The High Five | Blog for Iowa

Grab your chocolate covered cotton balls and share a sweet treat with your friends to celebrate a day of pranks and fun.

What’s not so fun? Republican lawmakers are selling hard-working Iowans so their big corporate donors can boost their bottom lines.

Let’s dive into our main title:

1. 1. HINSON VOTES AGAINST INSULIN CAP: American families are struggling under the weight of rising costs and middle-class wages that simply aren’t keeping pace. But for years the rich and corporations have been getting richer while working people are the most affected.

      Yesterday, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expand safe and affordable access to health care by passing HR6833, the Affordable Insulin Act, with the goal of capping monthly insulin costs at $35. MP Ashley Hinson voted “NO” to this life-saving bill. In one video address Before the vote, Hinson tried to explain his opposition while promoting a bill that puts insurers above patients. This inability to conceal her intentions simply proves two things: she has no idea what working families in Iowa are paying for insulin, and she’s more than willing to prioritize corporate interests over to Iowans facing rising costs for life-saving drugs like insulin.

      In 2017, Rep. Hinson voted for a Iowa House Bill that made major cuts to workers’ compensation benefits, a bill that one Democratic senator called the “wish list of corporations and insurance companies.“Seven insurance groups lobbied for the bill days before it was passed. And from 2019 to 2021, Rep. Hinson and her husband caught up $1 million in dividends insurance sector assets.

      Rep. Hinson faces a choice: Are you beholden to the wealthy, corporate elite, or do you fight for everyday working Americans — the people who elected you? Share the message below to tell Ashley Hinson she should fight for the Iowans who elected her.

      Click to tweet: @RepAshleyHinson has sold out Iowa workers time and time again. We need leaders in Washington who will work for Iowa families, not just its wealthy donors #UnrigOurEconomy #Iowa unrigoureconomyiowa.com

      After sharing this post, check out some of the other top stories we’re watching today:

   2. TRANS VISIBILITY DAY HIKE: Yesterday, dozens of students at Waterloo West High School walked out of class in honor of Trans Visibility Day to protest the Republican-passed transathlete ban signed by Governor Reynolds. These students showed their support and spoke about their personal experiences. You can read more about the ban on transgender athletes and Visibility Day in this article on Potluck: Clouded Transgender Visibility Day.
   3. ONGOING IOWA WATER QUALITY ISSUES: Water quality issues aren’t new to Iowa, but a new DNR report shows that many of Iowa’s natural drinking water supplies are contaminated with “permanent chemicals.” These chemicals can cause disease and other problems if humans are exposed at high enough levels. We must do more to protect our waterways. You can learn more about how we can fight to protect our water quality here with Francis Thick, PhD, a soil scientist and farmer who writes about soil and water quality in Iowa. You can read his article here: Soil and water quality in Iowa at risk.
   4. ABORTION IS A HEALTH CARE: Yesterday, an Iowa Senate committee voted to advance a bill that would provide $1 million in public funding to “crisis pregnancy centers.” But thanks to Planned Parenthood, we know that crisis pregnancy centers prey on women who find themselves in a difficult situation and manipulate them into keeping their unwanted pregnancies. This vote is another attack by Iowa Republicans on a person’s right to choose what to do with their own body and pregnancy. If Republicans truly valued life, they would get to work solving public health crises like rising maternal mortality rates and the alarming rise in sexually transmitted diseases across the state.
   5. TELL GRASSLEY TO VOTE “YES” ON KBJ: And next week, we join attorneys from across the state to visit Senator Grassley’s office on Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6, throughout the day to show our support and enthusiasm for Judge Ketanji. Brown Jackson, pending the full Senate. vote to approve him as the new justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. We will demand that Grassley and Ernst vote YES to #ConfirmJudgeJackson and hold our lawmakers accountable during this historic moment. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is one of the most qualified candidates in history. We need to take action and show our support by showing up in the office for her and bringing more attention to this historic moment.

Want to know more about our team? You can visit our online news blog, potluck, to hear from Iowans and state leaders. Want to help progressive messages and policies in the state of Iowa? Sign up at ProgressIowa.org to volunteer, donate, and learn more about our team!

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

– The Progress Iowa Team

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