Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Iowa is COVID hot spot

    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.

    To file a COVID-related complaint about a bar or restaurant, go to stateofiowa.seamlessdocs.com/f/abd_complaint.

    For more information, visit the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division website, email education@iowaabd.com or call 515-281-7400.

    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.

    For complete details and to apply, go to iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/Business/business-disruption.

  • “The time for half-hearted public relations gestures is over.”

    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.”

    -end-

  • Let’s send kids back to school safely

    New reports based on information from the Iowa Department of Public Health suggest that current COVID-19 conditions may be worse than we’ve been led to believe. It appears some new cases and deaths have been backdated, making it difficult to know how current circumstances are playing out.

    Let’s all continue to practice preventive health measures, including:

    • Wearing a mask
    • Keeping distance from others in public places
    • Washing hands frequently
    • Staying home when sick

    These defenses against the spread of COVID-19 are our best chance of getting life back to normal as soon as possible.

    It’s back-to school time, and most parents would love for kids to return to their classroom – when it is safe.

    School boards, educators and families continue to deliberate the safest approach with the information available. After all, their health and safety and that of their communities is at stake.

    The Iowa State Education Association recommends a three-point checklist for safely reopening schools:

    1. The COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the community.
    2. Protections are in place to protect students and staff.
    3. Plans are in place to ensure continuous learning for all students.

    Our neighbors to the north are taking these steps and more, showing us a safe way to ease children back into classrooms.

    Minnesota is ensuring high-quality remote education until it is safe for students and educators to return to school. The Minnesota plan:

    • Requires schools that reopen to meet safety thresholds, including masks for students and teachers, social distancing, cleaning and protective equipment—and provides state support to cover the costs.
    • Requires schools that reopen to meet safety thresholds, including masks for students and teachers, social distancing, cleaning and protective equipment—and provides state support to cover the costs.
    • Requires schools that reopen to meet safety thresholds, including masks for students and teachers, social distancing, cleaning and protective equipment—and provides state support to cover the costs.

    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

    Voting is our country’s most fundamental mode of civic participation.

    This week, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote—the 19th amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920—and with it, the ongoing march toward full equality and citizenship for all Americans.

    One-hundred years later, we have another voting rights victory to celebrate: Iowa will no longer automatically institute a lifetime ban on voting for all Iowans convicted of any felony. Iowa is the last state in the country to take this step.

    Earlier this month, Governor Reynolds issued Executive Order 7, restoring the right to vote and hold public office for thousands of Iowans who have completed their felony sentences. The Governor has also vowed to continue pushing for a constitutional amendment, which is only way to ensure the right to vote remains permanent.

    A constitutional amendment has been delayed time and again by Iowa Senate Republicans who have failed to support efforts to restore voting rights, even after their counterparts in the Iowa House secured a 95-2 vote in favor of this key bipartisan priority.

    With the General Election quickly approaching, an executive order is the best way to make heard the voices of more citizens in our communities.

    The NAACP has been active for decades in pushing for voting rights because racial disparities in our criminal justice system disproportionately impact African Americans and other people of color. To ensure the Governor’s executive order allows all eligible Iowans to vote in November’s election, the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP is calling for additional steps.

    The organization has asked Iowa the Secretary of State to immediately update voting and elections information on his website, on voter registration forms and in the state’s Voter Ready Toolkit. It’s important for all materials to accurately reflect that most people with a felony record are now eligible to register to vote and cast a ballot, and to provide the information they need to do so.

    Prepare to vote by mail

    If you haven’t already requested your vote-by-mail ballot for the November election, now is the time. More and more Iowans are voting by mail because it’s safe, quick and convenient.

    3 steps to vote by mail

    1. Make sure you are registered to vote at your current address at sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation.
    2. Fill in the vote-by-mail request form you received in the mail from the county auditor, or download one at sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/absenteeballotapp.pdf. Fill it out carefully and sign it.
    3. Mail or deliver your vote-by-mail request form to your county auditor. Their contact information is available at sos.iowa.gov/elections/auditors/auditorslist.html.

