DES MOINES – The College and Young Democrats of Iowa (CYDI) will lobby state lawmakers today and voice their opposition to Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s restrictive voter ID bill.

“What happens at the Capitol has a direct impact on students across Iowa. Whether it’s funding for higher education, or an unnecessary voter ID bill, College and Young Democrats of Iowa need to make sure lawmakers know where we stand,” said CYDI President Austin Frerick.

With renewed efforts by Iowa Republicans to implement a voter ID requirement in the state, a move that would make it particularly difficult for students to vote, students across Iowa are speaking out against it. The requirements placed on IDs by this bill would prevent nearly all Iowa student IDs from being accepted at the polls, placing an unnecessary hurdle to students’ democratic rights.

“By attempting to stop something that doesn’t even happen in Iowa, this voter ID bill will make it more difficult for students to take part in the democratic process. Instead of finding ways to restrict participation, our elected officials should be encouraging the next generation to be active in these debates,” added Frerick.

The College and Young Democrats of Iowa have 17 chapters across the state, representing both public and private institutions. More information about the organization is available online at www.IowaCollegeDems.com.

DES MOINES – Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky released the following statement in response to Bob Vander Plaats’ Family Leader’s outrageous comments, in which the organization called an anti-bullying conference “dangerous” and “radical.”

“Bob Vander Plaats’ regressive attacks on equality in this state are shameful. To say that a conference, which encourages an accepting environment, in which all Iowa students, can safely learn, is utterly outrageous. Governor Branstad’s support for this event highlights the fact that Iowa is moving forward and that, regardless of party, we can support efforts to make our schools safe for LGBTQ youth.

“Once again, the Family Leader is more interested in fostering division than building an Iowa where all families are accepted and treated with the dignity they deserve. We hope Republicans will stand up to Vander Plaats’ bullying and continue to support efforts to improve safety and acceptance in Iowa schools.”

“Today’s jobs report showing 243,000 jobs added in January is the latest confirmation that President Obama’s leadership and immediate action to address the economic crisis is working. The past 23 months of consecutive private sector job growth represent a sharp contract to what President Obama was facing when he took office: an economy that was losing 700,000 jobs a month and spiraling towards a depression that would eliminate the economic security for millions of Americans.

“23 straight months of job growth proves that American businesses are hiring again. We’ve watched 3.1 million jobs created over those months; we’ve witnessed the comeback of the American auto industry, which began with swift action to save 1.4 million jobs. Today, for the first time since the 1990s, American manufacturing is adding jobs to the economy.

“While these numbers are a positive sign, this remains a make-or-break moment for the middle class. President Obama has laid a solid foundation for a stronger economy, and has presented his vision for an America built to last. He believes that we can create an economy that will lead the world by strengthening American manufacturing and American energy, ensuring American workers have the skills to compete, and returning to the values that middle class Americans have followed for years – values like fairness and opportunity.

“Mitt Romney and Washington Republicans don’t share that vision for America. They don’t agree that we should support American industry or invest in American workers. They don’t believe we should reward companies who bring jobs back to America instead of sending them overseas. They are so set to stonewall this administration, that Romney and the Republican Party won’t even admit that a recovery is happening.

“However, these numbers cannot be denied. When President Obama took office we were bleeding jobs, today we’re creating them. We have more work ahead of us, but this jobs report undeniably shows that we’re heading in the right direction and have the leadership to continue growing the American economy.”

“The income tax check off program is a great opportunity that too many Iowans aren’t aware of,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky. “This program doesn’t increase your taxes and it doesn’t decrease your refund. It simply earmarks $1.50 that we can use to engage Iowans in the critical election ahead.”

The Iowa Democratic Party has made an informational video and other material available at IowaDemocrats.org/CheckOff to increase awareness and participation in this important program.

DES MOINES – College and Young Democrats of Iowa President Austin Frerick released the following statement today, as Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s irresponsible voter ID bill is expected to be officially introduced in the Legislature this week:

“Restrictive voter ID bills are bad for Iowa students. By attempting to fix a problem that doesn’t exist in Iowa, Republicans like Secretary of State Matt Schultz are willing to waste millions of taxpayer dollars while making it harder for college students to exercise their democratic right to vote.

“While Secretary Schultz attempts to pay lip service to college students, saying college and university IDs are acceptable, he’s ignoring the reality that hardly any institutions in the state have ID cards that meet his requirements. If this bill were allowed to pass, students across the state would undoubtedly have a harder time making their voices heard at the polls.

“If Secretary Schultz really wants to spend millions of taxpayer dollars, we suggest he look into ways to increase voter registration and awareness among college students, not ways to add barriers to voting.”

Background on Secretary Schultz’s Voter ID Bill:

- The Secretary of State’s bill requires valid IDs to have an expiration date, a practice not followed by some of Iowa’s largest institutions.

- Similar laws have cost neighboring states nearly $6 million dollars to implement. Unfortunately, Schultz has ignored those costs and claims only a “nominal” amount will be required to print flyers – the only education program he has planned. Other states, like Wisconsin, have seen millions spent to hire additional staff to process provisional ballots, print ID cards, and even more on outreach programs to notify voters of the change.

- While the law would make state issued IDs available for free, Iowans would still need to provide identification like a birth certificate or passport before receiving the free ID. For many Iowans who do not have those pieces of identification, the added hassle and cost for those documents may prevent them from voting.

