February 7, 2020

Dear Friends,

The We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition is hosting the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Advocacy Week to make a bigger impact and draw attention to the gun legislation that each organization prioritizes. Advocacy Week is from February 10–13 and includes several actions throughout the week.

But, before next week…

Will you sign the letter by Sunday opposing the “gun rights” Constitutional Amendment?

• Join with the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition to sign a letter opposing the constitutional amendment that would add gun rights to the Iowa Constitution with strict scrutiny. Strict scrutiny is the highest level of judicial review in determining the constitutionality of a law.
• Please sign the Coalition’s letter.
• Share the sign-on letter with your network and friends.

Will you join us on Monday at the Capitol to advocate for commonsense gun laws?

• We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition Advocacy Day
  Iowa Statehouse, Des Moines
  11:45 am – 4:00 pm
  https://www.facebook.com/events/2932846846772746/  
   
• Moral Mondays IOWA
  11:45 – 12:30, Room 116
  We will discuss gun legislation and how advocates can use their voices.
           
• We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition Press Conference
  12:40 – 1:00 pm, Room 116
  Speakers will talk about the impact of guns on our communities, gun safety advocacy in the state, and opposing the constitutional amendment with strict scrutiny. The sign-on letter and signer names will be released to the media and legislators.
           
• Advocacy by coalition organizations and advocates
  1:00 – 4:00 pm
  Each organization in the coalition will provide materials for their members to lobby legislators on the gun legislation that matters to their group.

Will you email your legislators on Wednesday and tell them why you oppose the “gun rights” constitutional amendment with strict scrutiny?

• Email your senator and representative and ask them to stand with the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition and vote with commonsense gun laws in mind. Tell them you are opposed to the constitutional amendment with strict scrutiny that passed in 2019.

More details for the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Advocacy Week is below, including how you can take action and how to contact your legislators.

Other things happening on the Hill next week (see details below in Legislative Watch and always check www.legis.iowa.gov for changes):

• HSB 615 (Against), local pre-emption on gun ordinances. Subcommittee February 10, 11:00 am, Room 19
• HF 2201 (Against), Restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity materials in schools. Subcommittee February 10 at 4:00 pm, Room 19
• SF 579 (Against), anti-immigrant public offense data collection. Subcommittee Tuesday, February 11, at 2:00 pm, Room 22
• SF 199 (Against), Dismantling school diversity plans. Subcommittee Tuesday, February 11, at 3:30 pm, Room G17
• SF 508 (Against), RFRA/religious exemptions. Subcommittee Thursday, February 13, at 9:30 am in Room 22

Thank you for all you do to help us protect religious freedom, ensure equality, and challenge extremism.

With appreciation,

Connie Ryan

Executive Director

Interfaith Alliance of Iowa & Action Fund

 LEGISLATION  WATCH 

Below are some of the bills on which the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund is registered and includes our position on the legislation. You can click on the link to read the bill. We encourage you to contact your legislator on any of the legislation.

Civil Rights

SF 508 and HF 258 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the standard of judicial review and providing a claim or defense when a state action burdens a person’s exercise of religion, and including effective date provisions. The legislation is known as “RFRA” and is a religious exemption bill. The legislation would allow for discrimination in the state based on religious beliefs and would gravely harm Iowa’s strong civil rights laws. Senate Subcommittee: Guth, Garrett, and Hogg. Subcommittee meeting for SF 508 on Thursday, February 13, at 9:30 am, Room 22.

SF 579 (Against) A bill for an act relating to nonresident alien public offense data collection and analysis. Subcommittee: Whiting, Bisignano, and Dawson. Subcommittee meeting Tuesday, February 11, at 2:00 pm, Room 22.

HF 2201 (Against) A bill for an act relating to sexual orientation or gender identity instruction or related materials provided by school districts to pupils. House Subcommittee: Salmon, Moore, Staed. Subcommittee meeting Monday, February 10, at 4:00 pm, Room 19.

SF 2130 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the consideration of fraudulent concealment of sexual orientation in a marriage application form and license to marry in the awarding of child custody. Subcommittee: Chapman, Bisignano, and Sweeney.

SF 2194 (Against) A bill for an act establishing the protecting professional freedom of conscience from government discrimination Act, and including effective date provisions.

