• Delta surge is result of failed GOP leadership

    Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:

    “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.”

    ###

  • Iowa Republicans own Delta surge

    Thursday, September 2, new conference statement from Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:

    “COVID isn’t going away because Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans aren’t doing anything to make it go away. Our return to normal continues to be pushed further and further into the future because Republicans continue to fail to do anything to stop the spread of the Delta variant.

    “The Governor and the Republican legislature have made clear: they own every missed class, every canceled football game, every missed day of work caring for a sick child, every closed business. The Iowa Republican ban on local communities following public health advice was a mistake. And rather than learning from their mistakes, Iowa Republicans are gambling with the safety and health of Iowa children. They are doubling down on a bad hand. They own the Delta Surge.

    “Governor Reynolds, you can make a big difference in Iowa’s fight against COVID. Stop telling Iowans what to do and just let Iowans make their own decisions about the health and safety of their local school children, and their communities.

    “If we have learned anything about the fight against COVID-19, it’s that one-size-fits-all policies don’t work. We need to listen to public health experts and epidemiologists, not Republican politicians and horse de-wormer salesmen.

    “We need to allow local school leaders to save Iowa lives, especially with a new variant that is more contagious and more deadly to children. Senate Democrats will support Iowa communities and schools that democratically decide to follow the science in the fight against COVID. 

    “Governor Reynolds: stop gambling with our children’s lives. Start following the science.”

    END

  • “Governor, you need to change course” on COVID & Iowa schools

    Thursday, August 26, news conference statement by Senator Zach Wahls:

    YouTube: https://youtu.be/rdyhqj6qzQc

    Right now, Iowans want two things from our local schools.

    First, they want schools to be open, and to stay open. That’s the best way to get all Iowa kids back on track. Most kids are ready to attend school in person, with their teachers and classmates.

    Second, and this should not be controversial, Iowans want our schools to be as safe as possible. This is not an either or proposition.

    We can do both.

    Studies show that, despite the pandemic, schools allowed to respond to local conditions, can be safe for virtually all students.

    But Iowa has a problem that many other states don’t have.  Governor Reynolds has refused to let Iowa schools make the decisions necessary to protect their students, their teachers, their staff and their parents from COVID-19.

    It is a fact that her state budget, written by Republican legislators, provided zero additional dollars to fight COVID-19 in our state.

    And it is a fact that Governor Reynolds has rejected 95 million federal dollars last April to help Iowa schools reopen safely.

    Since that mistake, we’ve seen new Iowa COVID cases increase sharply. Most new cases, because of the Delta variant, which we know is more infectious than previous variants.

    And we know that Governor Reynolds signed a law banning safe mask policies in Iowa’s schools and in other public places. And when she signed that law, she was surrounded by anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists.

    The Governor’s mistakes and political posturing are endangering children and threaten to further disrupt the education of all K-12 students in Iowa.

    Governor, you need to change course. Now, there are a few ways that you should do this.

    First, Iowa’s lucky that the $95 million in rejected federal funds is still available. We can use it for detection, for vaccination, for improved air filtration and circulation systems, and other common-sense steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa’s K-12 schools.

    All the governor has to do is pick up the phone, and call President Biden’s administration, and tell them that she has changed her mind.

    We need to get those federal dollars to Iowa’s schools right away. We’ve wasted enough time during this public health emergency.

    We can request the additional dollars from the CDC. That money will pay for more in-school testing and contact tracing. It will help protect kids, teachers, parents and communities from the continued spread of the Delta variant.

    Finally, the Governor should use her emergency powers to suspend the dangerous mistake that she made last May. That’s when she made it illegal for Iowa schools to make the decisions necessary to protect our communities from COVID.

    The Governor needs to focus on the science, the science.

    Ignore the dangerous nonsense from people like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and other anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists in the Republican Party.

    Listen instead to Iowa parents. They just want their kids safely back in their local schools, learning and preparing to take their next steps in life.

    Governor, do what’s right for Iowa kids, and do it today.

    End

  • Iowans need help, not roadblocks

    For Immediate Release:  August 24, 2021  

    State Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines has organized a joint letter to Governor Kim Reynolds urging specific steps to make Iowa schools safer.  The letter is signed by all 18 Democratic members of the Iowa State Senate.

    “Iowans are begging Governor Reynolds to keep our kids, our schools and our communities safe,” said Senator Petersen. “Other Republican Governors are working to make classrooms safe places for all children. We call on Iowa’s governor to do the same.”

