Another Republican running for state office has weighed in on Jeremy Walters’ reprehensible comments.

Dave Leach, who is running for Iowa state Senate, says that the Republican Party of Iowa erred in denouncing Walters for claiming that AIDS is a punishment from God for homosexuality.

The Iowa Independent has the latest:

Leach, who is running against Democratic state Sen. Matt McCoy in Senate District 31, said Walters statement was “theologically clumsy, but it seemed close enough to Biblical truth to not merit a censure from the Republican Party.”

“GOP head Matt Strawn is right in saying HIV does not discriminate; in other words, the fact that someone has HIV by no means proves they got it through sodomy,” Leach said in an e-mail to Strawn and The Iowa Independent. “But I don’t see that that is what Jeremy said.”

Whether the Bible says there is a connection shouldn’t matter, he said, since, “everyone knows there is this connection.”

From Leach’s email:

Everyone knows sodomites suffer [HIV/AIDS] far more than the rest of the population, and that sodomy’s practices, which are so embarrassingly unsanitary that you dare not detail them in one of your articles, would inevitably create such a disease if it did not already exist. It seems “inappropriate,” to use Strawn’s word, to apologize for saying what the Bible says, with which everyone agrees. It is “inappropriate” for anyone to ask such a thing. I am sorry that Jeremy gave up his ground, although at least he stood it for awhile, which is more than most will do.

You can learn more about Iowa state Sen. Matt McCoy, the Democrat Leach hopes to unseat this fall, here.

Leach recently directed his inflammatory rhetoric directly at Sen. McCoy. At a rally staged by the National Organization for Marriage at the beginning of August, Leach handed out campaign fliers and told The Iowa Independent, “I am running against Iowa’s chief sodomite.”

One Iowa is expressing concern over the increasingly violent rhetoric emerging in the Iowa GOP.

“Considering Leach’s background and his most recent statements, we’re beginning to see a disturbing pattern of Iowa GOP candidates who use violent rhetoric and misinformation as a political weapon,” said One Iowa Executive Director Carolyn Jenison. “These remarks fan the flames of bigotry and hatred and they have no place in our civic dialogue.”

A Republican candidate for the Iowa House has found himself under recent scrutiny for some reprehensible comments he posted on his Facebook page.

The Iowa Independent broke the story Tuesday, revealing that Jeremy Walters, who is running against the Democratic Majority Leader of the Iowa state House, posted some incendiary remarks regarding AIDS and homosexuality on his Facebook page last week (he’s since removed them in a belated fit of remorse, but that’s what screenshots are for). Walters wrote that when the Bible says homosexuals should be “put to death; their blood shall be upon them,” the “blood” is actually AIDS.

The folks at One Iowa were understandably upset about these reprehensible statements, and they swiftly demanded that the Iowa GOP denounce Walters’ musings.

Which the Iowa GOP did:

“Mr. Walters’ comments are inappropriate and in no way represent the beliefs of the Republican Party of Iowa,” Strawn said in a statement to The Iowa Independent. “HIV/AIDS does not discriminate and our hearts and prayers go out to any Iowa family facing this disease.”

Walters, meanwhile, stood by his statements:

Walters told The Des Moines Register that he has no plans to remove the posting from his Facebook page, saying it’s only offensive to gay rights advocates, “because they know it’s the truth. Truth does hurt.”

But by 6:50 p.m. Tuesday evening, he had removed the vile sentiments from his Facebook page. (This came shortly after the Iowa Republicans rescinded his invitation to staff their State Fair booth on Thursday and Saturday. There is no direct evidence that these events were linked, but we find the timing suspect.)

Walters also posted an apology of sorts (quoted directly, no edits):

I appologize for the mistake and if this statement offened anyone.
Both postings have been removed and these comments do not pertain to my campaign or the Republican Party of Iowa.My passion is to listen and learn from the people so I can represent them at the state house. Everyone makes mistakes, please forgive me.

