DES MOINES, Iowa (Feb. 13, 2012) - Citizens from across Iowa participating in Humane Lobby Day 2012 met with lawmakers today at the Capitol to urge them to support legislation to strengthen the standards for large-scale commercial dog breeding operations and oppose a resolution to overturn a science-based Natural Resources Commission rule banning the use of toxic lead shot during the state's new mourning dove hunting season. The Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) and The Iowa Federation of Humane Societies are sponsoring Humane Lobby Day.

"Animal advocates attending the 2012 Humane Lobby Day will remind state lawmakers that Iowans want to protect dogs from puppy mill cruelty and protect wildlife from toxic lead poisoning," said Carol Griglione, The HSUS' Iowa state director. "The Natural Resources Commission made a science-based decision not to allow toxic lead shot to poison our land and wildlife, and the legislature should not trump science with politics."

Attendees will urge their representatives to support S.F. 2073, which is sponsored by Senator Matt McCoy (D- Polk County). This legislation would require commercial dog breeding facilities whose license has expired, been revoked, or relinquished to either sterilize or find new homes for all but three of their dogs within 45 days. This measure would fix a loophole in the law that allows unlicensed (but formerly licensed) commercial breeders to keep their dogs even after their license has been suspended.  Members of Iowa Voters for Companion Animals were also on hand to support this legislation.

"The ASPCA has seen first-hand the unspeakable cruelty and horrific conditions of puppy mills," said Ann Church, vice president of state affairs for the ASPCA. "We're thrilled with the number of supporters attending Humane Lobby Day and championing to enact stronger laws to regulate commercial breeders. It's important for lawmakers to hear from their constituents and today's event is a unique opportunity for animal advocates from across Iowa to meet with their legislators and be the voice for animals."

These Iowan animal advocates also oppose Senate Joint Resolution 2001, which would overturn the recent Natural Resources Commission decision to prohibit the use of toxic lead shot for the newly-approved dove hunting season. Senate Joint Resolution 2001 was recently approved in the House and will soon be debated in the Senate. The HSUS and the ASPCA® oppose SJR 2001 because animals suffer and sometimes die from lead poisoning through inadvertently consuming the spent lead ammunition. Hunters have non-lead ammunition alternatives that are equally accurate and inexpensive, and have been required by law for waterfowl hunting for two decades.

Iowa ranks 21stin The HSUS' 2011 state animal protection rankings, which grades each state  based on a wide range of animal protection laws dealing with pets, animal cruelty and fighting, wildlife, animals in research, horses and farm animals. The state gained points for its strong animal fighting laws, but ranks near the middle of the pack because of relatively weak animal cruelty laws.

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A new chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will be forming in the Quad Cities to address issues of importance to America.  The Quad Cities Chapter of ACLU organizational meeting will be 7:00 PM, Tuesday, March 20, 2012, at St Ambrose University in the Ambrose Room at Rogalski Center.

The meeting purpose is to organize and form a new Quad Cities Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and elect an interim board of directors.  Members of the ACLU and those interested in joining are invited to take part in a milestone event in support of Civil Liberties in the Quad Cities area.

Membership information and a limited number of the newly released "Students' Rights Handbook" will be available at the meeting.

For More Information contact Tom Benge, 563-332-5758, Tomabenge@aol.com or Art Heyderman, 563-505-4322, heydermana@mchsi.com.

 

The American Civil Liberties Union is a non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Civil Liberties in America.  With over 700,000 members nationwide in all 50 states ACLU is the largest, most widely known and most highly respected Civil Liberties organization in the nation.  No other private organization appears before the Supreme Court more than the ACLU.  The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

These rights include :

• Your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
• Your right to equal protection under the law - protection against unlawful discrimination.
• Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
• Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.  If the rights of society's most vulnerable members are denied, everybody's rights are imperiled.

To learn more about the ACLU and the local chapter visit their website at http://acluqc.org/.  To join ACLU visit http://www.aclu.org/ .