    In the letter, the Senators urge Governor Reynolds to reverse her April rejection of $95 million in federal funds intended to help to reopen Iowa schools safely.  Initially aimed at testing, these federal dollars can now be used to fight COVID-19 in K-12 schools through vaccinations, testing, and upgraded air filtration systems.

    “We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to reject Reopening Schools funding,” wrote the Senators.  “Iowans want to fight Covid, not mitigation efforts or each other. It’s time to do the right thing to lead our state and country out of this pandemic.” 

    Surprisingly, Governor Reynold’s own budget provided no new dollars to protect schoolchildren, and related federal funds have not been distributed. The Senators wrote:

    “You opted in April 2021 not to use the funds, and the situation in our state has worsened since then.  Those funds are needed more than ever by local schools who want to protect their communities. The changes since April include a dramatic increase in new cases, the Delta variant sweeping the nation and impacting more children, and your law banning safe mask policies in public places.”

    According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa currently has:

    •     The highest number of virus-related hospital admissions since January.

    •     The highest average number of positive COVID-19 cases since February, before Iowa vaccines were available.

    The letter also urges Governor Reynolds to resume daily reports of Iowa COVID cases and hospitalizations, and an end to statewide law preventing schools following CDC safety guidelines on masks and contact tracing.

    End

    Letter to Gov Reynolds from the Democratic members of the Iowa Senate

    Dear Governor Reynolds:

    Every state leader, no matter their party, should be focused on keeping our children, students and school personnel safe and healthy this year.  Iowa schools and families need our help, not roadblocks, to ensure our kids get an uninterrupted education this year.

    While your state budget provided no additional resources to protect the health and safety of children, the Biden Administration appropriated $95 million for Iowa Schools to help them safely keep their doors open. 

    We strongly urge you to use the $95 million from the American Rescue Plan dedicated to the state in the federal Reopening Schools program.  You opted in April 2021 not to use the funds, and the situation in our state has worsened since then.  Those funds are needed more than ever by local schools who want to protect their communities. The changes since April include a dramatic increase in new cases, the Delta variant sweeping the nation and impacting more children, and your law banning safe mask policies in public places.

    The latest weekly report from the Iowa Department of Public Health is quite grim:

    • The highest number of virus-related hospital admissions recorded since January.
    • The highest average number of positive COVID-19 cases since February. Even more troubling, the weekly average is higher than the same time a year ago – when vaccines were not yet available in Iowa.
    • More than 6,200 COVID deaths and more than 390,000 cases since the pandemic started.

    It is important to note that federal officials have updated the guidance to allow schools to use the funds for detection, mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 in K-12 schools, including vaccine, testing and promotion, and upgraded air filtration systems to improve air circulation.

    Additional resources, such as those from the CDC, would help schools do more testing, identify who may have COVID-19, and better protect kids, teachers, and parents from COVID-19.

    In addition, Iowans deserve access to daily reporting of COVID positive cases and hospitalizations; and local schools should not be banned from following the latest CDC safety guidelines, including masks and contact tracing.

    We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to reject Reopening Schools funding.  Iowans want to fight Covid, not mitigation efforts or each other. It’s time to do the right thing to lead our state and country out of this pandemic. 

    Signed,

    Sen. Janet Petersen
    Sen. Tony Bisignano
    Sen. Joe Bolkcom
    Sen. Nate Boulton
    Sen. Claire Celsi
    Sen. William A. Dotzler Jr.
    Sen. Eric Giddens
    Sen. Robert Hogg
    Sen. Pam Jochum
    Sen. Kevin Kinney
    Sen. Jim Lykam
    Sen. Liz Mathis
    Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach
    Sen. Amanda Ragan
    Sen. Jackie Smith
    Sen. Todd E. Taylor
    Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott
    Sen. Zach Wahls

  • Republicans threaten safe return to school

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls

    As prepared for delivery on August 19, 2021:

    “You just heard from Kim Reynolds, who had an opportunity to denounce Marjorie Taylor Greene’s radical conspiracies. She didn’t do that. That’s because Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans are enacting MTG’s right-wing conspiracies into law right here at home.

    We can’t crush Covid and get back to normal because Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Jack Whitver, and Iowa Republicans have embraced the far-right, fringe ideas that have consumed the Republican Party. Their policies and failed leadership have allowed for the Delta variant to spread unabated throughout our state, causing preventable deaths, sickness, stress, wage loss, and business closings.

