Forbid it, Almighty God!

Forbid it, Almighty God!

You’ve all heard what comes next. The words of our freedom
loving Founding Father Patrick Henry’s famous speech are
etched into the hearts and minds of every school child.

“I know not what course others may take; but as for me,
give me liberty or give me death!”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? It sure makes a guy feel
patriotic. Heck, when I think about it, I like to fancy I’d
be right there with him, fearlessly laying my life on the
line to throw off the tyranny of the king.

Because that’s exactly what they were doing. When Patrick
Henry said those words, he wasn’t just giving a feel-good
speech at a rally on the statehouse steps. The very words
he uttered had extremely real consequences, ones that would
endanger the lives of his friends, family and loved ones.

Guys like him and the rest of the signers of the Declaration
all knew this. They knew the line they crossed couldn’t be
reversed and that it might cost them their lives.

But they did it anyway.

They did it because they looked into the future and knew if
they didn’t stake their ground that they, their kids, their
grandkids, even you and I, would lose it all.

So would we do the same? I’d like to think so. But it’s lucky
for folks like you and me that we aren’t there yet. Our
“kings” aren’t openly marching troops in the streets
enforcing their tyrannical laws.

Yet.

But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have tyranny. To borrow
a line from one of my favorite movies, we’ve simply traded
one tyrant 3 thousand miles away for thousands of tyrants
one mile away.

Here in Iowa, the leader of our own little tyrant brigade
is found in the liberal democrat senate majority leader Mike
Gronstal.

Nationally, we’ve got government gone wild with their “big
brother” mentality. Cyber monitoring. Attempts to regulate
the Internet. Automated traffic enforcement. Electronic
eavesdropping. Groping stations at airports. The list of
things we need to be “safe” in this country gets bigger and
bigger every day.

And you don’t have to go visit a big city out east or west
anymore to get treated like a criminal, either. It’s happening
right now to Iowans, folks just like you and me.

A friend of mine told me just the other day that she and her
teenage daughter had gone through a nightmare when she
refused to be treated like a criminal and let the TSA thugs
run her and her daughter through their x-ray scanners.

You probably have heard about the scanners I’m talking about.

You know, the ones that provide naked pictures of the victims
to the TSA agents working the counter? The ones that clearly
violate the fourth amendment to the Constitution, which
states “The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches
and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall
issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Not only that, but a constituent of mine from Earlham, IA,
had the same experience where she was treated like a criminal
for refusing to be treated like one! Deciding to do a little
digging, I tragically found out that being groped and molested
isn’t a very uncommon thing anymore when it comes to traveling.

I decided that I will no longer stand idly by. I’m going to do
everything I can to see that these attacks on our rights are
ended.

I’m drafting legislation immediately that will outright ban
these actions that infringe upon our constitutional rights and
decency.

The bill is still in drafting, and it’s got a ways to go
before I would consider it able to be effective, but I’m here
to tell you that I’m going to be introducing the bill THIS
SESSION, and I’ll be fighting tooth and nail to get these
knuckleheads up here to pass this legislation.

Sure, some of you might think that these “safety measures”
are necessary for this day and age, but I disagree. If we have
to be treated like criminals to ensure our own safety, we’ve
lost the right to call this a free country, and I for one am
not willing to do that.

Right now, you and I have the chance to avoid what our
Founding Fathers had to sacrifice. We can still hold our
elected officials responsible because they ARE elected, and
we can still kick them out through peaceful means.

The Founding Fathers had come to a point where efforts at
diplomacy and politeness had failed. We aren’t at that
point. There are a few things we can do to take this country
back.

First, I’d like every single one of you to call or email your
elected legislators and demand that they support this good
legislation. Tell them that when this bill gets introduced that
they should co-sponsor it and do everything they can to bring it
to the floor for a clean vote. Tell them that you’ll be more
than happy to vote against them in the next election.

Next, please click here to chip in $50, $35, $20 or whatever
you can afford to my campaign. When it comes to fighting
for our rights, there’s a shortage of folks here in Des Moines
who are willing to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.

With your generous support, I’ll be able to support fighters like
me who want to run for the state legislature. There’s a few of
them out there, believe it or not, and with the help of folks like
you we’ll be ready, willing and able to stand against the
onslaught of those who wield “chains and slavery.”

Sincerely,

State Senator Kent Sorenson
Serving Warren, Madison and SE Dallas Counties

P.S. The Founding Fathers knew that life, liberty and peace are
jeopardized when we trade them for “safety.”

Our “big brother government” has gotten out of hand. Their
assault on our liberties in the name of keeping us “safe” has
gone too far, and the TSA’s naked scanners and invasive personal
pat downs are a prime example of that.

I’m drafting a bill that I’ll introduce this year that forces
the TSA to keep their hands and eyes to themselves. Click here to
find out who your legislators are, and call or email them TODAY
and demand that they support my bill that stops this assault on
our rights.

And please chip in $50, 35, $20 or whatever you can afford to my
Senate campaign so that I can help elect fellow liberty minded
candidates to the Iowa Legislature. With your generous support,
we’ll have a united front that’s ready, willing and able to fight
back when they come after us with guns blazing.