SF 2193 (Against) A bill for an act establishing the protecting freedom of conscience from government discrimination Act, and including effective date provisions.

HF 2274 (Against) A bill for an act requesting an interim study committee on gender identity, the Iowa civil rights Act of 1965, and suicide by transgender individuals.

HF 2273 (Against) A bill for an act establishing the protecting freedom of conscience from government discrimination Act, and including effective date provisions.

HF 2272 (Against) A bill for an act relating to actions relative to treatment or intervention regarding the discordance between a minor’s sex and gender identity, and providing penalties.

HF 2202 (Against) A bill for an act requiring high school students to participate in extracurricular interscholastic athletic practices, contests, or competitions based on biological sex as determined at birth.

HF 2164 (Against) A bill for an act removing gender identity as a protected class under the Iowa civil rights Act.

Women’s Reproductive Healthcare

SJR 2001 and (Against) A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa to protect life by declaring that the Constitution of the State of Iowa shall not be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or to require the public funding of abortion. The bill passed out of committee and is eligible for debate in the Senate. (Formerly SJR 21)

HSB 577 (Against) A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa that nothing in the Constitution of the State of Iowa shall be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or to require the public funding of abortion. The Subcommittee met on Tuesday, February 4, and on a 2-1 vote recommended passage.

Public Education

SF 199 (Against) A bill for an act relating to voluntary diversity plans under the state’s open enrollment law. The bill would eliminate the voluntary diversity plans under the state’s open enrollment law for the five districts that opted into the plan several years ago. The result would be “white flight,” larger pockets of poverty, and segregated schools in those districts. Subcommittee: Zahn, Behn, Quirmbach. Subcommittee meeting Tuesday, February 11, at 3:30 pm, Room G17.

SF 2190 and HSB 598 (Undecided) A bill for an act relating to classroom management and related practitioner preparation procedures for reporting alleged classroom violence and assaults, to corporal punishment, establishing a grant program and fund for creation of therapeutic classrooms, providing claims reimbursement to schools for the transportation of certain students to therapeutic classrooms, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.(Formerly SSB 3080.) The Action Fund remains concerned about components in the legislation and the impact on students of color, LGBTQ students, and other students as well as adequate funding.

SF 547 and HF 663 (Against) A bill for an act relating to education savings grants for pupils attending a nonpublic school or receiving competent private instruction, establishing an education savings grant fund, providing an income tax exemption, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including applicability provisions. The legislation are voucher bills that would allow public dollars to be provided to parents to pay for their private education choices. House Subcommittee: Gassman, Shipley, and Staed.

HSB 576 (For) A bill for an act relating to supplementary weighting for limited-English-proficient students and including effective date and applicability provisions. The subcommittee met on Thursday, February 6, and on an unanimous vote recommended passage with an amendment.

HF 2261 (Against) A bill for an act establishing an education scholarship account program for pupils attending a nonpublic school or receiving private instruction, establishing an education scholarship account fund, providing an income tax exemption, establishing school district supplementary weighting for education scholarship recipients, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including applicability provisions.

HF 2139 (Against) A bill for an act relating to information and communications provided by a school official, school employee, or school nurse relative to the religious exemption from immunization of children. The Subcommittee met on Wednesday, February 5, and on a 2-1 vote recommended passage.

HF 2141 (Against) A bill for an act relating to information to be provided by the department of public health regarding vaccines and information distributed through the Iowa immunization program. Subcommittee: Moore, T, Salmon, and Wessel-Kroeschell.

Voting Rights

HJR 14 (For) A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the qualifications of electors. The legislation is a constitutional amendment to allow for the automatic restoration of felon voting rights. Although there is bi-partisan support from legislators and broad endorsement from lobbying groups, there are roadblocks from some Senators that could prevent the legislation moving forward in the Senate.

SF 2129 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the restoration of voting rights to certain convicted persons and including effective date provisions. The legislation would place restrictions on voting should the constitutional amendment (HJR 14) pass restoring voting rights for those convicted of felonies. Restrictions would include the completion of confinement, parole, and probation; receipt of a pardon from the governor for homicide and related crimes; and, the payment of pecuniary damages (monetary restitution). Subcommittee: Dawson, Bisignano, and Schultz. Subcommittee meeting February 10 at 4:00 pm, Room 315.