    Republican mistakes are why parents all across Iowa are now facing extremely difficult decisions about sending their kids back to unsafe schools.

    It’s fitting the Governor announced the return of INDYCAR to Iowa today: her COVID-19 policies have our state going in circles.

    Democrats understand the importance of getting our kids safely back in schools. Getting our kids safely back in school is critical for getting our lives back to normal.

    Unfortunately, Kim Reynolds and the Republicans in the legislature are preventing our kids from returning safely to in-person school.

    Reynolds and the Republicans in the legislature have tied the hands of parents and school boards. They’ve taken away the voice of parents and local communities who want to do the right thing and protect themselves against the Delta variant.

    Republicans have created a false choice between no in-person school or extremely unsafe schools. I’ve talked to countless parents who are agonizing about sending kids back to unsafe schools, or upending their lives to keep their kids safe at home for virtual learning or home school.

    Governor Reynolds – forcing unvaccinated children back to school isn’t a plan. Continuing to ignore Covid isn’t a plan. Hoping that the Delta variant just goes away isn’t a plan. It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s putting untold numbers of children, parents, educators, and other staff at severe risk.

    When it comes to stopping Covid, Kim Reynolds is all talk, no action.

    Simply put, Republicans are to blame for the unabated spread of the Delta variant in our state. They’ve politicized mask wearing, rejected common sense safety measures, and spread outrageous conspiracy theories about the Covid vaccines.

    From day one of this crisis, they have failed to take it seriously, and Iowa continues to pay the price for their failures.”

    END

  • Oversight needed on rejection of federal COVID help

    Legislators request Oversight meeting on Reynolds rejection of $95 million in federal COVID help

    The top Democrats on the Iowa Legislature’s House and Senate Oversight Committees are requesting meetings to review the Reynolds Administration’s handling of Federal COVID relief funds. 

    In a joint letter to the House and Senate Oversight Committee chairs, the top Democrats on each committee, Senator Claire Celsi of West Des Moines and Representative Ruth Ann Gaines of Des Moines, write that they were “flabbergasted to discover that Governor Reynolds sent $95 million in COVID-19 testing funding back to the U.S. Federal Government instead of giving schools the option to use it for COVID-19 testing protocols in their districts.”

    For more information, contact Senator Claire Celsi, 515-554-6754.

    -end-

  • Our COVID Recovery Plan

    Iowans have been through a lot over the last year, particularly with the pandemic. It’s not over yet, but it is time for the Legislature to do all it can to help Iowa build back better, bigger and stronger than ever.

    My focus this session is on a four-part plan to help Iowa rebound from the ravages of the last year. Senate Democrats’ COVID Recovery Plan aims to:

    1. Defeat COVID-19 by rolling out vaccines to all Iowans as efficiently as possible. Our country has surpassed 400,000 deaths and is expected to hit the 500,000-fatality mark in February. With no time to waste, we should use some of the state’s budget surplus to get emergency funding to county health departments to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and contact tracing.

    2. Help hurting Iowans. The pandemic has sickened Iowa workers and shuttered businesses throughout the state. The good news is that we have ample resources to:

    • Support struggling small businesses with direct grants and forgivable loans.
    • Help cities, counties and school districts bounce back from a tough year.
    • Assist food banks that are serving an increasing number of Iowans in need.
    • Exempt federal unemployment payments from state taxes.  

    3. Build back better by focusing on critical needs. This includes:

    • Developing an Essential Workers Bill of Rights that guarantees better pay and stronger workplace protections.
    • Keeping local small businesses that are part of the very fabric of our communities.
    • Expanding access to affordable child care throughout the state.
    • Investing in high-speed Internet that will make every corner of Iowa a great place to live, learn and work.

    4. Ensure accountability. An independent, blue-ribbon COVID Commission with representatives from all sectors of our economy should be given broad subpoena and investigative powers. Iowans deserve to know where their hard-earned tax dollars are going as we recover from this pandemic. The knowledge we gain will help us better prepare for future emergencies.

    Senate Democrats are currently putting together the bills that will help achieve the goals of this four-part plan.


    RELATED LEGISLATION

    Vaccinating Iowans

    • Emergency funding to county health departments to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and contact tracing {SF 199}.

    Helping hurting Iowans

    • Using our budget surplus and the economic emergency funds to support struggling small businesses on Main Street with direct grants {SF 325}.
    • Support food banks and other efforts  to address growing food insecurity in Iowa {SF 153; SF 157; SF 273}
    • Exempt the first $10,200 in federal and state unemployment payments from state taxes {SF 290}.