Sorenson’s Straight Talk

Government Oversight Continues on IASB
I continue to serve on the Government Oversight Committee during the interim. We met recently to review the release of a long overdue financial audit of the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB).  The audit provided some details on already known financial dealings.  We first questioned auditors before moving on to question IASB interim director Veronica Stalker and legal representative Nolden Gentry. Our questions were focused on the inexcusable lack of internal controls within the association and what work is being done to correct these mistakes. The audit confirmed already known details about improper transfers of money between IASB entities and salary increases for three top executives.  It also reported that former executive director Maxine Kilcrease spent over $18,000 to refurnish her and another office, and it detailed how much money was still to be paid back for overcompensation or improper personal spending by current and former employees. Questions were asked whether or not the IASB’s services could be provided by a private company or through the AEAs.  An audit for the 2010 fiscal year is currently being conducted and is expected sometime in September.  The oversight committee plans to have IASB back at the November meeting to discuss the findings of that audit and to formulate plans for any legislative action needed for the next General Assembly.
Should Iowa Put “Right to Work” in the Constitution?

In 1947, the Taft-Hartley amendments to the 1935 National Labor Relations Act affirmed the states’ right to pass Right-to-Work laws. Right-to-Work laws guarantee that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or not to join, nor to pay dues to a labor union. The Right to Work principle affirms the right of every American to work for a living without being forced to belong to a union.  Compulsory unionism in any form–”union,” “closed,” or “agency” shop–is a contradiction of the Right to Work principle and the fundamental human right the principle represents.  As of January 1, 2006, 22 states have adopted Right-to-Work laws.  Of those 22 states, ten have taken the extra step of putting Right-to-Work into its constitution (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota).  Should Iowa join those ten states and do the same?  Prior to 2007, the answer was probably that it was not necessary.  However, since 2007 the Democrat majorities have sponsored several bills to completely overturn Iowa’s 60-year-old Right-to-Work status by requiring non-union members of public employers and private employers to pay a mandatory fee to the union. I would like to hear from you on this issue.
Sales Tax Holiday August 6 & 7
This year marks the 11th annual Iowa Sales Tax Holiday, and it begins when stores open on Friday August 6 and ends when stores close on Saturday August 7.  During this time period, consumers will pay no sales tax, including local option sales tax, on select clothing and footwear marked at $100 or less.  Consumers can access a complete list of items that are taxable and items that are exempt at: http://www.iowa.gov/tax/educate/STHList.pdf <http://www.iowa.gov/tax/educate/STHList.pdf>  .
The annual sales tax holiday provides consumers with a little break on the price of essential clothing items.  Many families look forward to these two days in August because the savings can add up.  Eighteen states have designated sales tax holidays.  In fact, many states have multiple days when no sales tax is collected.  For example, the State of Illinois sales tax holiday is 10 days long, beginning August 6th and ending August 15th.  Many states have higher price thresholds on qualifying items and have expanded their sales tax exemptions beyond just select clothing items and footwear.  Several states include school supplies, books, computers, sports equipment, and energy star products in their list of tax free items. I would support expanding the items on Iowa’s list that would be tax-free on this weekend so families could save even more when back-to-school shopping.

Kent Sorenson Announces Bid for the Iowa Senate

WINTERSET, IA – Kent Sorenson announced today his bid for the Iowa Senate in District 37. Sorenson is currently the State Representative in District 74, which is half of Senate District 37 and covers all of Warren and Madison Counties, along with two precincts in Dallas County.

Sorensen said today, “It is an honor to serve the people of Iowa and I believe I can be a better represent the people of Senate District 37 than the current senator. In the past two years I have listened to voters and worked to provide solutions to problems in state government. The majority party did not like the budget saving solutions offered for taxpayers and today we are in a budget crunch after passing the largest budget in Iowa history. We must work to reduce the over taxation, over regulation, and protect the freedoms of the people before the wants of government.”

Kent Sorenson and his wife Shawnee reside in Indianola with their six children. Kent is a small business owner, soccer coach, and past volunteer firefighter. Small businesses create over 60% of all new jobs in Iowa. In order for these businesses to grow government must cut, not increase, taxes and regulations. Education is of tremendous importance for the Sorenson family, growing up with parents as employees in the Indianola Community School system, Kent understands the best education for students is achieved with parental involvement.

Paul McKinley, Senate Republican Leader, said, “We need leaders like Kent Sorenson because Iowa cannot afford to continue to pursue the same big government agenda and policies advocated by liberal senators like Staci Appel. This race will truly offer a sharp contrast between two different directions for Iowa: If you want more government, more debt and zero action on creating jobs for Iowans – you may want to stick with the status quo.”

Sorenson continued, “It is my job to listen to the voter’s concerns. If you have questions for me all of my contact information is on my website at www.kentsorenson.com. I am here to work for you.”

Rep. Jodi Tymeson was also in attendance at the press conference to endorse Sorenson’s bid for the Iowa Senate.

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Paid for by Sorenson for Statehouse