April 1, 2024 Vol. 1, No. 11

GOTV 2024 KICKOFF

Dear Scott County Democrats,

We are excited to announce that Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party will be attending our 2024 Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Kick-off–and we hope to see you there!

Scott County is the key county this year to elect Christina Bohannan to Congress–and the work to make this happen starts NOW!

Please click this link to let us know that you will join us for the Scott County Democrats’ GOTV Kick-off

Date: Saturday, April 6

Time: 1:00-3:00 PM

Place: UFCW Hall, 2411 West Central Park Ave., Davenport

We will discuss the big picture of Scott County’s critical role in this campaign, the specific GOTV plans for the coming months, and what YOU can do to help! We have big plans, but we cannot do them without you!!

Our first project will be a Listening Tour focused on Democratic voters who did not vote in 2022. We will do a short training on April 6 in preparation for that. If you cannot attend on April 6, but want to help with the Tour, we got you covered. There will be an on-line training on Tuesday, April 9. Click this link to sign up!

The dates of the Listening Tour are April 14, April 27, May 9, and May 18. More details will be coming about times and locations, but we wanted to let you know so you could get them on your calendar. We can turn out a strong Dem vote in Scott Co., but we need your help to do it! This is a grassroots effort–please join us!!

We are fired up and ready to go! Come join Team BO!

We look forward to seeing you on April 6!

Terry Olsen, Susan Stoefen, Abby Link, Jean Semsch, and Sharon Lake

Scott County Democrats’ GOTV Team

The Scott County, Iowa, Democratic Party is excited to announce the availability of the Kirschbaum-Fitzsimmons Scott County Democrats Scholarship. This scholarship honors the lives of two of the county's best known and best loved elected officials.

Kathy Kirschbaum and Karen Fitzsimmons were extraordinary women whose hard work, perseverance, dedication to fairness, and progressive actions inspired others. Kathy served as the first female mayor of Davenport and Karen as the first female auditor of the county.

In that light, the Democrats of Scott County, Iowa, have chosen to honor Kathy and Karen by offering a $1,000.00 scholarship to a graduating senior from a Scott County high school in the academic year of 2023-2024. This student must be accepted for initial enrollment in an accredited post-secondary educational program in the United States for the academic year 2024-2025. Eligible programs include 4-year colleges, community colleges, vocational, technical, trade schools, and union apprenticeships.

Interested students should check with their school counselor.

The application packet must be submitted to the scholarship committee by U.S. mail. The submission postmark deadline is May 1, 2024.

Questions regarding the scholarship requirements and/or process can be directed to Dr. Henry Brockington at Henrybrockingtondc85@gmail.com

💙 Vote Biden Harris 💙

Read all about the Biden Harris record 💙 HERE 💙 It's a great comprehensive summary of all the good the administration has done.

💙 Biden Store Link HERE 💙

Team Bo Tracker team! Interested in attending MMM's so-called "town halls" and asking her tough questions? Let us know, and we'll add you to our tracker team. Very soon we'll be provided training on this by the DCCC, so sign up 💙 HERE 💙

💙 RSVP HERE 💙

NEWS

(Above) Kay Pence, Eldridge, shows her candidacy petition at the Iowa Secretary of State's office.

Kay Pence runs again for Iowa House District 70

Kay Pence, chair of the Scott County Democratic Party, filed to run for Iowa House District 70 on March 15, the same day local school districts were required by law to certify their 2025 school year budgets.

“I’m frustrated that our dysfunctional state legislature missed their school funding deadline while legislators wasted time on culture war issues that are not priorities for our communities,” Pence said in her campaign announcement March 20

Pence will face incumbent Republican Rep. Norlin Mommsen of DeWitt. Mommsen won the 2022 election with 55.7 percent of the vote in the district covering LeClaire, Princeton, Butler and Allens Grove townships in Scott County, most of Clinton County, and three townships in southern Jackson County.

“Iowa has real problems that need to be addressed. Our cancer rate is the second highest in the country and rising. Our education system has fallen from #3 to #24 in the nation. Iowa is dead last in the nation for OBGYNs per capita, our maternal and infant mortality rate is rising, and our serious lack of nursing home staff and inspectors endanger our seniors’ well-being.