    Building Back Better

    • An Essential Workers’ Bill of Rights, including:
    • Requiring employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for eligible employees. {SF 137}.
    • Provide hazard pay to essential workers exposed to the risk of COVID-19 {SF 412}.
    • Providing whistleblower protections for employees who file a complaint due to risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace {SF 471}.
    • Expanding access to child care {SF 437; SF 177; SF 186}.
    • Expanding access to preschool {SF 189}. 

    Blue-Ribbon COVID Commission

    • The Commission would help us understand state government’s mistakes and failures, investigate negligence or profiteering in the private sector, and show us how to better prepare for future pandemic {SF 519}.
  • Public Education Disaster Week

    Monday, two harmful bills are being rushed through the Senate Education Committee before Iowans have time to respond.  SSB 1065 would divert taxes for public schools to private schools and SSB 1064 would make Iowa schools unsafe during the pandemic.

    Both pieces of legislation were written and filed without any input from the IA Department of Education.

    “If these bills pass it will be a disaster for Iowa public schools.” Senate Education Committee member Sarah Trone Garriott of Windsor Heights said. “Our public school educators have gone above and beyond for months, giving everything they have to keep educating our students through a public health disaster. They’ve done all this with no additional support from the state, after years of underfunding. Instead of thanking them, the majority party is rushing through bills that will defund public schools, undermine local decision making, and disregard health and safety.”

    On Monday, Senate Republicans have scheduled subcommittees for both pieces of legislation. By 3 PMthat same day, the Senate Education Committee is expected to approve this legislation, clearing the way for votes by the entire Senate before the end of the week.

    “Public schools are the heart of our Iowa communities and a great source of pride. When I speak to business owners, they share about the importance of high quality public education for recruiting and retaining talent,” said Trone-Garriott. “Strong public schools improve the quality of life for the entire community. It’s a shame that these pieces of legislation will be passed out of committee tomorrow before the school day is even over.”

    “Disaster Week for Iowa Public Education” (Schedule)

    MONDAY, 10:30 AM: “SHIFTING TAX DOLLARS FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS”  SSB 1065

    Subcommittee meeting on SSB 1065 with testimony from members of the public

    Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/97398620607?pwd=bFhpbFY4WStzRGdITjd4QlpzVExhZz09   

    Read written comments from the public: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/meetingPublicComment?meetingID=32363&action=viewCommitteePublicComments    

    MONDAY, 2:00 PM: “THE UNSAFE SCHOOLS ACT”   SSB 1064

    Subcommittee meeting on SSB 1064 with testimony from members of the public

    Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/92644975939?pwd=d3ZtcHJtV1FHR084c2Q1eS9SMENiQT09    

    Read written comments from the public:

    https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/meetingPublicComment?meetingID=32370&action=viewCommitteePublicComments

    MONDAY, 3 PM: SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

    Senate Education Committee discusses both SSB 1065 and SSB 1064

    Committee meetings in the Senate chamber can be watched live at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view=videoLive&chamber=S   and are also available to watch on demand.

    TUESDAY 7 PM: STATEWIDE ZOOM TOWN HALL TO SAVE IOWA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

    Iowa Senate Democrats will host a “Iowa Virtual Town Hall to Save Iowa’s Public Schools.” 

    Senators, education leaders, health care experts, and ordinary Iowans will discuss both bills and how to help stop them.  Zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUlcuyurjovGtF7LFAyvK-HWPIcQkCS6anZ    and also on the Iowa Senate Democrats’ Facebook page

    IOWA SENATE DEBATES SSB 1065 AND SSB 1064:

    Expected before the Senate adjourns on Thursday, January 28

    Senate debate takes place in the Senate Chamber and video can be watched live and on demand at: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/dashboard?view=videoLive&chamber=S   

    –end–

  • Leader Wahls’ 2021 Opening Day Speech

    Good morning everyone, and welcome to the first day of the 2021 session.

    Before I begin, I ask all Senators in the Chamber, as well as staff, lobbyists, and other members of the public, to rise as you are able and bow your heads for a moment of silence or prayer in remembrance of the one million nine hundred forty-four thousand, eight hundred and thirty eight people around the world, including three hundred and eighty three thousand, two hundred and seventy five Americans and four thousand one hundred and thirty eight Iowans who have lost their lives to COVID-19. Please rise. (Beat 30 seconds) Thank you.

