29 Apr 2015

Working Families Summit

By Lance Coles

Presidential Issues, No Candidates Necessary ? for Now

Summit Goal: Wage, Justice Issues Should Shape Coming Iowa Campaign

Who says you need presidential candidates to talk political issues in Iowa?

Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich will keynote a Working Families Summit scheduled for Saturday, May 16, in Ames.

The event, coordinated by several progressive, labor and advocacy organizations, is free and open to the public ? though space will be limited and reservations are required.

"Remember, candidates and ultimately presidents work for us," said Ken Sagar, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, a leading sponsor of the May 16 event in Ames.

"Our Working Families Summit is designed to bring together progressive Iowans and progressive ideas, so more Iowans and political candidates at all levels better understand the issues that are critical to working families.

"This is especially important with a presidential campaign already underway in our state, and big choices ahead in 2016 up and down the ballot."

The Summit will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Scheman Building at Iowa State University, with morning remarks from Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America (CWA); Sarita Gupta, executive director of Jobs with Justice; and Tefere Gebre, executive vice president, AFL-CIO.

Breakout sessions will focus on many hot-button topics for working families: wages, work supports such as child care and paid medical leave, retirement, education, civil rights and current political attacks on workers.

The event will close with Reich's keynote and remarks by Sagar.

"Iowans will have plenty of time between now and next February to meet with and hear from candidates for president," Sagar said. "What we need now is a common agenda on issues ranging from our low wages, to how to better support families and protect civil rights."

No presidential candidates will be speaking at the event ? though any are welcome to attend.

"This will be a great opportunity for presidential candidates to hear the concerns about concrete issues facing Iowa's working families," Sagar said.

Sponsors include the AFL-CIO along with many Iowa labor and advocacy organizations focused on concerns for working families in Iowa: Iowa Federation of Labor; AFSCME Iowa Council 61; Iowa Building and Trades Council; Communications Workers of America (CWA), Iowa Postal Workers Union (APWU), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN), Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Laborers International Union of Northern America (LIUNA), Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), Progress Iowa, Iowa Policy Project, Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, Iowa Community Action Association, American Friends Service Committee, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, Move On, United Auto Workers (UAW), Working America, AFGE, UFCW, UAW, APWU Local 44, IUPAT, NALC, IBEW, USW, IAMAW, UE, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Mid-Iowa Community Action, and Make it Work.

Members of the public are welcome and admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable food items is requested. To register for the summit, go to progressiowa.org/workingfamiliessummit, and for more information, visit the Working Families Summit page on Facebook.

Free round-trip bus service to the event is available from the Quad-Cities, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Manchester and Evansdale. To reserve a bus seat, call 309-738-3196 or email tracy@iowaaflcio.org.

 

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24 Apr 2015

"Run Ben Run" Prepares In Iowa for Dream Come True May 4

By PerryAnne Coffey
You have probably heard that Dr. Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon, Medal of Freedom Winner, and now likely presidential candidate will be heading to Iowa on Monday May 4 -- right after he makes an announcement in Detroit on whether he will become a candidate for President of the United States.
It is expected that Dr. Carson will throw his hat in the ring May 4 --and Draft Ben Carson volunteers all over Iowa -- including in the Victory Office in Johnston, IA -- and all around the country are ready!

The 2016 Committee, formerly the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee has been working hard to raise awareness for their effort since August 2013 when John Phillip Sousa IV (grandson of the famous American band leader) and Vernon Robinson heard Dr. Carson speak at the National Prayer Breakfast.
John and Vernon were so impressed with Dr. Carson's common sense, that even though they had virtually no knowledge or personal acquaintance of Dr. Carson, a Wall Street Journal editorial suggesting that Dr. Carson run for president got them thinking.

Several months later, John and Vernon decided to form the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee SuperPAC in August 2013.They had no way of knowing what a groundswell of support they would encounter.
"Dr. Carson heard the call of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who believe he is the candidate who can heal our nation," said Vernon Robinson, Campaign Director for the newly named 2016 Committee, which replaces the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee.