One of the intrepid bloggers at Think Progress succeeded in contacting Walters, who took the opportunity to explain himself further:

WALTERS: I just felt people should know what’s in the Bible, you know, scripture…I’m sorry that I even posted that because now I’m getting all of this attention and it’s bad attention, it’s not good attention. What inspired me posting that is because I had a few friends who were both homosexuals and passed away form AIDS.

VOLSKY: I understand that you regret posting it…But do you still believe that AIDS is the result of the sin of homosexuality?

WALTERS: Well, I don’t want to say that I don’t. I just, like I said, had an experience of friends dying….But back to the posting, that post when I posted, I do feel sorry and denounce what I said.

VOLSKY: Ok, so just to be clear, you are denouncing what you said? So you no longer believe that AIDS is God’s way of getting back at the sin of homosexuality?

WALTERS: Well, you know, I want to say that I’ve been seeing a lot of people that are in that lifestyle become with HIV and AIDS, but like I said, you can also get it through dirty needles and things so…. I would have to say that I removed it because it was not right to post it on there and I shouldn’t be picking on their lives, because they’re not picking on my life. I should be an understanding person and not a hater.

Apparently, the Iowa Republican Party finds his contrition insufficient. Last night he lamented on his Facebook wall (again, no edits):

since everthing that happin Today. I am ban from any events that the Republican party puts on so now what? Am I a bad candidate I want to represent the people not myself.

Here’s a little more background on the political career of GOP House candidate Walters:

He has previously run three times in three different legislative districts, most recently losing to Democrat Geri Huser in House District 42 by more than 20 percentage points in 2004 and in the GOP primary in House District 62 in 2008. He later served as a precinct chair for Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s 2008 Iowa Caucus campaign.

Walters is currently running in state House District 67 and seeks to unseat House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The statistics say the recession is over, but to every American still struggling to support their family, those statistics are a lie. That’s why Democratic leaders in states all across America keep fighting for new legislation to attract good-paying jobs. But a few of those efforts stand out:

• Iowa led the way with an historic government efficiency plan expected to save at least $270 million, all of which is now being used to create jobs through clean energy projects, low-cost loans and financial training for small businesses, and dozens of other new job-creation plans.
  
  

• Wisconsin lawmakers passed at least 50 separate bills this year to boost job growth, including everything from new development incentives and job training programs to tax credits for cornerstone Wisconsin industries like dairy production.
  
  

• Washington State passed a bill to use tax credits to attract high-tech jobs in computer and data management. Each new project could mean thousands of construction jobs in the short term and even more high-paying technology jobs for years to come.
  
  

• Connecticut is adding a temporary small business hiring tax credit, to help convince local businesses that now is the time to start hiring new employees.

This is just a tiny sample of the Democratic-led effort to make sure Main Street families get to share the economic recovery. And this is one fight Democrats in all 50 states are determined to support.

Sadly, much of the opposition to bills like these (where there was any opposition at all) came from Republicans. And many of the best ideas for creating jobs never even come to a vote in states where Republicans control the legislature.

There are no silver bullets that will fix the entire economy overnight. But even the smallest idea can make a huge difference for a family on the brink of losing everything.

Republicans in Iowa are upset that their state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage went down in flames three months ago. But really, keeping gay couples and their children out of family-designated campsites? That’s just petty:

Plans to allow married same-sex couples to qualify as families for camping permits reflects an “insidious pattern” of state agencies seeking to change rules to benefit such couples, an Iowa lawmaker charged Monday.

Sen. Merlin Bartz, a Republican from Grafton, opposes same-sex marriage and was troubled that the Department of Natural Resources would propose the new rules. He said the changes, considered Monday by a legislative committee, follow similar moves by state agencies that oversee public pensions and income taxes.

The proposed change would allow married same-sex couples with children to stay in family designated camping areas and have more than one tent or trailer on a single site.

Iowa, of course, is currently one of the only marriage equality states in America. Sen. Bartz’ antics, if successful in causing the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to reverse course, would mean that same-sex spouses enjoy all the same rights and responsibilities as other married couples -- except the right to a family camping permit.

