Progress Iowa's Executive Director Matt Sinovic presented at the 8th Annual Governors Conference on LGBTQ youth. His presentation, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Right Wing?" showed the extreme right in their own words.
As new and returning state legislators were sworn in, Progress Iowa asked them to opt-out of joining the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC. In a letter sent to all Representatives and Senators, Progress Iowa offered congratulations on taking their oath, and explained how ALEC quietly interferes in state policy-making on behalf of corporate funders, and asked them to opt-out of joining the organization.
Last week, with the beginning of the new legislative session, Congressman Steve King once again introduced legislation to place restrictions on the rights and status of children born to undocumented immigrants in the United States. In a prepared statement, King referred to this children as “anchor babies” and defended a bill that would directly contradict the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
25 Apr 2013 (08:07 AM) — Rep. Greg Forristall ignored a request to release information about the May 2-3 meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he will serve as Chair of the Education Task Force, according to correspondence released by Progress Iowa today. Forristall also claimed that all Iowa legislators are members of ALEC, despite reports to the contrary from members of the Iowa House and Senate.
24 Apr 2013 (11:19 AM) — On Earth Day, an Iowa State Representative decided to celebrate by declaring his support for increased carbon dioxide emissions. Just more hot air from Iowa conservatives.
19 Apr 2013 (10:01 AM) — Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) announced today that Iowa’s total nonfarm employment decreased by 5,500 jobs in March. The IWD website also produced a document claiming that “gross over-the-month employment” rose by 1,600 during the same time period. The discrepancy is the result of an ongoing effort by the Branstad administration to fabricate job growth in order to cover up for his failed campaign promises.
03 Apr 2013 (01:14 PM) — Progress Iowa's Executive Director Matt Sinovic presented at the 8th Annual Governors Conference on LGBTQ youth. His presentation, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Right Wing?" showed the extreme right in their own words.
15 Mar 2013 (11:26 AM) — State Representative David Maxwell asked that a copy of the Montezuma Record, a newspaper his business supports with advertising, to every member of the Iowa House of Representatives on Thursday, March 14. The largest story in the paper printed the name, title, and salary of every University of Iowa employee making more than $100,000 per year. The story, entitled "Who Gets the Big Bucks?" was mentioned or featured on 5 of the paper's 12 pages. The story contained several offensive statements, and in that same edition of the Record, Rep. Maxwell's own business, Maxwell Tiling, purchased an advertisement.