"Thanks to the hard work of our more than 30,000 volunteers and the hundreds of thousands who have clamored for Dr. Carson, he has announced his exploratory committee. Our work is far from over. It is now more important than ever for us to continue to build the necessary infrastructure to put Dr. Carson in the White House."
About the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee / 2016 Committee:

The National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, now renamed the 2016 Committee is a Super PAC -- political action committee -- formed to draft Dr. Ben Carson into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

It was founded in August 2013 by John Philip Sousa IV and Vernon Robinson, and works to raise awareness of Dr.Carson's qualifications and to engage grassroots activists in clamoring for Dr. Carson to run for president.


With over 20,000 volunteers nationwide, the committee has been able to raise more than $13 million dollars.

For more information on the committee visit http://www.2016committee.org/ or follow them on Facebook and Twitter at @DraftRunBenRun.
22 Apr 2015

Iowa Caucus Consortium Launches Statewide Messaging, Community & Visitor Engagement Plan

By Tiffany Tauscheck
DES MOINES, IA - An Iowa Caucus Consortium has been created to highlight Iowa's first in the nation Caucus status and provide the media, candidates and visitors a meaningful, positive experience while showcasing the state and region. Additionally, the consortium will engage in political dialogue and drive meaningful conversation with residents during the political cycle through hosting Caucus-related events. The consortium is made up of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Economic Development Authority, The Des Moines Register and Drake University in partnership with the Iowa Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Iowa.

To market and support consortium efforts, a new website has been created, IowaCaucus.org, as well as a Twitter account at @IAcaucus2016 using the hashtag #iacaucus.

"The community's collaboration in hosting local, regional, national and international media during the Iowa Caucuses is key," says Greg Edwards, President and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Creating consistent messaging for the region and working together to provide an incredible experience for the media and visitors will help us leverage the opportunity as a marketing tool to strengthen Greater Des Moines as a visitor destination."

The consortium plans to host Caucus-related events including a potential Candidate Series and Issues Forum. Additionally, the consortium will create an advisory committee of engaged local politicos with potential opportunities for young professionals. In 2016, the media filing center will be managed by the Iowa Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Iowa.

"The Iowa Caucuses place our state at the epicenter of the political world and provide us an incredible opportunity to showcase Greater Des Moines to a national and global audience," adds Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. "Through this partnership, we are able to further maximize our regional economic development marketing efforts to promote Central Iowa as a great place to build a business, a career and a future."

"In addition to celebrating agriculture, Iowa's advanced manufacturing, biosciences and financial services are key industries for this national platform," says Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. "As the first state in the nation to host a major electoral event, Iowa is well positioned to capitalize on the opportunity to showcase our state's economic vitality across these multiple industries."

The new website provides local resources like a candidate tracker and voter information. Plus, media resources include credentialing for Caucus events, suggested shoot locations, photo and b-roll requests, pro tips from The Des Moines Register for covering the Iowa Caucuses and late night dining options. Candidate resources include a Caucus events calendar, intern opportunities for Drake University students, restaurants and hotels information.

The 2008 Iowa Caucuses (dual party) brought 2,500 media and $25 million in visitor spending as economic impact to Greater Des Moines. The 2012 Caucuses (single party) brought 1,500 media and $17 million in visitor spending as economic impact to Greater Des Moines.

For more information on the Iowa Caucuses, visit IowaCaucus.org and follow @IAcaucus2016 on Twitter.

15 Apr 2015

Special Election Dates Finalized

By Catherine Kelly

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner has issued amended writs of election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former U.S. Representative Aaron Schock.

The date for the Special Primary Election is July 7th, and the date for the Special General Election is September 10th. The writs have been modified from their original filing after a federal judge approved a consent decree to comply with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

As prescribed by Illinois law, the first day for candidates of established political parties to file original nomination papers with the State Board of Elections will be Wednesday, April 15, 2015. The last day to file nomination papers will be Monday, April 20, 2015. Those dates are not modified by the consent decree.

Additional Background

For years, the Illinois Election Code has prescribed a timeline for conducting special elections for U.S. Representative that is not compliant with federal law. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) is intended to protect the voting rights of citizens residing abroad, including in particular military men and women stationed overseas. Illinois law, however, does not provide sufficient time for ballots to be mailed abroad.