Here at the DLCC, we applaud the state of Iowa’s “insidious pattern” of treating all married couples equally -- as they should be. We're also generally puzzled about why camping, of all issues, is where Republicans have decided to draw the line on equality.

But Iowa Democrats are holding firm, and they're certainly not intimidated by this latest ploy. We’ll let the Iowa Senate President have the last word on Bartz’ objections:

“Who the h--l[sic] cares what the relationship is?” Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, asked during a hearing on the issue Monday before the interim Administrative Rules Review Committee, which didn't vote on the change. “To me it's a non-issue.”

For Democratic state legislators, “supporting the troops” is more than just a political slogan – it’s a call to action. The Department of Defense has identified ten key areas where state policies can meaningfully improve quality of life for military families. And this year, Iowa became the first state to address all ten:

“We’re 10 for 10,” Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City, said Wednesday. He is a colonel in the Iowa National Guard who plans to retire as a lawmaker when his term expires later this year.

“In some manner, shape or form, we address all 10 of the issues that the Department of Defense has requested states to take action on,” Warnstadt said.

Senators voted 50-0 on Wednesday to send Senate File 2297 to Gov. Chet Culver with new protections dealing with utility shutoffs, weapons permits and other issues that might arise during or after a military deployment.

The list of soldier-friendly bills approved by lawmakers or already signed by Culver deal with jobless compensation for trailing spouses, child custody and visitation matters during deployment separations, absentee voting, access to child care for military families, and certain support benefits for National Guard and reserve members and their families.

Congratulations to Iowa Democrats for taking up this important cause and finding a way to thank our men and women in uniform for their service and sacrifice.

The Iowa and Arizona Senates both took action recently to protect their states’ citizens from domestic violence, as well as to prevent violence from escalating to tragedy.

Iowa’s SF 2357, which passed on a bipartisan 36-11 vote, takes the commonsense step of prohibiting individuals with protective orders or criminal convictions against them for domestic abuse from possessing firearms. As the Democratic Caucus explains, support for this bill is based on the facts surrounding domestic violence:

Since 1995, guns have been used in more than half of all Iowa murders involving domestic abuse. Fifty-four percent of women killed by an intimate partner were shot; 50 percent of men killed by an intimate partner were shot; and 57 percent of children and bystanders killed in domestic violence attacks were shot.

Meanwhile, Arizona Senate Democrats unanimously supported two new bills aimed at making domestic violence easier to prosecute:

SB 1087, which passed 20-8, would add homicide, manslaughter, animal cruelty and sexual assault to the list of crimes that when committed against a family member or intimate partner count as domestic violence.

Given the shameful example of Republican legislators in other states on similar issues recently, it should come as no surprise that all eight of the “no” votes on this bill were cast by Republicans and included both the Senate President and the Republican Majority Leader.

A separate bill approved on the same day would upgrade the choking of a partner to a Class 4 felony. This is an important change for policymakers fighting to end the tragic outcomes that so often follow domestic violence:

[E]xperts consider choking, which can render the victim unconscious in 10 seconds, to be a serious risk factor for escalation to homicide...

Nearly half of female homicide and attempted homicide victims were choked in the past year by their male partner, according to an article in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.

All bills now move on to their respective State Houses for consideration.

After a court ruling established marriage equality in Iowa, Democrats (lead by State Senate Majority Leader and DLCC Chairman Mike Gronstal) promised to block any bill to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa. A few days ago, Iowa’s Democratic legislators delivered on that promise, effectively blocking a Republican-sponsored marriage ban for the rest of the legislative session:

What Republicans wanted was the right to pull House Joint Resolution 6 out of a committee so that it would be placed on the debate calendar and avoid a legislative deadline this week.

The effort failed in the Senate where a vote was not taken. However, all 18 Senate Republicans signed a petition circulated by Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan (…)

The House spent almost 30 minutes on a rarely used “call-of-the-House” in which each of the 100 members were ordered into the chambers to vote unless they were previously excused. The House measure ultimately failed in a 45 to 54 vote that was mostly along party lines.

