Great Tool: Project Vote Smart

A knowledgeable electorate is the strongest component of a functioning democracy. Information about elected officials and candidates is crucial to maintaining the defense of one's rights and privileges guaranteed in the Constitution. In that spirit, Project Vote Smart (PVS) provides a comprehensive database about thousands of candidates and elected officials for President, Congress, Governors and State Legislators. Less detailed information is available at the county and local level for each state.

Project Vote Smart covers these candidates and elected officials in five basic categories:

· Background and contact information
· Issue positions, provided by candidates through our National Political Awareness Test (NPAT)
· Voting record
· Campaign finances
· Interest group ratings from over 100 groups across the ideological spectrum

The PVS website also includes:

· Public statements made by U.S. Senators and Governors
· Voter registration forms for each state
· Contact information for state and local election offices
· Polling place and absentee ballot information
· Ballot measure descriptions for each state, where applicable
· Links to federal and state government agencies, political parties and issue organizations

Congress Track

Project Vote Smart provides easy access to information on the United States Congress, including Key Votes, Recent Votes, a Status of Appropriation Chart, Other Congressional Resources and Week at a Glance which details major actions taken to legislation on the floor of Congress.

Voter Registration

Do you have questions about Voter Registration? Check out the Voter Registration section of the PVS website. Information can be found on the Deadline to Register, the Qualifications, where you can get a Voter Registration Form, and Absentee Ballot information for every state. 

If you have questions, call the toll-free Voter's Research Hotline (1-888-VOTE SMART) to speak with a researcher.

To visit the Project Vote Smart website, go here.

I have just added Project Vote Smart to the Tools component on the left sidebar of Blog for Iowa.

Vilsack Vetoes Fetal Personhood Bill

This just came in from Suzi Alexander, the Field Director of Governmental Affairs over at Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa.  Our thanks to all the Blog for Iowa readers who wrote or called Gov. Vilsack to urge him to veto the Fetal Personhood Bill.

Yesterday, Governor Vilsack vetoed House File 2558. The bill sought to establish fetal personhood in the Iowa code by adding language to the criminal code that defines a "person" as "a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, when carried in the womb or after birth."

In his veto message, the Governor stated, "If the intent of this bill is to provide for greater accountability for people committing crimes against a pregnant woman or to provide greater protection for pregnant women, then this objective could be accomplished by increasing existing penalties for these types of crimes."

He continued, "House File 2558 creates a new crime that fails to promote greater accountability of wrongdoers and fails to afford greater protection for pregnant women. Under these circumstances there appears to be no reason to approve House File 2558."

Planned Parenthood applauds Governor Vilsack's decision to veto the bill. He saw through the anti-choice agenda of the members of the Iowa legislature who crafted and sponsored this needless bill that serves only to establish fetal personhood and has nothing to do with the protection of women.

Please take time to thank the governor for once again demonstrating his steadfast commitment to the health and rights of the women of Iowa.

Best contact:

To efficiently manage mail from constituents, the governor's office asks Iowans to contact him through the website here.

Email messages may also be sent to Governor Vilsack at rose.mary.pratt@iowa.gov

Phone messages: 515-281-5211

Regardless of how you deliver your message, be sure to include your name and address.

Suzi Alexander, Field Director of Governmental Affairs
Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa

Call to Action: Media Distort Vilsack Funeral Attendance

This came in from Dean Rapid Response - Iowa and they asked Blog for Iowa to post it.  Please take action against this blatant media distortion.

Check out this article from the May 11 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. The Courier piece is the AP version of a similar Des Moines Register article written by Thomas Beaumont and Lynn Campbell.

The Courier title, "Governor Avoids Funerals of Iowa War Dead" is inflammatory and does not accurately reflect the content of the story. (The Register's title is "Governor Avoids Soldiers' Funerals," which I feel is equally manipulative).

The Des Moines Register did its own research, providing background on how other governors were handling the situation.  The AP piece run in The Courier provided no such context.

If you'd like, please write or call either or both papers politely letting the Register know that the title of the article does not match the content. The same goes for the Courier, also pointing out that failing to provide background information in the article affects the meaning and point of the story. Let's keep them honest by letting them know we notice these things.

Here's the to Des Moines Register story.

Please use your own words, but here are some points for ideas:

Use of an inflammatory headline that does not reflect the substance of the article is irresponsible journalism.

Use of the word "avoid" implies Gov. Vilsack is being evasive or dishonest.

The way Gov. Vilsack chooses to honor the fallen is in line with practices of other governors, both Democrats and Republicans.

Addresses:

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier: newsroom@wcfcourier.com or call (800) 798-1717

Des Moines Register: letters@dmreg.com or call (800) 532-1455

Thanks!

Trish Nelson, Dean Rapid Response - Iowa
Co-Coordinator