For that reason, the State of Illinois entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013 to bring the State temporarily into compliance with UOCAVA for the last special election for U.S. Representative. Governor Rauner, Attorney General Madigan, and the Illinois State Board of Elections are now working cooperatively with the Department of Justice to enter into a similar consent decree for the special election caused by former Rep. Schock's resignation.

This problem has persisted without a permanent solution for too long. Governor Rauner is working with the General Assembly leadership to pass legislation to protect the voting rights of our military men and women serving overseas, while still providing that any vacancy is filled as expeditiously as possible to ensure full representation in Congress for the people of Illinois.

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13 Apr 2015

April 17th Rock Island County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner

By Drue Mielke

Moline, Illinois. (April 10, 2015) -- The Annual Rock Island County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner to be held April 17th at University Club, Moline.

The Annual Rock Island County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner will be held April 17, 2015 at the University Club, 1518 5th Avenue, downtown Moline, Illinois. Mr. William Bloom, Rock Island County Republican Central Committee chairman will be the master of ceremonies. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with a social hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and dinner following at 6:30 p.m. Music during the social hour will include music by David Holcomb, a well known local pianist.

"This year's Lincoln Day Dinner is an outstanding opportunity for people to meet, dine, talk to elected officials and meet newly elected officials. We are pleased that Senator Neil Anderson, Illinois' 36th Senate District will be delivering the keynote address." states Mark Archibald, Lincoln Day Committee chairman. The event will begin with an invocation by Rev. Thomas Janikowski, Trinity Anglican Church, Rock Island and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Captain William Albracht. Immediately following, Quad City singer Nancy Jahn Mielke will perform an opening song "God Bless America".

Other speakers for the evening are Mr. Michael Lucci, Director of Jobs and Growth, Illinois Policy Institute; Captain William Albracht, Silver Stars Recipient and author of Abandoned in Hell: The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate; Congressman Bobby Schilling, Former U.S. Representative Illinois' 17th Congressional District. In addition there will be a Rock Island County Board update by Drue Mielke, Rock Island County Board Minority Caucus Leader.

The Tom Getz and Dr. Lois Frels Young Republicans Award will be presented as well as a silent auction and raffle. Tickets are $40.00 per person and be purchased online at www.ricogop.org/lincoln-day-dinner and are available at the door.

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07 Apr 2015

MONICA VERNON FOR CONGRESS RAISES OVER $300,000

By Sarah van Deest
With Local Support and Endorsements, Vernon's Momentum Grows

CEDAR RAPIDS - The grassroots support for City Councilwoman Moncia Vernon's congressional campaign continues to grow. Vernon reports raising almost 90% of her contributions from Iowans, with over 1,000 contributions in just the first three months of the year.

The campaign has raised over $300,000 since kicking off in January and has landed critical endorsements from Teamsters Local 238, EMILY's List, one of the nation's most powerful political organizations, and over twenty local Iowa Democratic leaders including President of the Senate Pam Jochum and Senators Liz Mathis, Rob Hogg and Bill Dotzler.

"As we continue to build this grassroots campaign, I am proud to receive support from across Iowa, and honored to receive the endorsement of EMILY's List, a driving force for change across the country. This endorsement means so much," said Vernon. "Every day I talk with Iowans who want fundamental change in Washington - a Congress that works for the middle class, not the special interests. There is no more important conversation we can have, and I'm excited about the strong grassroots campaign we're building here to change the priorities in Washington and put Iowa families first."

For additional inquires please contact Sarah van Deest at sarah@monicavernonforcongress.com or 319.431.3144.

Monica Vernon is a Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa's First Congressional District. A life-long Iowan and working mom, Vernon is a leader dedicated to putting the people of Iowa first.

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For more information visit: www.monicavernonforcongress.com

03 Apr 2015

Gov. Rauner File Writs of Special Election

By Catherine Kelly

Dates Likely to Change Under Federal Consent Decree

   

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner today issued writs of election as required by law to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of former U.S. Representative Aaron Schock.  

The writs include election dates compliant with the 115-day timeline required by Illinois law, but the dates will be modified after the state enters into a consent decree to comply with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.  