“Our impaired waterways impact our health and our families’ ability to enjoy our natural resources. Families struggle to find safe affordable housing and our rural areas continue to lose population because of a lack of family supporting jobs.

“With so many serious issues facing the average Iowan, we need state representatives who listen to their constituents and aren’t afraid to stand up to the governor’s MAGA agenda dictated by out-of-state interests and wealthy donors,” Pence said.

She said an example is Gov. Reynolds' plan to dismantle the Area Education Associations and consolidate power in Des Moines.

Pence started her career working as a technician at Northwestern Bell telephone company and retired 46 years later as a union representative with the Communications Workers of America.

Pence said she spent the better part of her career, “zeroing in on real issues, cutting through the B.S. and negotiating differences to settle on win-win solutions.”

In addition to chairing the Scott County Democratic Party, Kay is the Vice President of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, serves on the board of several organizations including the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, the Partners of Scott County Watershed, the Quad City Federation of Labor and the Great River Area Federation of Labor.

💙 SUPPORT KAY 💙

Davenport police officer Gordon Morse announces bid for Scott County Sheriff

by Sarah Watson (qctimes.com) on March 14, 2024

Davenport police Corporal Gordon Morse announced that he plans to seek the Democratic nomination for Scott County Sheriff.

Morse previously launched a write-in campaign in 2020 as an independent for sheriff, and said he was motivated to run again, this time on the ballot for the Democratic nomination.

Morse said he intends to prioritize the formation of an inter-agency unit that can more effectively respond to calls where someone is experiencing a mental health crisis that can be deescalated without an arrest.

"A general response by an officer may inflame or cause more issues," Morse said. "I spent 15 years as a detective, and I've recently gone back to patrol and started seeing the number of calls, especially in the downtown area of Davenport where the officers are just going from some type of mental health call to another and eventually that leads to an arrest sometimes to solve the problem."

Also, he said he would work to raise wages for correctional officers and restructure to alleviate staffing shortages and focus on addressing juvenile crime.

Morse, too, said he would place a higher priority on rural areas of the county. He said smaller agencies have told him they don't receive as much support from the sheriff's office as larger communities such as Davenport.

"I think I bring an idea of the needed change and evolution of the Sheriff's Office from where it's at and where it needs to change in the future," Morse said.

Morse, 52, was first hired in 1992 as a corrections officer for the Scott County Sheriff's Office. In 1993, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was stationed in Galveston, Texas, where he was deployed as part of operations that responded to mass migration from Haiti and Cuba in the mid-1990s. He's worked at the Davenport Police Department since 2000, where he's worked as a patrol officer, evidence technician, field training officer, street supervisor and detective. He's also been a bomb technician with the Quad City Bomb Squad since 2004.

Morse is one of four candidates who've announced bids for the position. Scott County Sheriff's Lieutenant Thomas Gibbs announced earlier this year he intends to seek the Democratic nomination for sheriff.

For the Republican nomination, incumbent Tim Lane, the county's sheriff since 2016, and Scott County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Laye have announced they plan to run.

The primary will be June 4 and the general election will be Nov. 5.

Candidates running for county office must file their paperwork for the 2024 Primary race between March 4 and March 22.

Read Bio HERE Read plan HERE

A guide to Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda for the next Republican administration

Project 2025 aims to roll back civil rights and destroy the federal government, among other proposals

WRITTEN BY SOPHIE LAWTON, JACINA HOLLINS-BORGES, JACK WHEATLEY & JOHN KNEFEL

PUBLISHED 03/20/24

READ DETAILS

More than half of Iowa’s tested streams and lakes are ‘impaired’

BY: JARED STRONG - MARCH 15, 2024

READ DETAILS

Democracy's Watchdog

SHAMEFUL IOWA MAGA UPDATE!!!

