By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

Newly-elected Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says there’s still a chance national party leaders will relent and let the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses go first in the 2024 presidential election.

“I’m hoping that we have some good news soon on that front, but we’ll continue to keep talking with folks and have those discussions,” Hart said.

This weekend, the Democratic National Committee is scheduled to vote on a 2024 presidential campaign schedule that would prohibit Iowa Democrats from having Caucuses before any other state holds a Democratic primary.

“I think that this week is going to be a very important one for all of us,” Hart said. “…We want to make sure we’re making practical decisions going forward, but this is certainly not a done deal.”

Hart was elected party chair on Saturday. She made her comments this afternoon during an online news conference.

“When I look back at the things that brought me to this political career, one of those things is how I was able to sit in my parent’s home and listen to the Caucuses of both the Republicans and the Democrats that were held in our home,” Hart said. “I think it’s a very rich tradition.”

Hart, who grew up on a farm near Charles City, said her goal is to put her party’s Caucuses in “the best position” possible.

“I’m going to be very focused and engaged as I learn more about where we’re at,” Hart said, “and I look forward to working with other people who’ve been working on this issue for a couple of years.”

Earlier this month a panel of national Democrats chastized New Hampshire Democrats who complained the party’s new election schedule. They say it ignores their state law which requires New Hampshire to hold the nation’s first presidential primary.

Iowa law also requires Democrats and Republicans to hold Caucuses before any other state votes. The Republican National Committee ratified a plan this summer that keeps the Iowa GOP’s Caucuses first as Republicans nominate a presidential candidate in 2024.

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

A coalition of Iowa health care providers, researchers, cancer survivors and others is releasing its five-year Iowa Cancer Plan.

Rachel Schramm, program manager of the Iowa Cancer Consortium, says behind heart disease, cancer is the number-two cause of death in Iowa, so people need to take an active role in their health, and get regular screenings to stay healthy.

“Whether that’s just an individual who’s scheduling that colonoscopy, or someone that hears this report and is like, ‘Oh, I should really ask my parents about our family’s health history,’ we really want just the everyday Iowan to take those steps to reduce the burden of cancer in their community,” Schramm says.

It’s projected 22,000 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year, while 6,300 Iowans will die from it. The report says the pandemic continues to disrupt the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by closing health care facilities, disrupting employment and health insurance, and the fear of COVID-19 exposure.

“Our health care systems are doing everything that they can to keep their environment safe,” Schramm says. “We know that cancer is most treatable when it is found and diagnosed early, so we really want to make sure that if people have put off a mammogram or a colonoscopy or a lung cancer screening, that they call their provider and make arrangements to do it.” It’s estimated more than nine-million people missed cancer screenings nationwide because of the pandemic. Colonoscopies had traditionally been done starting at age 50, but in recent years, it was pushed back to age 45 — or younger if there’s a family history of colon cancer. Schramm says early detection and screening helps to ensure an early diagnosis and much greater odds of survival.

“Lung cancer screening is kind of new for people,” Schramm says, “so definitely, if folks have a history of tobacco use, they should talk to their doctor about the screening that’s available for them.” She says one goal of the Iowa Cancer Plan is to address the unique needs of communities including providing education, funding, and support for local cancer control projects. See the full report at: www.canceriowa.org.