Gun Safety

HSB 615 (Against) A bill for an act relating to firearms and weapons, including the storage, carrying, possession, or transportation of weapons and the establishment, use, and maintenance of shooting ranges. Subcommittee: Holt, Klein, Wessel-Kroeschell. Subcommittee meeting February 10 at 11:00 am, Room 19.

SF 2161 (Against) A bill for an act prohibiting a governing board of a public college or university from adopting or enforcing any policy or rule that prohibits a person with a valid permit to carry weapons from carrying, transporting, or possessing a dangerous weapon in the buildings or on the grounds of such a college or university, and including civil penalties. Subcommittee: Behn, Edler, and Celsi.

SF 459 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the carrying, transportation, or possession of firearms on real property comprising a person’s place of employment. The bill would not allow employers to prohibit employees from having firearms in their locked car on the employers property. There are no exceptions in the bill (including houses of worship or private homes that have a small business with employees). It is a private property issue in that private employers should be able to have policy that provides for a weapons-free property. The bill passed out of Subcommittee and is eligible to be considered in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

SF 116 (Against) A bill for an act relating to going armed with, carrying, or transporting a firearm when transporting a person to or from a school or delivering an item to the school. The bill passed out of Subcommittee and is eligible to be considered in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HF 636 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the carrying, possession, or transportation of weapons on school grounds, at places of employment, in buildings or physical structures located on property under the control of a political subdivision, and in county courthouses, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HF 259.) Subcommittee: Holt, Klein, and Wessel-Kroeschell.

HF 32 (Against) A bill for an act relating to the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a permit to carry weapons and a permit to acquire pistols or revolvers. Subcommittee: Holt, Kacena, and Klein.

HF 31 (Against) A bill for an act prohibiting the manufacture, possession, shipment, transportation, or receipt of a multi-burst trigger activator, and providing penalties. Subcommittee: Holt, Klein, and Wessel-Kroeschell.

Death Penalty

SF 588 (Against) A bill for an act creating a capital murder offense by establishing the penalty of death for murder in first degree offenses involving kidnapping and sexual abuse offenses against the same victim who is a minor, and including effective date and applicability provisions. Subcommittee: Schultz, Bisignano, Chapman, Garrett, and Hogg.

 WE CAN END GUN VIOLENCE IOWA COALITION 

#WeCanEndGunViolenceIowa

The We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition includes Iowa organizations working together to promote commonsense gun laws in Iowa and to stop legislation that broaden gun rights and place our children and communities in harm’s way.

WE CAN END GUN VIOLENCE IOWA SIGN-ON LETTER

Will you take action with us?

• Join with the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition and sign a letter opposing the constitutional amendment that would add gun rights to the Iowa Constitution with strict scrutiny. Strict scrutiny is the highest level of judicial review in determining the constitutionality of a law.
• Please sign the Coalition’s letter (by Sunday!).
• Share the sign-on letter with your network and friends.

WE CAN END GUN VIOLENCE IOWA ADVOCACY WEEK

The organizations comprising the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition have banded together with other Iowa organizations for the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Advocacy Week to make a bigger impact and draw attention to the gun legislation each organization prioritizes.

Please join any or all of the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Advocacy Week actions during the week of February 10–13:

Monday, February 10

We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition Advocacy Day

Iowa Statehouse, Des Moines

11:45 am – 4:00 pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/2932846846772746/

• Moral Mondays IOWA
  11:45 – 12:30, Room 116
  We will discuss advocating against “gun rights” legislation.
• We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition Press Conference
  12:40 – 1:00, Room 116
• Advocacy by coalition organizations and advocates
  1:00 – 4:00
  Each organization in the coalition will provide materials for their members to lobby legislators on the gun legislation that matters to their group.

Tuesday, February 11

Moms Demand Action Iowa Advocacy Day

Iowa Statehouse, Des Moines

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/741321383055859/

Join the Iowa Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Advocacy Day at the Iowa Capitol.

RSVP: https://bit.ly/2QY6tfA

Wednesday, February 12

DIGITAL ADVOCACY DAY

Use your voice from home!