Iowa lawmakers pass AEA bill, move to increase teacher pay, handing win to Gov. Reynolds

By Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register

READ DETAILS

Former Trump staffer one step closer to leading Iowa schools

By Ty Rushing March 26, 2024

READ DETAILS

"Dire straits:" Iowa state parks need $100 million in repairs

BY LINH TA March 26, 2024

READ DETAILS

How Iowa lawmakers' funding delay has hurt school districts' budget planning, union talks

By Stephen Gruber-Miller and Samantha Hernandez, Des Moines Register

READ DETAILS

Inside Bayer’s State-by-State Efforts to Stop Pesticide Lawsuits

As the agrichemical giant lays groundwork to fend off Roundup litigation, its use of a playbook for building influence in farm state legislatures has the potential to benefit pesticide companies nationwide.

BY LISA HELD MARCH 27, 2024

READ DETAILS

Empowering Iowans to use your voice

Your state representative and senator need to hear from you on the issues, and that you are paying attention to their votes.

Call, email, text, or write them. Meet with them at the Iowa Capitol. Build a relationship with elected officials ahead of time so they know you are one of their constituents and you care about these crucial issues.

Find your state senator or representative and other elected officials HERE

Find everything you need to know about legislation HERE

Contact Governor Reynolds HERE

House Switchboard: 515.281.3221

Senate Switchboard: 515.281.3371

Iowa Capitol mailing address: 1007 East Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Thank you so much for your willingness to stand up and use your voice. Together we can and will make a difference!

SCOTT COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIALS (POLL WORKERS)

Poll workers wanted

Express your interest in becoming a poll worker

What do poll workers do?

Assist voters through the voting process
Set-up and close the polling place (work 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.)
Register new voters and instruct voters on how to cast their ballots
Assist voters with disabilities to cast their ballots

Requirements of a poll worker

Be registered to vote
Attend a school of instruction
Be at the polling site for the duration of the election

You may not be called for every election due to precincts having to be party balanced in certain elections and worker rotation.

Application Form

Download, print, complete, and mail the form below. For more information, please call the Scott County Auditor's Office at (563) 326-8631.

Attachments:

Application_for_Precinct_Election_Official_4-18-22.pdf

SCHEDULE FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS

FOR JUNE 4 PRIMARY ELECTION

Scott County Auditor Announces Schedule for Absentee Ballots for June 4 Primary Election

DAVENPORT – Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins announced the period to submit requests for absentee ballots by mail for the June 4 Primary Election is now open. Iowa law allows county auditors to accept absentee ballot requests no more than 70 days before an election. “Please plan ahead if you know you will not be able to vote in-person on June 4,” said Tompkins.

The completed absentee ballot request form is due in our office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 20.

Request forms are available in the office (M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), via download from the Auditor’s webpage or the Auditor’s Office will mail forms to voters upon request, 563.326.8631. The request form link is HERE.

Other important absentee ballot dates are below:

May 15 is the first day that absentee ballots for the Primary Election can be mailed and in-office voting begins, 600 W Fourth Street in Davenport.

💙 UPCOMING EVENTS 💙

Scott County Central Committee Meeting

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

7 p.m. (6:30 fellowship)

UFCW Hall, 2411 West Central Park, Davenport

ZOOM HERE

GUESTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND

Public Education Forum for Students

When: Saturday, April 13, at 10 a.m.

Where: North High School, 626 W 53rd St., Davenport

In a news release issued today, Iowa State Representative Ken Croken (D-97) announced that he will host a public forum primarily for the students attending area public schools to discuss the future of public education in Iowa. The one-hour event will be held in the auditorium of Davenport North High School, located at 626 West 53rd Street, on Saturday, April 13 starting at 10 a.m.

In making the announcement, Croken said: “In my view, no state legislature in recent

memory has done more damage to public education in Iowa than the Ninetieth General Assembly. Starting with the creation of the private school voucher program last year straight through the dismantling of the area education agencies last month, Iowa’s once incomparable system of public education has been undermined. I’m bitterly disappointed. But my concern aside, it’s more important to hear from students who will suffer the consequences of misguided policy.”

For this reason, Croken is encouraging area high school and middle school students to attend the April 13 event and express their concerns. Anyone with questions should contact Representative Croken at Ken@KenCroken.org or by phone at 563/940-8439.