The high Five (newsletter from progressiowa.org)

I have been getting this daily newsletter from the folks at ProgressIowa - progressiowa.org - for the past couple of weeks:
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Welcome to Tuesday!

It’s another spring-like day here in Iowa, so make sure to get outside and get some fresh air!

For many, the month of March means one thing: basketball. And in anticipation of March Madness, we at Progress Iowa are having our own competition we’re calling the “Extreme 16.” We’re asking Iowans to nominate Iowa’s most extreme lawmakers, the ones passing harmful legislation and making our state less safe. Then, we’ll reveal the bracket and the legislator Iowans name the most “extreme” next week. You can make your nomination right now: Progress Iowa’s Extreme 16.

After that, take a look at the news we’re keeping an eye on today:

1. EXTREME BILLS FACE DEADLINE: The second Funnel Week of the legislative session is here, which means a lot of bills may not be moving forward. Among the bills on the chopping block, Iowa Republicans’ proposal to jail teachers who distribute materials that a parent may not favor. Let’s hope this shameful piece of legislation is done, once and for all. You can help by sharing your opposition to this with your legislator and on social media.

Click to Tweet: ​​Educators should NOT be threatened with jail time for political points! That’s why we need Iowa’s senators to vote NO on SF2198! Join me and share your support for Iowa’s educators today! #Iowa #iaed

Once you’ve shared that message, read through these other issues we’re watching:

2. MAKING CHILDCARE LESS SAFE: A couple of childcare bills are also on the line this Funnel Week. While Republicans have proposed bills to address our state’s childcare shortage, all of their solutions are short-term fixes that actually make Iowa’s children less safe. We need lawmakers to push for actual solutions, like raising the wage for childcare workers.

3. IOWANS SAY “NO” TO VOUCHERS: We expect many Iowa Republicans to once again push for Governor Reynolds’ plan to send public school dollars to private schools. But, a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found that a majority of Iowans oppose the plan. It’s time Reynolds and the Iowa Republicans that support this bill give up on vouchers and invest in our public schools. Public schools, especially those in rural areas, shouldn’t have to pay this steep price for Reynolds’ political agenda, and we’re grateful for all the legislators standing against this.

4. REWARDING OUR EDUCATORS: We know Iowa’s education professionals have worked incredibly hard over the last two years due to the pandemic, political attacks, and paying out of pocket for school supplies and protective equipment. And schools know that Gov. Reynolds’ proposal to give teachers a $1,000 bonus just isn’t enough. Not only that, but many school employees don’t qualify for the bonus. That’s why many districts are going above and beyond to make sure all of their education professionals know they are appreciated. Governor Reynolds should take notes.

5. BOTTLE BILL IS BACK: It’s the issue that just won’t go away. Lawmakers are once again considering changes to Iowa’s bottle redemption program. Beverage distributors, retailers and redemption centers have been calling for changes for years, saying the current program is expensive and burdensome. New legislation laying out changes to the bottle bill advanced out of subcommittee yesterday, that lawmakers say lets everyone win. The bill now heads to the full Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Want to hear more from our team? You can go to our online news blog, Potluck, to hear from Iowans and leaders around the state. You can also hear more from our team on our podcast, “What a Week,” where we break down each week’s top news stories and speak with leaders from around Iowa about issues you care about.

Want to help progressive messaging and policy in the state of Iowa? Sign up at ProgressIowa.org to volunteer, donate, and hear more from our team!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll get back with you tomorrow for another Hive Five!

- The Progress Iowa Team