  • Senate GOP failed to support bipartisan effort to restore voting rights

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen
    August 5, 2020

    “With the General Election less than 100 days away and in the absence of leadership by Senate Republicans, an executive order was the best way to give a second chance to many Iowans who lost their voting rights when they went to prison.

    “However, this is a temporary solution. 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.

    “Like most Iowans, we cheered last year when the Iowa House – on a 95-2 vote – approved a key, bipartisan priority: restoring voting rights of felons. We agreed with the Governor when she said the bipartisan vote in the Iowa House was ‘a victory for Iowans who deserve a second chance.’

    “There’s no excuse for Senator Zaun and Senate Republicans dropping the ball on this.”

    ###

  • Governor “abusing the power of her office” to force unsafe school reopenings

    Statement by Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen, 8/5/20

    “Governor Reynolds is abusing the power of her office.  

    “Nowhere in Senate File 2310 does it state that Iowa students, teachers and staff will be required to work and learn in unsafe buildings. In fact, the goal of the legislation was to give school districts more flexibility in online learning, not less.

    “No matter how Governor Reynolds tries to spin it to her advantage, the bill does not dictate the percentage of time Iowans need to spend in buildings. She cooked up that unsafe and unrealistic number herself.

    “I refuse to stand behind Governor Reynolds as she attacks local school board members with threats to yank their local school funding and educational licensure for voting on plans that put the health and safety of students and staff first.

    “I am grateful to school board members, teachers, parents, and students who have stood up to Governor Reynolds’ attempt at a hostile takeover of local control of our public schools.

    -end-

  • Health care community asks Gov. Reynolds for statewide mask order

    Download PDF of letter

  • Statement on Gov’s executive order on schools

    Statement from Sen. Herman Quirmbach, Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee, on Governor’s latest Executive Order

    “Iowa schools are being forced into difficult choices between in-person learning and the health and safety of students and staff.  The reason is that Governor Reynolds is losing the battle against COVID-19, making it more difficult for local school districts to protect Iowa schoolchildren, teachers, and other school employees and still achieve quality education.

    “The Governor is continuing to ignore science, common sense, and the health and safety of Iowans.  Infection rates in Iowa are rising again.  The Governor has ignored CDC guidelines regarding proper business opening timelines and has denied local governments the ability to correct her mistakes and meet the needs of their communities.

    “Instead of making the same kind of mistakes that states like Florida have made — where nearly 1/3 of school kids are now testing positive — the Governor should focus on providing widespread COVID-19 testing and robust contact tracing across the state.  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

    July 10, 2020

    DES MOINES — The Iowa Long-Term Care Ombudsman’s Office has issued a state report showing that there was a sharp decline in Iowa nursing home facility visits, advocacy and training in a 12-month period ending September 30, 2019.

    According to a review of the report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch:
    “…of the nation’s 50 state long-term care ombudsmen, Iowa ranks last in on-site visits made to care facilities. In 2018, the Iowa office visited, at least quarterly, just 10% of all the state’s care facilities. The national average was 72%.” (https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2020/07/08/state-agency-reports-dramatic-drop-in-advocacy-for-older-iowans/)

    Iowa has a large population of vulnerable seniors living in facilities across the state. During the 2020 session of the Iowa Legislature, a broad group of Iowa organizations supported Senate File 2278, legislation which called for an adequate budget to hire more help, make regular and unannounced visits to the state’s nursing homes and cover costs of those visits.

    “It’s shameful that the Republican majority in the Senate would not move a bill that called for minimum help for our state’s elderly, who live in long-term care facilities,” said Senator Liz Mathis, the ranking member of the Senate Human Resources Committee. “Now during a pandemic, this neglect has laid bare that under-funding at a time of crisis can kill. We have lost nearly 400 Iowa seniors to coronavirus.”

    The Republicans who control the Iowa Senate chose not to hold a hearing of any kind on Senate File 2278. The bill was supported by a broad range of groups and no group registered against it.

    “We have a responsibility to our seniors to make sure there is help when they have concerns about the health care they are receiving,” said Mathis. “We used to be ranked highly among states that advocated for our elderly. Now we are last on the list and because of shortsightedness from the Majority and our most vulnerable have no voice.”


    Link to SF 2278


    -end-

  • 2020 Session Wrap-up