To: Interested Parties
From: Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls
RE: Reynolds Workforce Crisis is a Worker Crisis
Date: May 19, 2022
Overview
Iowa Workforce Development will release its report on the April jobs numbers tomorrow. In advance of that report, Iowans should have all the facts surrounding Iowa’s workforce crisis, created by Governor Kim Reynolds. Since taking office, Gov. Reynolds has refused to enact policies that support working Iowans. Instead, she has focused on cutting unemployment benefits and forcing Iowans into jobs that don’t pay enough, all in an effort to give the wealthy and big businesses massive tax breaks. Iowans need our governor to value hard work and make sure employers pay their employees what they are owed. We can’t solve the Reynolds workforce crisis by continuing to sell out to corporations. We must attract workers by making Iowa a great place to live, work and raise a family. We need to keep young Iowans in Iowa.
(more…)Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to the deadly mass shootings that took place in Buffalo, NY and Laguna Woods, CA this weekend:
(more…)“Our hearts go out to all of the victims of this weekend’s deadly mass shootings. We grieve with those whose loved ones were injured or killed in these terrible events.
“Law enforcement is investigating each of these crimes, but what we do know is that the 18-year-old white man accused of killing 10 and injuring three others at a Buffalo, NY supermarket, specifically targeted Black victims. The suspect had planned to shoot and kill even more Black people before being stopped by police.
“There is no doubt that this was a hate crime. And it’s clear where the blame lies. For years, Republicans have enabled white supremacists by failing to denounce and reject racist rhetoric, which has led to countless other violent attacks on Americans based on their race. Once again, we are seeing stark differences in how a white suspect is characterized in comparison to Black suspects. This trend cannot continue. Not only do we need to improve gun laws for public safety, but the press, police and each of us must work to rectify this injustice.
“Sadly, the deadly shooting in Buffalo wasn’t the only act of gun violence committed this weekend. While it’s not clear that the suspect in Sunday’s deadly shooting in Laguna Woods, CA was racially motivated, we do know that for years, Republicans have worked to weaken our country’s gun laws, making it much easier for anyone to obtain a firearm. These continued attacks on gun control laws have made all of our communities less safe.
“Congressional leaders must stand up against hate and condemn and punish any lawmaker that promotes white supremacy, white nationalism, “replacement theory” or anti-semitism. Our lawmakers must also pass common sense gun laws to ensure the safety of our communities.”
Dozens of groups and countless activists across the state are coming together to organize rallies and protests in support of Roe v. Wade and every Iowans’ right to comprehensive healthcare. Progress Iowa will be keeping a running list of upcoming events as we all work together to productive reproductive rights in Iowa and across the country. If you’d like to add an event to this list, please email ivy@progressiowa.org.
(more…)Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to leaked Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision:
(more…)“Iowans know that access to healthcare, including abortion, and our personal freedoms are more important than extreme politics in Washington, D.C. The leaked draft ruling shows us exactly what the stacked court Senator Grassley created is up to – attacking our freedoms and that critical access to comprehensive healthcare.
“Overturning Roe v. Wade won’t stop abortions. It will take us back in time and eviscerate access to safe abortions. Banning abortion would only make it more dangerous for marginalized communities and less wealthy individuals to obtain safe healthcare. Someone you love may need an abortion one day. What will they do then?
“Despite what is leaked to the press, or what the court eventually issues as it’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, we will continue to fight for the right of every Iowan and American to access the healthcare and abortion care they need.
“Our lives and the lives of the people we hold dear are at stake. When our loved ones need care, we will do all we can to make sure they have it.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the last Wednesday of April is designated as a day of action, known as Denim Day. Participants are encouraged to wear jeans to show solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence. “We wear denim today to honor all survivors of sexual violence,” said Gwen Bramlet-Hecker, Executive Director of the Riverview Center. “It’s a reclaiming of sorts, and an act of rebellion. The roots of Denim Day date back to the late 1980’s when the rape conviction of a perpetrator was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court as it determined the victim’s tight jeans somehow indicated consent on her part. We must continue to do all we can to challenge rape culture that persists and raise awareness of the systemic challenges survivors face when seeking healing and justice.”
(more…)Click here to download this year’s Extreme 16 Bracket
Iowans voted, and the #Extreme16 has been selected! This year, State Senator Jake Chapman takes the top spot in Progress Iowa’s list of the most extreme Iowans.
(more…)Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Governor Reynolds blaming Iowa’s public schools for the deadly shooting at East High in Des Moines last week:
(more…)Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to a shooting near East High School in Des Moines, that left one teen dead and two more hospitalized in critical condition:
(more…)Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement in response to Governor Kim Reynolds delivering the Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union address:
(more…)Please join us in supporting Adel resident, Robert Fisher, as he fights to get a push button installed in the Adel Post Office to make it more accessible for him and his community. You can take action by signing this petition.
Accessibility and independence are critical. The Adel post office private owner has been unwilling to make a change to their doors to make it an automatic push-button upgrade. A previous request to make this post office more accessible has been denied.
We are calling on all Adel and Iowa residents to support that the private owner and public officials bring change to the Adel post office and grant the accessibility accommodation request for an automatic-push-button.
The Iowa Workforce Development released its latest jobs report for the month of December. IWD reports Iowa only added 5,200 jobs last month.
Iowa’s workforce crisis is significantly worse than national labor shortages. Under the failed leadership of Governor Kim Reynolds, fewer Iowans are working now than when she was first elected ten years ago. And Oxfam America ranks Iowa as one of the worst states to work in the country, with wage and labor policies that harm working families.
(more…)Iowans will join together to declare the ‘People’s Condition of the State’ at events in the coming days, in advance of the state’s legislative session.
Working families, small business owners, and local elected officials will speak at events in seven locations to stand up for what Iowans need to take care of our communities, and to stand together in opposition to the corporate greed being prioritized by Governor Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature.
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