    I congratulate every member of this body who was elected in 2020. To our freshman members — we are glad to have you join us and we cherish your new ideas and energy. It is an honor to serve the People of Iowa in difficult times, and our constituents have placed their trust in us during a time of global crisis. We are fortunate to all have incredible staff, both partisan and nonpartisan, who have accommodated changes to how we operate, which has involved working long days and weekends. We are all grateful to you for making our work, and the people’s work, possible. Thank you.

    The last time the Iowa General Assembly convened for a full legislative session during a global pandemic was 100 years ago, amid the outbreak of the 1918 Influenza. Today, we face a similar challenge: the novel coronavirus. 

    Scientists know a lot more today about viruses than they did in 1918, because in the century since 1918, our government — by, of, and for the people — has invested taxpayer dollars into public health research. We funded the greatest research universities in the world. That’s why in a matter of months, we were able to develop therapeutics like Remdesivier, which was piloted and tested at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. It’s why we were able to shatter the record for developing vaccines to help us defeat COVID-19, including one that was also piloted and tested at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and new nanovaccines that are being developed at Iowa State University. This life-saving work of scientists around the world — and right here in Iowa — is an inspiring testament to what humanity can accomplish when we work together and follow the facts. And all of this was made possible because of public investment in public health. 

    Without these incredible advancements, the death toll from the coronavirus would have been incalculably greater. But unfortunately, when disaster struck, we missed our opportunity to stop the spread. As a result, the virus is tearing through our state, and thousands of Iowans are dead. Some of us have lost family and loved ones. Many of us have lost friends and neighbors. All of us have lost constituents. 

    One of my constituents who died from COVID was a beloved mail man from Coralville named Mel Stahmer who worked for the United States Postal Service for thirty-five years. He was a public employee and a proud union man who performed an essential service — delivering medications, ballots, and correspondence that connected people across our state and our country. As our local newspaper put it: “Mel was the kind of mail man who knew everyone on his route.” He helped make our community feel like a small town. His son Jon was a classmate of mine in high school. When he was out on his route, Mel would often notice when the people along his way needed help — and he and his family were always ready with a soup or a casserole, a helping hand, or a listening ear. Mel was the kind of neighbor who took care of his neighbors. 

    And when Mel died, our community mourned. We honored him with a driving procession, including his friends in our own cars and his colleagues in mail trucks. When the procession drove by his home, a bottle of beer and a peanut butter sandwich, two of his favorite things, were on a table in the front lawn. For months afterward, signs honoring Mel’s life were displayed in the windows of the mail trucks in our community.  

    We all have stories just like this one in the communities we represent. We will all carry the scars of this pandemic with us for the rest of our lives and as we get back to work for the people of this great state.

    In the weeks and months ahead, we will balance our legislative responsibilities and our leadership responsibilities. As Legislators, we have the responsibility of faithfully discharging the duties of Senator and upholding the Iowa Constitution. The first sentence of the Iowa Bill of Rights, reads quote: “All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights — among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness.” end-quote. As Leaders, we have the responsibility of following the best available public health guidance, and leading by example so Iowans are not forced to choose between life and liberty or safety and happiness.

    That is why we must do everything in our power to speedily deliver a safe, effective, and free vaccine. With this vaccine, we will be able to safely see our extended family and friends, safely send our children back to school, and safely visit the elderly and infirm who have despaired as the coronavirus spread unchecked in Iowa. 

    We must help those who are hurting by using federal monies, our budget surplus, and the economic emergency fund to help everyday Iowans. We can give frontline healthcare workers a raise, even if they can’t take a day off. We can ensure other essential workers have access to COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and PPE. We can continue to support struggling small businesses on Main Street. We can help our cities and towns, which have borne the brunt of this crisis. We can give food banks the aid they so desperately need, because since last March, the number of Iowa families with children experiencing food insecurity has tripled.

    Together, we must lay the rock upon which we will build back better. We must take up legislation passed with strong bipartisan support in the House to assist child care providers, who were already struggling before the pandemic began. We must make the necessary changes to ensure every Iowan has access to high speed broadband internet. We must continue the work we began last summer to address racial inequities in our society. And we must enact legislation to expand access to and build more affordable housing to help family budgets and protect Iowans from predatory landlords. The Iowa Senate has addressed each of these issues with a bipartisan approach in the past — and that must guide our work this session.