- Even Secretary of State Schultz admits he has no idea how many Iowans do not have appropriate ID under his bill, showing how little thought has been given.

DES MOINES – Announcing his support for Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s voter ID bill today, Governor Branstad tried to build the case for such a law by alleging that voter fraud has happened in the state, while failing to back up his claim with any evidence.

Speaking to reporters this morning he said “we have had efforts in past elections where people falsely vote in an area where they’re not eligible.” Branstad failed to back up his claim with any evidence that voter fraud has actually occurred in the state. Even Secretary Schultz, in announcing his bill last week, admitted that Iowa doesn’t have a history of voter fraud.

“This effort on the part of Governor Branstad to misinform the public about voting in Iowa is irresponsible. Voter fraud is not a problem in this state. That fact makes it tough to sell a voter ID bill that will cost millions and make it harder for countless Iowans to vote,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky.

“The real facts about voter ID are clear: For many Iowans it will make voting much more difficult and may even require them to pay for pieces of identification. While this bill allows student IDs to be used, there are hardly any colleges and universities that have IDs that meet the requirements. Finally, as in other states that have passed these restrictive laws, taxpayers will be stuck paying the millions it costs to implement.”

“The cost of this bill, both financial and to the Iowans who will not vote as a result, is too high. Especially when it’s designed to fix a problem that, despite Governor Branstad’s claim, does not exist in Iowa,” added Dvorsky.

“Governor Branstad has done the right thing by reaffirming his administration’s support for the Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth. This is a long-standing bipartisan conference with the goal to make Iowa schools welcoming and safe for all Iowans and it is deserving of support from leaders across the state.

“We hope the governor will continue to work with Democrats and members of his own party to make Iowa schools accepting for all. Attempts by the Family Leader to discount this event and politicize Iowa students are wholly inappropriate and have no place in the conversation about how we create a quality learning environment for everyone.”

DES MOINES – Tom Latham’s popularity among conservative special interest groups with shady funding sources continues to grow, as Citizens United – the namesake behind the Supreme Court case allowing unlimited amounts of undisclosed money into politics – has announced their endorsement.

“Tom Latham needs more than the support of special interests like Citizens United and the shady cash that they’re going to bring to the state,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky. “Instead of speaking to Iowans about the issues that matter to them, Latham is hiding behind groups like Citizens United and Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS. That’s not what Iowans look for in a leader. This endorsement is nothing to be proud of.”

Latham has previously been endorsed by the American Future Fund and Crossroad GPS, which has already used their anonymous money to run ads across the state.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz has introduced a new voter ID bill, which would enact unnecessary barriers to voting and potentially cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

“Voter fraud is not and never has been a problem in Iowa, this latest bill is just as misguided and unnecessary as previous attempts in the state,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky. “While it’s easy for Secretary Schultz to downplay the cost of this restrictive law in a press conference, he’s ignoring the hidden costs that taxpayers will needlessly be stuck with.”

During today’s press conference Schultz said there would only be a “nominal” cost for printing flyers, which would be the only method of educating voters about the change in Iowa law. This ignores the fact that similar bills have cost other states millions to implement.

In Wisconsin, for example, where Republicans passed a similar law last year, it is estimated to cost taxpayers nearly $6 million. Those costs include a substantial education program, $2 million to cover additional employees at the Department of Transportation and the cost of free IDs, and over $1.6 million to re-issue student IDs that do not comply with the new law.

Iowa would likely see many of these same costs. Under the new voter ID bill, college and university IDs are only valid if they include an expiration date, something that is not standard practice in the state and would require that IDs be updated before they are valid. During the press conference even Secretary of State Schultz admitted that he did not know how many Iowans do not have an ID to vote or how many would seek a free ID under this proposal.

Secretary Schultz also failed to address the difficulty some Iowans may have in obtaining a free ID. If someone does not have an ID already, they would need to provide identification like a birth certificate or passport – both of which would not be free – before receiving their ID to vote.

“It’s clear that there was very little thought given to the cost of this bill and its impact on voting in the state. We cannot waste millions of dollars that could otherwise be invested in education, infrastructure, or even programs to register more Iowans to vote,” added Dvorsky. “Unfortunately, this is part of a larger campaign by Republican leaders to restrict voting and damage democracy across the country.”

DES MOINES – The Branstad administration is not denying a report that it sought to remove its title from the “Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth,” leading many Iowans to question why the governor would distance himself from an event designed to prevent bullying and lead to a healthy learning environment for all Iowa children.

“Governor Branstad’s silence on this speaks volumes,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky.  “Either the charges made by the Family Leader are true, or the governor is unwilling to stand up to Bob Vander Plaats and Chuck Hurley. If he is distancing himself from this event, that is unacceptable. For an event that has long been a source of bipartisan cooperation, Gov. Branstad should give it the respect and recognition that it deserves.”

The Des Moines Register reports that Branstad’s office has refused to deny a report published this week by the Family Leader, which said the administration asked conference organizers to remove the word “Governor’s” from the event name.

“Iowa schools should be a safe place for all students and we should encourage organizations like Iowa Safe Schools who work everyday to make that happen, not distancing ourselves from them. I hope the governor will finally give Iowans a straight answer on this and decide to support efforts to keep our schools safe and accepting of all students,” added Dvorsky.