The Administration expects the actual dates for the Special Primary Election and Special Election each will be delayed several weeks from the dates indicated in the writs of election. Governor Rauner will issue amended writs of election with the revised election dates after the consent decree is entered.  

As prescribed by Illinois law, the first day for candidates of established political parties to file original nomination papers with the State Board of Elections will be Wednesday, April 15, 2015. The last day to file nomination papers will be Monday, April 20, 2015. Those dates will not be modified by the consent decree.  

The writs are attached to this release. 

Additional Background

For years, the Illinois Election Code has prescribed a timeline for conducting special elections for U.S. Representative that is not compliant with federal law. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) is intended to protect the voting rights of citizens residing abroad, including in particular military men and women stationed overseas. Illinois law, however, does not provide sufficient time for ballots to be mailed abroad.

For that reason, the State of Illinois entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2013 to bring the State temporarily into compliance with UOCAVA for the last special election for U.S. Representative. Governor Rauner, Attorney General Madigan, and the Illinois State Board of Elections are now working cooperatively with the Department of Justice to enter into a similar consent decree for the special election caused by former Rep. Schock's resignation.

This problem has persisted without a permanent solution for too long. Governor Rauner is working with the General Assembly leadership to pass legislation to protect the voting rights of our military men and women serving overseas, while still providing that any vacancy is filled as expeditiously as possible to ensure full representation in Congress for the people of Illinois.

Current Writs

·         Special Primary Election will be June 8 (excepted to be delayed until late June or early July)
·         Special Election will be July 24 (expected to be delayed until late August)

 

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01 Apr 2015

Former U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling Endorses Darin LaHood for IL-18

By Terry Schilling
PEORIA, IL--Today former U.S. Representative Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) announced his full support for Illinois State Senator Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) in his run for Congress to represent the Illinois 18th District.
"Darin LaHood is a principled conservative, a man of great character, and a true statesman. There is no doubt in my mind he will be an excellent representative in Congress for central Illinois," Schilling said. "Darin understands the challenges we face as a nation. As a State Senator, Darin worked to rebuild the middle class and promote policies to strengthen our economy and improve the lives of all Illinoisans.

"Darin will put the dignity of the human person at the center of his agenda in Washington. From protecting the innocent unborn to promoting working families, Darin will always do the right thing.
"Darin's conservative values are right for the Illinois 18th District and right for America. I'm proud to support him?he's done great things for the State of Illinois?and I look forward to seeing him take on a new challenge in Washington, D.C."
Bobby Schilling (R-Colona) was born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois. He has been married to his wife, Christie for 28 years and together they have 10 children. Schilling represented the Illinois 17th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2012, serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Agriculture Committee, and the House Small Business Committee.
23 Mar 2015

Governor Bruce Rauner Statement on Representative Aaron Schock Resigning

By Lance Trover

Governor Bruce Rauner issued the following statement:  "This is a sad day for the people of Illinois and the 18th District."

 

 

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10 Mar 2015

Iowa Ag Summit Shines Light on Glaring Flaws in GOP Field

By Ben Ray

The Republican field had a chance to stand out at this weekend's Iowa Ag Summit, but instead displayed the same political skill that cost them the presidency in 2012. Scott Walker focused on promoting his extreme positions, Jeb Bush ran a failed play from Mitt Romney's playbook, and the #GOPRebrand hit new lows as Rick Perry compared immigrants to tracking UPS packages and Rick Santorum repeated his opposition to legal immigration.

 

Rick Perry

Compares Immigrants to UPS Packages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2iMZZ4Q0hQ

 

Mike Huckabee

Says Immigrants Come "Because They've Heard There's A Bowl of Food Just Across the Border" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJXjNXa5EdU

 

Rick Santorum

Opposes LEGAL Immigration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0zuwPc-KG4&feature=youtu.be

 

Scott Walker

 

Opposing the Wind PTC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNbMrXHOvTM

Forgetting Norman Borlaug's Name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9uKwsCykhc

Doubling Down on His Extreme Position on Immigration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-JMWU_q_GI

 

Jeb Bush

Opposing the Wind PTC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfGTGzG-gCM

Opposing the RFS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyMwMqnPN_8

 

Ted Cruz

Denies Climate Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p4o8dDXPRs

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