    And — with courage — we can ensure our state learns the difficult and painful lessons of this pandemic. Republicans and Democrats should come together to create an independent and nonpartisan Blue Ribbon COVID Commission with full investigatory powers. The COVID Commission should help us understand state government mistakes and failures, investigate negligence or profiteering in the private sector, and prepare a report for the Legislature about what steps we must take to ensure we are better prepared when the next pandemic strikes. 

    Finally, we must not ignore last week’s events in our nation’s capital. Last week’s insurrection and attack on the American democratic process was the direct result of a President who encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol. He launched his campaign for president and said that he could get away with shooting a man on Fifth Avenue in New York. He ended his time as president by instructing his supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. This resulted in the deaths of at least five people, including a at least one Capitol police officer who died in the line of duty, and whose death is the reason our flags outside the Capitol are flying at half-mast today. We should all be proud the Congress was undaunted by the attack and continued the peaceful transition of power. This is truly a moment for all patriotic Americans and for every member of this General Assembly to publicly affirm our shared commitment to our democratic republic and to repudiate the lies used by this President to undermine faith in American elections.

    As President-elect Joe Biden said last week, “Democracy beats deep in the heart of America.” End-quote. I know we will endure, and as said by America’s first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln: “This government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

    This is an incredibly difficult time. And while it may get worse before it gets better, there is a deep understanding across this state, and across this country, that we are in this challenge together. We are counting on each other, and we are working side-by-socially-distanced-side to endure this pandemic. We have learned that “social distancing” and wearing face masks are not just actions we take for ourselves — we do these things for each other — for our friends, for our colleagues, for our neighbors, and for people we don’t even know. We are counting on each other to take these responsibilities seriously, so that we may protect the people we love. And, like the late, beloved mailman from Coralville, Mel Stahmer, we can all be the kinds of neighbors who take care of our neighbors.

    Thank you, Mr. President.

    -End –

  • Iowa Legislature Must Act to Feed Hungry

    By Sarah Trone Garriott and Rob Hogg
    This year in communities all over Iowa, the holiday season kicked off with long lines of idling cars. Our neighbors were not waiting to see displays of Christmas lights. They were not lining up to be first for the best shopping deals. They were not stuck in bumper-to-bumper holiday traffic.

    All over our state, Iowans could be seen lining up at food pantries and other distribution sites for a Thanksgiving meal. Our neighbors were waiting hours for food.

    According to Feeding America, more than 300,000 Iowans—including more than 100,000 children—are struggling with hunger. The economic devastation of this pandemic has already pushed many more Iowans to the brink. To keep a roof over their heads, too many Iowans are literally tightening their belts when it comes to food. Right now, our neighbors are skipping meals, filling up on cheap, unhealthy food, and seeking help from feeding assistance programs in record numbers.

    We face a difficult winter and, even when the coronavirus is under control, a long road to recovery. For the health of our communities, our families, and our economy, we must act now.

    We call on the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds to act swiftly in January to provide immediate additional resources to help Iowans struggling with hunger.

    We propose using the state's ending balance (more than $305 million at the end of the 2020 fiscal year) or the state's "rainy day funds" (more than $770 million at the end of the 2020 fiscal year) to provide $30 million or more in immediate supplemental food assistance for Iowans directly and through food banks, food pantries, and other feeding entities in Iowa.

    We can efficiently distribute these funds using existing or expanded programs. Options include:

    > Supporting community grocery stores and families across Iowa by providing supplemental funds to the 150,000 Iowa households already eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    > Supporting Iowa farmers and families through existing and expanded programs to purchase fresh produce, dairy, and meat products.

    > Reaching Iowans struggling with hunger who aren't eligible for USDA programs through existing or expanded food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, congregate meal providers, and other community food assistance efforts, including home food deliveries for food insecure families.

    > Helping Iowa’s restaurants by allowing the use of state supplemental food assistance funds to purchase take-out food.

    > Strengthening the food assistance infrastructure by permanently exempting feeding entities, including food banks, food pantries, and congregate meal providers, from Iowa sales tax.

    > Expanding communications about food assistance so that more Iowans know about existing and expanded efforts to help those struggling with access to adequate healthy food.

    We have the resources to make sure Iowa families get access to the food they need. We know that Iowans have the heart to help our neighbors in this challenging time.

    Speak up in support of this effort. Ask your state legislators and Governor Reynolds to provide the immediate help that Iowans need when the Legislature convenes on January 11.

    Sarah Trone Garriott is state senator-elect from Polk County. Rob Hogg is a state senator from Linn County.