29 Aug 2014

Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds complete visits to all 99 counties in 2014

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

Branstad, Reynolds have held a combined 2,454 public events since taking office

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced they will complete their visit to all of Iowa's 99 counties for the fourth consecutive year today following a stop in Louisa County. Branstad and Reynolds committed to visiting every county, every year. Since taking office in 2011, the pair has held a combined 2,454 public events.

"Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I take great pride in visiting every county in Iowa each and every year," said Branstad. "We thoroughly enjoy meeting with Iowans, hearing their ideas and sharing our vision in cafes, diners, coffee shops and community centers. I believe being accessible to all Iowans, not just those at the Capitol, is a critically important."

Branstad's and Reynolds' final county to hit in 2014 is Louisa County. They'll visit a family-owned business, Simply Soothing, which makes natural bug repellant, today at 3:45 p.m.

"Though we've visited every county in 2014, Governor Branstad and I will continue traveling the state this year to listen and share our ideas to continue moving Iowa forward," said Reynolds. "We remain committed to visiting every Iowa county, every year. Iowans shouldn't have to travel to Des Moines to talk with their elected officials. Visiting every county, every year, provides citizens the opportunity to engage in the process and share their views."

Through the first three years in office, Branstad and Reynolds have averaged a combined 669 public events per year. Through today, Aug. 28, 2014, they have held a combined 447 events in 2014.

 

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28 Aug 2014

FORMER IOWA STATE SENATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO CONCEALING FEDERAL CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES

By Suellen Irwin

WASHINGTON - A former Iowa State Senator pleaded guilty today to concealing payments he received from a presidential campaign in exchange for switching his support and services from one candidate to another and to obstructing a subsequent investigation into his conduct.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Timothy A. Gallagher of the FBI's Washington Field Office made the announcement.

"An elected official admitted that he accepted under-the-table payments from a campaign committee to secure his support and services for a candidate in the 2012 presidential election," said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  "Campaign finance reports should be accurate and transparent, not tools for concealing campaign expenditures.  Lying by public officials - whether intended to obstruct the FEC or federal investigators - violates the public trust and the law, and the Department of Justice does not tolerate it."

"Today, Mr. Sorenson has taken responsibility for his crimes," said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Gallagher.  "Exploiting the political process for personal gain will not be tolerated, and we will continue to pursue those who commit such illegal actions."

Kent Sorenson, 42, of Milo, Iowa, pleaded guilty today to one count of causing a federal campaign committee to falsely report its expenditures to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with the concealed expenditures.  The guilty plea was taken by Chief Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer of the Southern District of Iowa for later review by Senior District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt.  Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Sorenson admitted that he had supported one campaign for the 2012 presidential election, but from October to December 2011, he met and secretly negotiated with a second political campaign to switch his support to that second campaign in exchange for concealed payments that amounted to $73,000.  On Dec. 28, 2011, at a political event in Des Moines, Iowa, Sorenson publicly announced his switch of support and work from one candidate to the other.

The payments included monthly installments of approximately $8,000 each and were concealed by transmitting them to a film production company, then through a second company, and finally to Sorenson and his spouse.  In response to criticism of his change of support for the candidates, Sorenson gave interviews to the media denying allegations that he was receiving any money from the second campaign committee, and noted that the committee's FEC filings would show that the committee made no payments to him.

In his plea agreement, Sorenson also admitted that he gave false testimony to an independent counsel appointed at the request of the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee, which was investigating allegations from a former employee of the first presidential campaign.  Sorenson testified falsely to the independent counsel about the concealed payments, in part to obstruct investigations that he anticipated by the FBI and FEC.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Omaha Field Office and the Des Moines Resident Agency.  The case is being prosecuted by Election Crimes Branch Director Richard C. Pilger and Trial Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section.

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28 Aug 2014

PATE TAKES LEAD IN SECRETARY OF STATE RACE LATEST POLL SHOWS MOMENTUM

By Paid for by Pate for Iowa

(Cedar Rapids, IA)  Today, former Iowa Secretary of State and Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Paul D. Pate, has taken the lead in the race to become Iowa's next Secretary of State.

Public Policy Polling, a left-leaning research firm released their latest poll showing Paul Pate taking the lead in the race for Iowa Secretary of State, 35-34%.  Among registered Independents the margin is even greater with 35-24% in favor of Pate.  Additionally, 64% of Independents responded that they disapprove of President Barack Obama's job performance.  The Democrat candidate running for Secretary of State was President Obama's 2012 Iowa campaign director.