What’s most striking is that each chamber had just a single Democrat willing to go on record supporting the ban. Every other rank-and-file legislator, including many Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns in conservative districts, stood with Majority Leader Gronstal and House Speaker Pat Murphy on the right side of history.

The good folks over at Bleeding Heartland took a moment to acknowledge the role Leadership played in both results:

Murphy and Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal strongly supported the Iowa Supreme Court's Varnum v Brien ruling, and they deserve a lot of credit for holding their caucuses together today. As Gronstal has promised, Republicans will not succeed in writing discrimination into our state's constitution.

Hear at the DLCC, we couldn’t be more proud of our Chairman and all the Iowa Democrats who stood up for equality this week.

Iowa’s Democratic leaders have long supported efforts to streamline state government, but now they’ve put out a call for new money-saving ideas from ordinary taxpayers.

Cutting down on waste and abuse saves taxpayer money, and it means more efficient services for constituents. But with the recession wreaking havoc with the state budget, legislators have a new sense of urgency in finding new ways to pinch pennies and avoid cutting vital programs.

If you’re an Iowa resident and you’ve got an idea to share, you can send it to the legislature at http://iowasenatenews.com/how-can-state-government-be-more-efficient/.

Or, if you want to see what others have already suggested, you can check out the General Assembly’s list of recent submissions at http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/SurveyResponses/Improving_StGvt/.

In Iowa, Senate Democrats are taking the lead in a new series of measures designed to protect the public from those who would take advantage of consumers during a national recession:

• Putting tighter restrictions on companies offering “debt settlement services.” These firms offer to settle a consumer’s debts but usually require an upfront fee. If the settlement effort fails, the consumer is out the fee and left in a worse financial state. These companies are now regulated under Iowa Law. Fees are limited, written contracts are required, and the consumer may quit the service at anytime without penalty.

• Moving against unfair practices among mortgage lenders. We established licensing for mortgage loan originators and strengthened current licensing for mortgage bankers and brokers, regulated loans and industrial loans. The licensing requirements include criminal history and credit background checks, pre-licensure education, continuing education, and a net worth, surety bond or recovery fund.
• Cracking down on shady car dealers. When buying a new or used car, no one wants to sink their money into a lemon. That’s why we closed a loophole allowing unscrupulous car dealers and recyclers to return to the marketplace under someone else’s name.

Senate Democrats are urging Iowans to contact the Iowa Insurance Division in order to receive more information.

Iowa Republicans recently unveiled a largely ineffective scheme to improve public education by adding yet another layer of testing – this time just before students’ high school graduations. After reading the Republicans’ “plan,” Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, who’s also Chair of the DLCC’s Board of Directors, was not impressed:

The Democratic leader of the Iowa Senate on Wednesday rejected a Republican plan to increase testing of students and teachers, calling it "a tired old idea" that wouldn't improve education in the state.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal belittled the Republican proposal to expand testing and issue annual report cards for local schools. He said the plan wasn't needed and wouldn't move through the Legislature convening in January.

"This seems like a tired old idea they had back in the '90s when they were fighting with (former Republican Gov. Terry) Branstad over education," said Gronstal, of Council Bluffs.

But Gronstal wasn’t content to simply criticize – he also reiterated legislative Democrats’ plans to improve public education, focusing squarely on Iowa classrooms:

"What's the point of testing a kid when you're done with him at the end?" said Gronstal. "The point is to make sure that kids are learning along the way."

Gronstal said Democrats will focus on raising Iowa teacher pay to the national average and refining curriculum that schools must offer.

"We're going to continue to struggle to find resources to make sure we don't lose ground on teacher pay," said Gronstal.

Like most states, Iowa’s state budget has been hard-hit by global recession, but Gronstal and Iowa’s legislative Democrats have been instrumental in protecting the state’s public schools from the most devastating budget cuts.