Gov. Kim Reynolds is accused of breaking Iowa laws on open cases in a lawsuit filed this week.
The suit, filed by the ACLU, includes watchdogs and the media as complainants. Over the past year and a half, they say, Reynolds’ office has ignored or refused to comply with their demands regarding COVID-19 actions and other public policy matters.
Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU Iowa legal director, said that the need for elected officials to honor these demands is an essential function of democracy.
“Without access to information on what the government is doing on behalf of the people who put these elected officials in place,†she said, “we really don’t have the checks and balances in place that we need, in order to maintain our democratic governance system.
One of the files sought relates to videos Reynolds may have recorded for workers at meat packing plants as COVID-19 spread through these facilities. Another plaintiff wants information on members of the Iowa State Patrol sent to the US border with Mexico. Reynolds’ office did not respond to a request for comment before the deadline.
Randy Evans, Executive Director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, said Reynolds’ disrespect was a break with former Hawkeye state governors.
“This was one of the most significant periods in Iowa history,†he said, “but the governor and his staff have deprived the citizens of Iowa of documents and information that ‘they have the right to receive “.
He said these records are crucial in helping voters assess the governor’s performance in running the state through a public health crisis and heightened political tensions. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court on Thursday, seeks an order finding Reynolds violated state law, hoping to compel her to hand over the requested information.
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LINCOLN, Neb. — A new Nebraska Common Causes Report last year, more than $ 18 million was invested in lobbying efforts in Nebraska. By comparison, in 2000, just over $ 3 million was spent on lobbying.
Jack Gould, chairman of the group’s issues, said high levels of spending to influence public policy can have an erosive impact on the democratic system. He is especially worried about senators who rely on lobbying firms to finance their electoral campaigns.
“We believe the lobby should operate on an equal footing with the public,” Gould said. “Which means they shouldn’t be involved in campaign finance. We find the lobby making direct payments from the lobbying firms and we find them organizing fundraisers for them. candidates. “
Overall spending was down nearly $ 1 million from 2019 figures, likely due to pandemic-related public health precautions that impacted restaurants and in-person events. Yet pay was up for more than half of the state’s ten largest lobbying firms.
Lobbyists were given few limits in Nebraska and nationwide after the 2010 US Supreme Court ruling money was a form of speech protected in its landmark United citizens decision.
Gould argued that money can stifle the voices of everyday Nebraska residents and has become a troubling obstacle to passing laws that benefit the public. He added all too often that good policy proposals stagnate in the legislature and only gain traction when nonprofits and community organizations can afford to hire a lobbying firm.
“Well, is this the way democracy is supposed to work? Asked Gould. “It’s not democracy the way I think it is, and I think most Americans think about it. The legislature is supposed to respond to the public, not the paid people.”
Altria, formerly known as Phillip Morris, has invested over $ 1 million in lobbying over five years. The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce came in second, spending some $ 800,000 during the same period.
The highest paid lobbying firm was Mueller / Robak, which raised $ 7.2 million for its efforts to get closer to state lawmakers.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In the past two months, two polls have shown voters in West Virginia are concerned about so-called “black money†in politics.
They say the opaque political spending of nonprofits, shell companies and groups outside state officials means voters don’t always get the information they need about candidates.
Quentin Berg, a resident of Putnam County, said he believes black money is an issue in the state’s two main political parties, and believes it has become nearly impossible for most voters to West Virginia accurately assess a candidate’s priorities.
“Without this responsibility, it is impossible to know what their real priorities are every time they take office,” said Berg.
A pair of published polls in March and in May by the End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund found that 79% of West Virginia support the For the People Act in Congress, which would require any group spending more than $ 10,000 on political advertising to disclose all donors who donated that amount or more.
Senator Joe Manchin, DW.Va., a expressed his opposition to legislation.
In 2020, national and federal election expenses were estimated at around $ 14 billion, almost double what was spent in 2016, and is based on official documents from the Federal Election Commission.
But experts at Tufts University’s Leir Institute say so does not fully account for black money.
Berg believes that instead of serving the needs of corporate donors, West Virginia elected officials should focus on investing in the state’s outdoor recreation communities and economy.
“We’re not doing a good job of investing money in our people and in our communities, to make it a place to live, a place where you want to raise a family,” Berg said.
According to opensecrets.org, in 2020, liberal groups used more than $ 514 million in black money for elections, compared to around $ 200 million used by Republican groups.
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Consumers, employers and small business owners in Wyoming and the United States agree it’s time to take health care reform further, new polls show.
Frederick Isasi, executive director of the nonprofit Families USA, said Americans were tired of paying exorbitant prices for prescription drugs and a host of other abuses.
He argued that the biggest obstacle to reform is the consolidating power of the trillion-dollar healthcare industry, with hundreds of lobbyists in Washington DC and state capitals.
“So, this is really a David and Goliath moment,†Isasi said. “Where these very rich interests make the system work, they’ve always worked to try to stop the elected officials from doing what the American people want. And so this is a time when the American people really need to raise their voices.”
The healthcare sector spends more on lobbying than any other industry, but Isasi argued that they represent a minority view. Among the respondents, 75% of voters want President Joe Biden and Congress to curb abuse this year, and 85% of the country’s executives said the government should play a bigger role in providing medical coverage and containing costs, a move they say will be better for businesses.
One in three small businesses report that all employees health coverage during COVID-19 was a priority, but costs were a prohibitive barrier.
Isasi noted that polls showed that minds are more open today about the need to ensure the health of all members of the community, regardless of their background.
“And there has been, I think, an awareness of the role of immigrant communities and vulnerable communities, as frontline workers in keeping our economy running during the pandemic,” Isasi noted.
In Wyoming, one in ten children do not have health insurance and 15% of non-elderly adults lack of coverage.
Isasi argued that no one should have to forgo healthcare because of costs, or choose between filling a prescription and paying their rent or mortgage. He added that the ball is now in Congress’ court to ensure families never have to make those impossible decisions.
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