Members of Iowans Citizens for Community Improvement gathered yesterday for a rally to put pressure on Governor Chet Culver to take action on a number of issues, including the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act (VOICE) that would give state candidates the opportunity to run for office with public financing.

Letters from two very different parts of the country over the weekend in support of full public financing of campaigns. After the jump, letters to the editor in the Des Moines Register and the New York Times about Clean Elections efforts going forward in the states.

Hugh Espey of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement writes to the Des Moines Register urging Iowa House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Jo Oldson to take action on two bills -- one on factory farms, and one, House File 805, to bring full public financing to Iowa's legislative elections.

Looks like Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement has a successful lobby day around the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act (VOICE) to pass full public financing for state legislative elections. This blog entry recounts their meeting with Gov. Culver and his positive reaction to the legislation.

When you talk about the ties between campaign contributions and public policy the most obvious players in the money game are interests like the oil industry, pharmaceutical companies, and big banks but what about the nursing home industry and their campaign contributions? Check out this letter in the Des Moines Register urging legislators to return campaign contributions from the nursing home industry, and support Clean Elections.

Clean Elections supporters in Iowa are getting together at the statehouse in Des Moines next Thursday to rally in support of the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act (VOICE). If you're an Iowan, and suitably recovered from the caucuses, head on over. More from the organizers  here.