Iowa
Iowa makes ban on same-sex marriage anti-constitutional
This is amazing! From Unanimous ruling: Iowa marriage no longer limited to one man, one woman :: DesMoinesRegister.com :: The Des Moines Register:
"The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution," the justices said in a summary of their decision.
And with that, Iowa court-houses have 3 weeks to change their paperwork and proceedings so they include gay couples in their marriage ceremonies.
When will New York be next?
Followup: Climate Action Now Iowa
Yesterday was a day of action in Washington, DC and Iowa (and presumably other places) to pressure the new Congress to take action on climate change. This comes from the Iowa chapter of 1Sky.org:
Climate Voters Welcome 111th Congress in Visits Across the State
Constituents encourage Congress, President-Elect Obama to jumpstart a green economy
IOWA – In small groups across the state, citizens welcomed members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation with welcome cards calling for bold climate action and a new green economy. Constituents visited the offices of Representative Loebsack, Representative Latham, Representative Boswell, Senator Harkin and Senator Grassley. Iowans delivered a strong message for drastic cuts in global warming pollution, the creation of five million green jobs, and a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.
“It’s crucial that the new Congress and President-elect Obama know what we expect of them in January,” said Anjuli Kronheim, 1Sky organizer for Iowa. “The economic crisis and the climate crisis can be tackled at the same time with investments in renewable energy and efficiency that create jobs and put people back to work.”
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Tuesday: Climate Action Now rally in Washington, DC; Partner Actions in Iowa
On Tuesday Nov. 18 the 1 Sky campaign plans to greet lawmakers in DC with a rally, and their Iowa branch plans to visit Congressional offices at the same time. DC rally first, Iowa action follows:
It's not too late to be part of this amazing action happening this Tuesday, November 18th. Send a strong message to your representative by delivering a welcome card which calls for bold action. You can download the welcome card here. Over 4,000 people have already signed up! Do your part by signing up today, and downloading the card.
People are taking action everywhere -- you don't want to miss out!
If you work in the DC Metro area:
Join us on Tuesday, November 18th at 12 noon as hundreds come together on Capitol Hill to call for Climate Action Now! We’ll be hearing from climate movement leaders like Bill McKibben, Mike Tidwell and Gillian Caldwell as we welcome our newly elected leaders and call upon President-elect Obama to attend the crucial United Nations Climate Conference in Poznan, Poland, in December.
After the rally, delegations will deliver welcome-and-take-action cards to President-elect Obama's office and to Members of Congress. Join us!
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Culture Kitchen's Twenty-One State Endorsement Roundup
Well, I think 21 states is about my limit. Was considering trying to put together West Virginia and Oklahoma pages, but I think the following are all I can do before election day rolls over us. Look for your state. I cover whatever caught my attention from school board and port authority up to Governor and Senate races. It is compiled from Progressive Majority, INDN List, Daily Kos efforts and my own research. The only controversial one I endorsed was in Washington State, and you can see the contrary comment in that section (from a Republican with a chip on his shoulder, but still with a valid point). So here they are, the 2008 Culture Kitchen Twenty-One State Endorsement Roundup:
Please forgive me if I skipped your state or skipped candidates in your state. I am just one person!
Words of Encouragement from the Secretary of State Project
Since 2000 the specter of election fraud has haunted America's elections. There is little question that things have gone wrong in our elections in recent years, from gun toting rednecks threatening Hispanic voters to voter caging to what appears to be manipulation of voting machines by Republican biased companies. It is unclear if this kind of activity has actually affected the outcomes of elections, and if so how many elections, but problems have been frequent and almost always favoring Republicans. It should be noted that this year, to date, accusations of fraud that favor Democrats has been largely debunked, while accusations of fraud favoring Republicans has led to actual arrests in at least two cases.
Since 2000 the reaction to apparent election fraud has ranged from denial to panic. Panic is NEVER appropriate. And I will deal with the denial end when I have more time. But the truth is, neither panic nor denial are terribly effective strategies. What is effective is preparation and action. Barack Obama's unprecedented legal team is one example of this. But there is a much quieter example that is already paying dividends: the Secretary of State Project. The Secretary of State Project (SoS) was created by concerned citizens to provide an easy-to-use, low-cost vehicle for online donations to key Secretary of State races. They got started in 2006 and won five key races. You want to hear preparation, compare the list of states that the SoS project won in 2006 to our key swing states this year: Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa and...yep, Ohio. This success in 2006 should be reassuring to America in 2008, as recently pointed out by the Secretary of State Project:
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For Our Iowa Readers: Election Guide
Here are endorsements for our Iowa readers:
Let me introduce you to a candidate running for Conrgess in Iowa. Becky Greenwald is running against Tom Latham (R) in the IA-04 district.
Let me quote from her website:
"In Tom Latham, we have a congressman who has continually opposed women’s reproductive rights and has given a green light and a blank check to George Bush’s war in Iraq.
Together, we will make a difference for those struggling to get by on the minimum wage.
We will make a difference for those who cannot afford access to quality healthcare.
We will make a difference for those brave men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and facing life with an injury and the scars of war.
We will make a difference when we repeal the unfunded mandate known as No Child Left Behind.
We will make a difference when we invest in homegrown energy alternatives which lessen our dependence on foreign oil, clean up our environment, and put Iowans to work at high-paying jobs which can’t be outsourced and can be unionized."
Here is footage of other of an Iraq Veteran confronting Rep. Tom Latham on the war:
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On This Day
