Monday, Feb. 7 Iowans will gather across the state to caucus. The Republican Caucus is an opportunity for the grassroots to tell the elected Republicans what we think is important. The party platform is created based on discussions held at these meetings. If you can attend, please discuss reforming the emergency powers in the Iowa Code.
Many were outraged on March 17, 2020, when duly enacted laws were suspended and some of our rights were curtailed. That outrage was temped because Governor Reynolds is a great leader. We knew she was trying to balance her decisions made for public safety and curtailing Iowans’ rights in good faith. Finally, after nearly two years, the declared emergency is being ended. The outrage has faded, but the threat that a future Iowa Governor could use his or her authority to indefinitely order churches closed or order any individual to submit to a vaccine is still in the Iowa code. There has been no discussion or public debate about making these powers temporary. These powers need to be reformed. More importantly, we need to ensure timely oversight by the elected legislators when there is a declared emergency.
Our elected officials have said they will eventually reform these emergency powers. Eventually? The establishment loves power, do they really want to change the emergency powers or are they hoping you forget about them? If you believe our God-given rights are important to our future, we need to make reforming the emergency powers a plank in the party platform.
I know my friends, neighbors and other Iowans will have additional and better ideas, but here is a place to start a discussion at the caucus.
We the people of Iowa believe that emergency powers in the Iowa code must be reformed. A declared emergency shall not last more than sixty days without the consent of the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate. If we are to sacrifice our rights for a long period of time it needs to be our direct representatives in the legislative branch who consent to this temporary emergency.
I know many of us won’t be able to attend the caucus so if you can attend, help make emergency power reform a plank in the platform.
Need help finding your caucus? Click here or the Iowa Secretary of State’s website also has the locations. Please attend your local Caucus at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7.
I agree that the ‘ emergency ‘ powers have been abused allowing the President and Governors across the country to act like dictators . They have usurped the constitutional powers of Congress to make laws and taken away god given rights and liberties of citizens to live free. They have expanded the definition of state of emergency to be until perpituity or when they determine when the risks of our safety justifies the loss of our freedoms . I submitted a proposal to be added to Republican platform to support a limit on the duration of all executive orders and emergency declarations which can only be extended by a majority of the House and Senate.