"This poll is further confirmation that Iowans want, expect and deserve a proven public servant that will represent everyone in the state and not a career partisan political operative as their chief commissioner of elections.  I have previously served as Iowa Secretary of State and served the people of Iowa in a non partisan manner while encouraging voter participation and protecting the integrity of the election process.

PPP surveyed 915 likely voters from August 22-24th. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.2%. 80% of interviews for the poll were conducted over the phone with 20% interviewed over the internet to reach respondents who don't have landline telephones. For complete results of the poll:  http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2014/PPP_Release_IA_826930.pdf

A nationally recognized small business leader by the Small Business Administration, Pate is the owner of a paving construction firm in Marion and recently served as Mayor of Cedar Rapids from 2002 -2006.  While Mayor, Pate was elected President of the non-partisan Iowa League of Cities representing over 870 municipalities.  Previously, he served as Iowa Secretary of State from 1995-1999 and represented NE Cedar Rapids, Marion and parts of Linn, Buchanan and Delaware Counties in the Iowa Senate from 1989-1995.

Pate is a lifelong Iowa resident, born in Ottumwa, growing up in Linn County.

 

 

 

28 Aug 2014

Labor Day Events Around Iowa

By Lance Coles

Burlington: Des Moines/Henry County Labor Council - Labor Day Picnic 4 - 7 PM/  40 & 8 Park. Single $5, family $10. Tickets include : Meal, Door Prizes, Kids Games and Bounce House. 319-753-1647 .  rdrew@local150.org.

Cedar Rapids: Hawkeye Downs 4400  6th St SW. 11:30 to 1:30 PM Food Served. Door Prizes. Entertainment to 4 PM. 319-396-8461. rmoyle@hawkeyelabor.us.

Clinton: - Clinton Labor Congress will be having our annual picnic on Sunday August 31st Noon until 3pm  Eagle Point Park lodge in Clinton.   Free food  Free beverages   Kids games   Door prizes and raffles      Local, State and Federal candidates are invited. 309-788-4569. dkeefer@lu25.org

Des Moines: Parade line up 8 am at Iowa State Capitol.  Parade will run from the Iowa State Capitol to the State Fairgrounds east on Grand Ave. Post parade, gathering at the Labor Park 4640 NW Morningstar Drive. 515-265-1862.  mark@scifl.org. Grills, charcoal and water provided at park, live music from Local #75 musicians.  515=265-1862 mjark@scilf.org

Dubuque: Parade starting at 9:30 am in Downtown Dubuque. 563-599-7725, hawkeyerad@hotmail.com

Iowa City: Iowa City Fed Picnic. Upper City Park. Shelter 2. Noon to 5. 310361-3212. iowacityfed@gmail.com

Keokuk: Lee County Labor Council - 301 Blondeau St., Keokuk, IA. Parade 11 AM, Music and Kids activities in the afternoon. Food at Noon.  319-524-9861 or budfromanotherplanet@gmx.com

Lucas: John L Lewis Labor Festival. Saturday, August 30, 2014. Lucas Iowa. Parade 11 am. Breakfast 6 - 10 am. Events all day. 641-766-6421 or 641-766-6544

Mason City - North Iowa Nine: North Iowa Nine Labor Council, AFL-CIO Picnic - FREE
Georgia Hanford Park Mason City, IA 50401 11am to 3pm on Sept 1st. Barbara Oelberg 641-430-3697 boelberg@netins.net

Quad Cities: Parade in East Moline, IL. Parade starts at 11AM. 31st anniversary. East Moline along 15th Avenue.  309-738-6536 jschipp@unitedwayqc.org or  309-788-1303 quadcityfed@netexpress.net

Sioux City - Northwest Iowa Labor Council - Labor Day Activities. Noon Riverside Park. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, pop, ice tea. Games for Children. Speakers - Jim Mowrer, Chris Hall, Monica Vernon, Dave Dawson and Jim France.  712-276-0473.  jhammx2@q.com

Waterloo: Blackhawk Union Council -September 1st at Gateway Park Cedar Falls, IA "Stronger Together" Labor Day Picnic Starts at 11:00AM and runs till 3:00PM.Union Brothers and Sisters please join us in a day of celebration of solidarity with food and fun and fellowship. For more information contact John Padget at john.padget@cvuw.org

"Today, we are celebrating the power of working people who built this country and make it run every day. Labor Day was created to honor them, but words alone don't put food on the table and gas in the tank. In Iowa and across the country, millions of working families cannot support themselves with stagnant wages and disappearing benefits in this tough economy. It's time to end the corporate and political attacks on working people and create good public policy that will raise wages and restore our faith in the American Dream," said Ken Sagar, President Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO

The Iowa AFL-CIO, along with the broader labor movement, launched a national Raising Wages campaign this year. United under the banner of Raising Wages, working people throughout the country are advocating for good public policies like an increased minimum wage, universal earned sick days and workplace fairness and collective action to create an economy of shared prosperity.

