you are no longer counted as unemployed. Indeed, you aren’t even counted as being in the labor force! You’re called a ‘discouraged worker’ and become invisible to IWD when it computes the unemployment rate.
“During the year, there is always some degree of churn in the labor force. Older folks retire. Young folks get out of school and look for a first job. New parents leave and then reenter the labor force around the period when their kids are young. People move in and out of the state.
“But a loss of 138,400 workers is not normal churn. That’s a loss of nearly 8% of the workforce—not quite 1 of every 12 workers—in just 12 months! If job prospects were better, most of them would still be at least looking.
“The Iowa economy will not recover until we crush the coronavirus. And that won’t happen until we get serious about masks, widespread testing, and contact tracing. Instead Governor Reynolds obstinately refuses to follow the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommendation to mandate masks. With COVID-19 cases surging—nearly 7,700 in the last week, per the New York Times—contact tracing is unmanageable, even if Iowa were seriously trying, which we are not.
“Until the Reynolds administration is willing to commit to a serious effort to end the pandemic, Iowa businesses, Iowa consumers, and Iowa workers will continue to suffer. No amount of rosy press releases and misleading claims will do the trick.”
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Senator Quirmbach holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton and taught as an economics professor at ISU for 29 years.
Statement by Senator Claire Celsi on findings by State Auditor and U.S. Treasury Department’s Inspector General on misuse of federal COVID relief funds by Governor Reynolds
Sen. Claire Celsi is Ranking Member of the Senate Administration and Regulation Subcommittee
“I am disappointed that Governor Reynolds used taxpayer money intended for COVID-19 related uses for non-pandemic expenditures.
”These findings, discovered during Auditor Rob Sands’ review and confirmed by the Treasury Department’s Inspector General, prove that Governor Reynolds misused more than $20 million of federal funds the state received to fund COVID-19 relief measures that are desperately needed in our state.
“Instead of directing more money to testing and contact tracing, paid sick leave for essential workers, food assistance, childcare subsidies, additional money for rent assistance, unemployment insurance, utility assistance, providing PPE to healthcare workers and educators, and to help schools prepare for the winter season — and myriad of other uses — Governor Reynolds is using the CARES Act money as a means to fund pet projects and make Iowa’s budget appear flush with excess funds.
“The U.S. Treasury had explicit rules on how this money could be used, and upon examination, it appears those rules were ignored.
“A few months ago, I asked State Auditor Rob Sand to investigate the use of COVID-19 relief money to fund Workday, an IT project that was already underway before the pandemic.
“Normally, the Senate Oversight Committee would investigate this type of action, but Auditor Sands’ independent investigation is the only option we have at this time. I fully support his critical examination of this misappropriation of taxpayer dollars.
“I urge Department of Management Director Roderer and Governor Reynolds to immediately rectify this situation and use the COVID-19 funding for COVID-19 expenses, not as a supplement to our normal Iowa general fund budget.”
We’re just six weeks from the 2020 election. Are you ready to vote?
To vote in Iowa, you must:
Be a U.S. citizen.
Be an Iowa resident.
Be at least 18 on Election Day.
Be registered to vote. Get complete details on registering for vote from the ACLU-Iowa.
Make a plan to vote to eliminate last-minute confusion and ensure you know your options:
Decide how to vote (by mail or in-person).
Decide when to vote (early or on Election Day).
Decide where to vote (at a polling place or the county auditor’s office).
Your county auditor should be your primary source for accurate election information. Find your county auditor’s contact information.
Voting after a criminal conviction
Most Iowans who have a felony conviction are now eligible to vote. You can vote if:
You have discharged your sentence, meaning you aren’t incarcerated for a felony, or on probation, parole, supervised release or subject to a special sentence.
You were not convicted of felony under Iowa Code Chapter 707. If you were, you must apply to have your voting rights restored through the Iowa Governor’s office.
You still owe fines, fees or restitution. You must pay those debts, but they aren’t tied to your ability to vote.
September 30 marks the last chance for Iowans to respond to the census on their own, or for census workers to knock on doors.
The U.S. Census Bureau is committed to counting every person, counting them once and counting them in the right place. However, states with larger rural areas are lagging in response rates and could be disproportionately impacted.
A lot of funding for communities depends on our census count, so let’s help ensure it’s as accurate as possible. Check with folks you know. If they haven’t taken the census yet, send them to 2020census.gov to take the quick survey.
Key Democratic Legislators call for investigations into misuse of federal COVID funds
Key Democratic legislators are calling for investigations into reports that Governor Reynolds diverted nearly $450,000 to pay her staff instead of using the funds for COVID-19 relief efforts.
“At a time when the number of jobless Iowans is through the roof and many Iowa businesses are hurting because of the pandemic, Iowa taxpayers should have confidence that federal COVID relief funds are being used only to help them,” said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Instead of using funds that are desperately needed to provide relief to hard-working Iowans and closed or struggling businesses hurt by the pandemic, the Governor is diverting the relief funding for other purposes. That’s not right.”
A report by Bleeding Heartland uncovered public documents showing that Reynolds directed that $448,449 in funding received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act were used to cover salaries and benefits for staff already working in her office.