All Day

https://www.facebook.com/events/656817301792798?active_tab=about

On Wednesday, February 12, we are focusing on advocates making calls and emails to legislators from home.

Whether voting NO on legislation that broadens “gun rights” too far, placing our children and communities in danger, or voting YES on gun safety legislation that keeps the health and safety of those same children and communities in mind, we are asking lawmakers to stand with us to end gun violence!

Will you make calls or send emails asking your own senator and representative to stand with the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition and vote with commonsense gun laws in mind? Will you also tell them you are opposed to the constitutional amendment with strict scrutiny that passed in 2019?

Find your state senator or representative and other elected officials.

House Switchboard:  515.281.3221

Senate Switchboard:  515.281.3371

Legislative Emails:  FIRSTname.LASTname@legis.iowa.gov

Will you also send emails to the Republican leadership in the House and Senate and share the same messages?

House Republican Leadership

Speaker:  Pat.Grassley@legis.iowa.gov

Speaker Pro Tempore:  John.Wills@legis.iowa.gov

Majority Leader:  Matt.Windschitl@legis.iowa.gov

Senate Republican Leadership

President:  Charles.Schneider@legis.iowa.gov

President Pro Tempore:  Jerry.Behn@legis.iowa.gov

Majority Leader:  Jack.Whitver@legis.iowa.gov

Thursday, February 13

March for Our Lives Rally

Iowa Statehouse, Des Moines

3:00 – 5:00 pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/1036530940031530/

Join March For Our Lives IA and partner organizations for a rally at the Iowa State Capitol in the Legislative Dining Room on the ground floor (G15). All advocates who support commonsense gun laws are welcome as we March for Our Lives!

 MORAL MONDAYS IOWA 

Moral Mondays IOWA is a collaborative project designed to highlight the progress at work in the Iowa legislature. A coalition of more than 25 progressive Iowa organizations, Moral Mondays IOWA proactively highlights legislation that spans a range of progressive issues and works for the advancement of Iowa values like equality, fairness, and justice.

February 10, 2020 | 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Room 116, Iowa Capitol

**Note time and room change again**
 

We Can End Gun Violence

Speakers:
Rep. Jennifer Konfrst,

Assistant Minority Leader (D-Polk)
Rev. Wendy Abrahamson,

legislative advocate, Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
Laura Hessburg,

Director of Public Policy, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Moral Mondays IOWA is partnering this week with the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa Coalition and kicking off the coalition’s advocacy week. At MMI, we will discuss various gun legislation and actions by advocates with a particular focus on the constitutional amendment to add gun rights with strict scrutiny. The amendment passed last year so we are focusing on education and advocacy this Session in preparation for fighting against it next year.

Additionally, We Can End Gun Violence Iowa will hold a press conference following MMI, beginning at 12:40 pm. All are welcome to stay and attend.

Coalition partner organizations include Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund, Iowans for Gun Safety, Iowa Catholic Conference, Iowa United Methodist Legislative Advocacy Team, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa, the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Plymouth UCC Peace Committee, and Progress Iowa.

Please join us at the statehouse or live on the Moral Mondays IOWA Facebook page.

MMI is held at the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session. All are encouraged to attend each week.

 EMPOWERING IOWANS TO USE YOUR VOICE 

Your state representative and senator need to know your opinion on the issues, and that you are paying attention to their votes.

Will you be at the Capitol?

Please let us know when you plan to be at the Capitol during the Legislative Session so we can work with you to talk with Legislators on the important issues at stake this Session.

Can you use your voice and make a difference from home? Absolutely!

In addition to coming to the Statehouse—or for those who are unable to make the trip—you can always make a difference by communicating with your legislators from home.

Call, email, or write them on the issues we outline each week in the Legislative Update. Build a relationship with your elected officials ahead of time so they know you are one of their constituents and you care about these critical issues. You can also attend legislative forums your legislators host in your district and talk with them directly!

Find your state senator or representative and other elected officials.

House Switchboard:  515.281.3221

Senate Switchboard:  515.281.3371

Legislative Emails:  FIRSTname.LASTname@legis.iowa.gov

Iowa Capitol mailing address:  

State Capitol Building, 1007 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Thank you so much for your willingness to stand up and use your voice. Together we can and will make a difference!