27 Aug 2014

Senator Durbin to headline 47th Annual Labor Day Picnic

By Doug House

Event to highlight contributions of working men & women

The Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee's 47th Annual "Salute to Labor" will feature good food, good family fun and a line-up of elected officials and statewide candidates gathered to honor the contributions of working men and women.

Among those confirmed as attending on Monday, September 1, 2014, at Illiniwek Park in Hampton, include : U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Lt. Governor & Comptroller candidate Sheila Simon, U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, Lt. Governor candidate Paul Vallas and State Treasurer candidate, State Senator Mike Frerichs.

Two long-time members of the Quad Cities labor community - Joe Terronez and Marshall Douglas Sr. - will receive special recognition at the Labor Day picnic.

Also in attendance will be leaders from the Quad City Federation of Labor, the Tri-City Building & Construction Trades Council along with Quad City area elected officials including State Sen. Mike Jacobs and State Reps. Pat Verschoore and Mike Smiddy.

"I look forward to joining U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, other statewide officials and my friends in the Quad Cities to help celebrate and salute the significant contributions working men and women have made, over generations, to the quality of life and the economy of the region," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor Paul Vallas echoed Senator Durbin's message. "I am honored to stand alongside our good friends in the Quad Cities to make the case that this campaign is a choice between the government of the many versus the government of the money," said Vallas. "The question at the heart of this campaign has to deal with which party is best equipped to help rebuild the middle class in Illinois and the answer couldn't be more clear."

"We welcome families from throughout the Quad Cities to attend this family-friendly event," said Doug House, Chair of the Rock Island County Democratic Central Committee.

Tickets, which are $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12, will include a tasty chicken dinner and may be purchased at the event. Bounce houses for children will be on the picnic grounds and food and refreshments will be served from 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The official program of speakers will start at 1:00 p.m.  For more information, please call (309) 786-8337.

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25 Aug 2014

JACK HATCH TO RELEASE PLANS FOR IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN MONDAY ADDRESS TO DAVENPORT ROTARY CLUB

By John Hedgecoth

DES MOINES - Jack Hatch, candidate for Governor, is expected to release a detailed plan for the future of Iowa's economic development efforts at a noon speech to the Davenport Rotary Club Monday, August 25th.  The event is open to members of the media.   Hatch will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. in Davenport to answer questions about his plan.  Details appear below.

 

Jack Hatch Address to Davenport Rotary Club

Noon

Monday August, 25th

The Outing Club

2109 Brady St, Davenport, IA 52803

(This event is open to members of the media)

 

Jack Hatch News Conference

1:30 p.m.

Iowa Democratic Party

Scott County Campaign Headquarters

1708 Brady Street, Davenport, IA 50803

 

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25 Aug 2014

So... About That $34,800...

By Jan Schweppe

Congresswoman Bustos promised to give up 10 percent of her salary if elected to Congress. Will she pay up?

If Bustos is not willing to keep her word on a simple campaign promise,  how are voters supposed to trust her on anything?


EAST MOLINE, Ill.?It has been a rough week for Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, whose campaign has repeatedly claimed she "misspoke" when she promised the Chicago Tribune she would give up 10 percent of her pay if elected to Congress. It appears that Bustos has no intention of following through on her promise.

The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus took her to task for this on Saturday. The Peoria Journal Star followed up with severe criticism on Sunday after Bustos ran away from reporters last week.

Still, the Schilling campaign is holding out hope that Bustos will do the right thing and follow through on her campaign promise to give up 10 percent of her pay.

Jon Schweppe, communications director at Bobby Schilling for Congress, released the following statement:

"Hard-working taxpayers are wondering?is Congresswoman Bustos planning on paying up? It was crystal clear in that interview that she committed to giving up 10 percent of her pay as a way to show 'skin in the game.' That was certainly a nice gesture?now she needs to show that she meant it. If Congresswoman Bustos is not willing to keep her word on a simple campaign promise like this, how are voters supposed to trust her on anything? We are calling on Congresswoman Bustos to do the right thing and show that she has at least an ounce of integrity by following through on her promise to give up 10 percent of her pay.

