Progress Iowa today launched a new website for Iowans to ask questions and express their concerns during the coronavirus pandemic.
AskAshton.org will direct Iowans to contact Ashton Kutcher, who according to Gov. Reynolds, has influenced her decisions more effectively than experts at the University of Iowa.
Kutcher, a native Iowan and winner of multiple Teen Choice Awards, recommended the company behind Iowa’s new testing initiative, which was granted a $26 million no-bid contract by Gov. Reynolds. Kutcher also coordinated with the Reynolds administration on a public service announcement about the coronavirus. Meanwhile, University of Iowa experts were largely ignored after warning the Reynolds administration that a second wave of coronavirus infections is likely to hit our state unless mitigation efforts continue. Despite those warnings, Reynolds announced her decision to reopen the majority of Iowa counties just days later.
Progress Iowa executive director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement encouraging Iowans to do their civic duty and contact Ashton Kutcher during this critical time:
“Iowans have petitioned Governor Reynolds with no response, university experts have presented research that has fallen on deaf ears, and bipartisan calls for worker and community safety have been brushed aside. Today we are calling on Iowans to contact Ashton Kutcher, the one person that does have influence with our Governor, so that our concerns about public health and the safety of our families will finally be heard during this crisis.
Iowa has become one of the worst states in the nation for coronavirus, due to slow and inadequate response from the Reynolds administration. If the Governor won’t listen to her own constituents or experts, we will send our concerns where they will be heard.
Ashton Kutcher, we implore you to listen to Iowans and use your influence to help us before it’s too late.”
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa has reported 6,843 cases of coronavirus resulting in 148 deaths as of Wednesday, April 29 at 11:00 AM, more than two thousand higher than Minnesota’s case total of just over 4,600, despite having roughly half the population. And just last week, Iowa’s spread of coronavirus was the worst among any state in the nation.
Additional Information:
Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds defends reopening process despite report warning of ‘second wave’ of coronavirus infections
CBS 2 Iowa: Gov. Kim Reynolds says actor Ashton Kutcher connected her to ‘Test Iowa’ companies
KCCI: Actor Ashton Kutcher releases PSA about social distancing with Gov. Reynold
Iowa Starting Line: Iowa’s COVID-19 spread fastest in country this past week