The diversion is even more puzzling because the Legislature approved and the Governor signed legislation to appropriate more than $4.6 million to cover the cost of running the Governor’s office – including salaries and benefits – over the past two years.
“We need to find out what the Governor did with the extra money. The intent of the federal aid was not to allow the Governor to set up a slush fund,” Bolkcom said. “We also need to find out if this diversion is continuing.”
For the past six months, none of the documents released to the public and legislators contained any information about this diversion of funds.
“Instead of transparency by the Governor and her staff, they are hiding the ball from Iowa taxpayers,” Bolkcom said.
Democratic Senators called for a three-pronged effort to investigate this misuse of public funds:
First, Senator Claire Celsi of West Des Moines, Ranking Member of the Administration and Regulation Budget Subcommittee, will request that the State Auditor immediately investigate the diversion of funds. The Subcommittee appropriated $2,303,954 for the Governor’s office during Fiscal Year 2020 (July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020) and $2,315,344 for Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021).
Second, Senator Tony Bisignano, Ranking Member of the Government Oversight Committee, will request that the Oversight Committee convene to allow Republican and Democratic lawmakers to question the Governor, the Director of the Department of Management and other key officials with knowledge of this diversion.
Third, federal officials in U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) will be contacted to investigate whether paying existing staff is an appropriate use of COVID relief funds.
During a difficult year, Iowans have been asked to do more and they have responded by:
Pouring into communities to help those hit by storms and flooding
Working overtime—often in risky situations—at front-line jobs during the pandemic
Using innovative solutions to continue providing goods and services to their fellow citizens
Adjusting how and where they work to limit potentially dangerous circumstances
This Labor Day, let’s look around and thank those who are working hard in what often feels like thankless times. A special salute and thank goes out to all who have worked during the pandemic and the derecho to help their neighbors, community and state get through the upheaval—the nurses, teachers, utility workers, factory laborers, first responders and other front-line workers.
Under Republican control of state government since 2017, many Iowa workers have faced hard times. Laws that protected them have been watered down or eliminated, making it harder for them to get ahead. This includes overturning laws that brought Iowans better wages, safer working conditions and a stronger economy, and replacing them with policies and tax benefits that favor big businesses and special interests.
Even before the hardships of 2020, Iowa wages had stagnated; worker benefits had been cut; and income inequality was growing. Many families have a much harder time making ends meet than they did a few years ago.
For example, a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows that on average Iowans today must earn $15.46 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the state’s fair market rent rate. That’s more than double Iowa’s minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The difference is even bigger in several Iowa communities. In Iowa City, for example, workers must earn $19.44 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the local fair market rent rate.
Senate Democrats continue to offer solutions. It’s time to put Iowa workers first by restoring and protecting worker rights, expanding job training and apprenticeship programs, providing paid sick and family medical leave, paying living wages, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and investing in child care.
The best “thank you” we can give hard-working Iowans is real opportunities to get ahead.
Iowa is officially the worst place in the country—and one of the worst places in the world—for spread of the coronavirus.
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.
In response, the Governor on August 27 closed bars in six counties, including Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk and Story. This is another half-hearted move that is preventing Iowa from getting the coronavirus under control.
Governor Reynolds opened the state too fast, failed to follow the advice of public health experts, and continues to tie the hands of local leaders. Because of unreliable and inconsistent data from the state, we’re in a seemingly endless cycle that is hindering efforts to safely and sustainably open our economy and schools.
To fill the void, organizations are stepping in to share the information they are collecting.
For example, the Iowa State Education Association, in partnership with Iowa Covid-19 Tracker, has released a statewide tracking system for Iowa’s K-12 schools. Parents, teachers and school administrators can report COVID-19 cases, and families and community members can track what’s happening. To report information or see where cases have been confirmed, go to iowacovid19tracker.org/covid-19-in-our-schools.
The Iowa Board of Medicine has also become more vocal in advocating for stronger measures to prevent spread of the coronavirus. In line with recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they’re pushing for masks in public areas and all situations where it’s difficult to maintain distance.
Let’s all do our part:
Wear a mask in public
Keep your distance from others
Wash your hands frequently
Stay home when sick
New regulations and relief for bars
The Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) has published FAQs to answer questions about bar closures in six counties (Black Hawk, Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk and Story) under the Governor’s August 27 proclamation. The order is in effect through September 20.
Through federal CARES Act funding, grants are available to impacted businesses. Applications will be accepted September 10-24 for one-time $10,000 grants to assist with short-term cash flow. Eligible businesses must be in good standing with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, and the Iowa Department of Revenue.
State Senator Herman Quirmbach News Release: August 27, 2020
“Governor Reynolds’ proclamation today closed bars in six counties, including Story County. Her action is an appropriate response, in part, to the irresponsible mass student parties of the last several weeks.
“However, it is also in part an admission of the failure of her earlier response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.
“Governor Reynolds opened the state too fast, failed to set a good example, and continues to prevent good decision-making by local authorities.
“I call on Governor Reynolds to step up and meet the challenge of this moment. If we are to avoid further backward steps that will revisit the economic damage of this spring, she must at minimum immediately issue a statewide order for the use of masks in public.
“If she lacks the courage to do so, then she should allow local authorities to make the tough decisions for their own communities and schools.
“The time for half-hearted public relations gestures is over.”