During his weekly video address, Senator Chuck Grassley presses President Obama to support his legislation to root out fraud and abuse from the H-1B visa program and ensure qualified Americans have the first opportunity to compete for jobs.  Grassley highlights a discussion between the President and Jennifer Wedel who called attention to the difficulty many high-skilled Americans are having finding employment in this area.

 

Click here for audio.

Here is the text of the address:

During a recent Google Plus "hangout," President Obama heard directly from Jennifer Wedel whose husband, a high-tech engineer, had been unable to find a job for more than three years.

The President seemed surprised about the employment struggles of so many high-skilled Americans like Mr. Wedel.

It's something I've been hearing for several years.  Many high-skilled Americans are being passed over for jobs.  Companies are hiring lower-wage workers from overseas, often through the H-1B Visa program.

I'm glad that Mrs. Wedel brought this to the President's attention.  The President offered to personally help Mr. Wedel, but there are many other Americans in the same boat.

The struggles for these high skilled workers will continue.  The President's administration recently made policy changes affecting foreign students and spouses of H-1B visa holders that put American workers at a disadvantage.  The H-1B visa program should complement the U.S. workforce, not replace it.

Through my oversight, I've uncovered untold amounts of fraud and abuse in the H-1B visa program.  To ensure that qualified American workers are given first consideration, I've written legislation that would return the program to its original intent where employers use H-1B visas only to shore up employment in areas where there is a lack of qualified American workers.  My bill makes reforms to increase enforcement, modify wage requirements and ensure protection for visa holders and American workers.

President Obama should support my H-1B reform legislation and give qualified high-skilled Americans the best opportunity to compete for jobs.

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All the world - including Osage - is a stage!

Kids in Mitchell County will have a chance "to be or not to be" every summer thanks to a new theater program started by a University of Iowa student and two alumni.

The Osage Summer Theatre Program is designed to help K-12 students learn about all aspects of the theater, from acting to directing to sets and costumes, in classes and workshops. The program started small last summer and still attracted 35 students to the two-week program that culminates in the production of three plays.

The program was founded by UI senior Maggie Blake, along with Theresa Augsburger and Maggie Jones, two recent UI alumni. Blake said the three of them, all theater majors, wanted to use their education and their skills to work with children and provide a kind of community service. They settled on Osage, population 3,400, as the location for their theater because it's Jones' hometown.

The program is held in Osage's community center, the Cedar River Complex, which includes a state-of-the-art performance facility. Interns from the UI and Mitchell County high schools will help with production and education. The group hopes to eventually build a network of youth community theater organizations like it throughout Iowa.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

The program not only introduces young children to the theater, it fills a need for high school students, too. The local school district recently cut its high school theater department, so students there who were interested in performing had nowhere to go.

 

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

University of Iowa student Maggie Blake: "Theater and kids are a great match because they get to put on hats and be silly and they love that, even the older kids. They can learn about teamwork and working together in a collaborative way."

 

FYI

Update on Dental Building

In October, the University of Iowa dedicated a 33,000-square-foot addition to the UI College of Dentistry, which houses a wide array of programs and learning space to help prepare dental professionals for the 21st century.

The addition is now home to the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Geriatrics and Special Needs Clinic, the National Institutes of Health-supported Craniofacial Clinical Research Center, and small classrooms for problem-based and case-based learning. Endodontics, which was not a department in 1973 when the building was originally constructed, now has an outstanding facility.

Along with the new addition, the college's research facilities were renovated and dedicated with support from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.

The real icing on the cake? The new addition was finished on time and slightly under budget.

 

DID YOU KNOW?
The addition is part of a $65 million, multi-year College of Dentistry Building Transformation Project. The college is now beginning a six-phase, three- to four-year renovation of all dentistry clinics: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Family Dentistry, Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, Admissions, Operative Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics.

 

QUOTE/UNQUOTE
UI College of Dentistry Dean David C. Johnsen: "We extend a huge thank-you to all the people and groups inside and outside the college who made this renovation project possible, including our elected officials, university officials, alumni, donors and friends."