"Bobby Schilling didn't need an opponent's campaign to remind him of his promises. He followed through. Bobby rejected his congressional pension and health care plans, and he voted to cut his office budget by more than 10 percent. Following those cuts, he returned an additional $110,000 surplus from his office budget to the taxpayers. Bobby voted against all pay increases for Members of Congress, and he even signed on to a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction calling for a 10 percent decrease in pay for Members of Congress.

"There's no doubt: Bobby Schilling is the more honest candidate, the candidate with more skin in the game, and he's the better choice for middle class families in western Illinois."

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. Schilling is seeking another term and is running against incumbent Congresswoman Cheri Bustos.

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25 Aug 2014

Braley and Klobuchar Call for Minimum Wage Increase

By Sam Lau
Braley and Klobuchar visit local business in Waterloo to highlight importance of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and restore its purchasing power

Waterloo, IA - Bruce Braley and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), vice chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, today discussed the importance of raising the minimum wage and providing 300,000 Iowans with a pay raise during a visit to Popcorn Heaven in Waterloo.  Braley and Klobuchar have both been fighting to increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour to restore its purchasing power, fight income inequality, and strengthen Iowa and the nation's economy.

Today's stop comes after Braley for Iowa released a new report this week detailing the many benefits to Iowa working families of raising the federal minimum wage - a move that would overwhelmingly benefit adult workers, women, and families.

On the other hand, State Sen. Joni Ernst has repeatedly said that she does not support a federal minimum wage and that she thinks $7.25 an hour - which means roughly $15,000 a year for a full-time worker - is an appropriate minimum wage for hardworking Iowans.  Earlier this week, Ernst reinforced her opposition to the minimum wage and showed just how out of touch she is when she said $7.25 is a "great starter wage for many high school students, those that are just getting into work experience."

Braley said, "No one in Iowa should work a full-time job and live near or below the poverty line.  It's been over five years since the last federal minimum wage increase, and the minimum wage buys less and less for Iowa's workers, many of whom are supporting families. Small businesses like Popcorn Heaven know raising the minimum wage is good for working Iowans, good for business, and good for the economy - and yet my opponent thinks $15,000 a year is an appropriate wage for Iowa. I am committed to raising the minimum wage, boosting Iowa's economy, and providing 300,000 Iowans with a raise."

A report from Progress Iowa earlier this year found that increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would provide 300,000 Iowans with a pay increase and infuse more than $270 million into Iowa's economy.

Since reaching its peak in 1968 at $10.69 an hour (in 2013 dollars), the minimum wage's purchasing power has steadily declined and left working Iowans struggling to support their families.

Braley and Klobuchar are sponsors of the Fair Minimum Wage Act that would increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10/hr and then tie future increases to inflation. According to a Des Moines Register poll, 65% of Iowans believe the minimum wage should be increased.


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25 Aug 2014

Jack Hatch to speak Monday at Davenport Rotary Club

By Rick Best
Iowa State Senator and candidate for governor, Jack Hatch, will speak to the Rotary Club of Davenport on Monday, August 25. The meting will begin at noon, at the Outing Club, 2109 Brady Street. The press is invited to attend.
Who: Rotary Club of Davenport
What: Presentation by Iowa State Senator Jack Hatch
When: Monday, August 25. Rotary meeting starts at noon. Speaker begins approximately at 12:20.
Where: Outing Club (upstairs ballroom), 2109 North Brady Street, Davenport.
22 Aug 2014

Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa Endorses Sen. Joni Ernst for United States Senate

By Hollie Dugan

Grimes, IA - Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Iowa today endorsed State Senator Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak) for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat.

"Our state needs Joni Ernst fighting for us in Washington, D.C.," said Jeremy Price, President of Hiawatha-based Price Industrial Electric and first vice chairman of the ABC of Iowa Board of Directors. "Her record of producing results as a State Senator can be counted on to roll back job-killing regulations like Obamacare and champion reforms that create jobs and grow our economy."

"Ernst's pro-growth record makes her the best candidate for the job," said Price. "She has an impressive record working tirelessly at the state level to balance Iowa's budget, lower taxes, provide relief from regulatory overreach, allow for greater competition and support worker freedom. Joni's experience as a conservative leader in Iowa means she will hit the ground running to reform government and stand up for Iowa taxpayers."

"Iowa families are better off thanks to Joni Ernst and we stand proudly behind her in the U.S. Senate election," said Greg Spenner, ABC of Iowa president. "We look forward to seeing her proven experience in balancing budgets, fighting for jobs, and supporting fair competition put to use in the U.S. Senate to benefit and grow our state and national economy."

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Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa is a statewide trade association representing commercial and industrial construction and construction-related firms who are dedicated to providing Iowa with high-quality, affordable, safe and on-time construction.

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