Meeting Public Comments

Chris Beier [Ridgeview Ranch American Creams]

Good Morning, Let me first thank you for the opportunity to address you today regarding our much beloved draft breed, the American Cream. My name is Chris Beier, and my wife and I own and operate Ridgeview Ranch American Creams in Lamoni, just a few miles north of the Missouri line, just off of I35. In addition to ourselves, there are several American Cream breeders still here in Iowa, including Butch Sowers and Tony Stalzer in Story County, Connie Purchase in Milford, and Ms. Maggie Lupkes from Waterloo. As I am sure all of you are well aware, Iowas heritage and prosperity are inseparable from agriculture. What you may not know, is that it is also inseparable from the draft horse. Please indulge me in a short history of Iowas Draft Horse heritage and that of the American Cream Draft, and why they represent such and important part of Iowa's identity. Between 1870 and 1945, the state of Iowa was a leading producer of heavy draft horses for farming and urban labor. Many of Eastern Iowas settlers came from Germany and Bohemia, now the modernday Czech Republic. They favored draft horse breeds from the Old World. Iowas iconic farmland was carved out of prairie sod and virgin forests by these noble animals working alongside their human owners and companions. By 1900, Iowa took the lead as the nations top draft horseproducing state. During the peak years, the number of horses on Iowa farms exceeded 1.5 million. Animals bred here were shipped around the country to build and power cities as well as agricultural production, and thousands more were shipped overseas to fight U.S. and foreign wars. During this period, on a farm in northern Iowa, a literal oneinamillion foal was born, a filly who came to be known as Old Granny, remarkable due to her color, a novelty for draft breeds. She often threw creamcolored foals, which they themsleves in turn became desired for their unique color. Over the next decades through selective breeding and a focused effort to distinguish these animals from other draft breeds, the American Cream Draft Horse was established. Despite hardships and tough economic times, the breed survived the Great Depression, but like so many others, declined after the mechanization of agriculture following WWII. In 1944, the breeders at that time established the American Cream Association and the Iowa Department of Agriculture officially recognized the breed in 1950. They were saved from extinction during a particularly low period from the late 1950s into the 1970s by the remaining breeders, who organized and revived the association. A significant development came in the 1980s and 90s when Dr. E. Gus Cothran, then Director of the Equine Blood Typing Research Laboratory at the University of Kentucky, contacted Cream owners offering to blood type their animals. He used their samples to compare the genetic relationship among domestic horse breeds. His study found that: "Compared with other draft breeds and based upon gene marker data, the Creams form a distinct group within the draft horses. The Creams are no more similar to the Belgian than they are to Suffolks, Percherons or Haflingers." This provided legitimacy, scientific evidence and genetic proof not only of the longheld belief that Cream owners already had that they had something unique and special in their beloved animals but that they are indeed a breed apart. IThese findings establish the American Cream Draft to be a distinct and separate draft breed and the only one to originate not merely in the United States specifically Iowa but also in North America and the Western Hemisphere. It was promulgated, embraced and specifically bred by Iowan farmers and breeders for the desirable traits the breed is known for. Several of us still continue that tradition. American Creams are as much an Iowan institution as the legislature in which you serve today. They are strong, hardworking, eventempered, steadfast, kind and loyal, the same qualities we embody and aspire to as residents of the great state of Iowa herself. I provide this statement to you today in hopes of instilling a sense of the pride I previously spoke of, in Iowas agricultural heritage and in the uniquely Iowan institution that is the American Cream Draft Horse. It is my sincere hope you see fit to embrace them as we have, and honor them by enshrining and elevating this noble breed to their rightful place as the State Horse of Iowa.Sincerely,Chris Beier & Kris VandenburgRidgeview Ranch American CreamsLamoni, IA

Karen Watson [American Cream Draft Horse Assocation]

Dear Representatives,I am in favor of this bill making the American Cream Draft Horse the state horse of Iowa. The American Cream Draft has a unique connection to the State of Iowa having ordinated in Story County, IA.It is the only draft horse born in the USA! It is a rare breed developed in the early twentieth century. Numbers have been growing slowly but still considered critical by The Livestock Conservancy with less the 500 animals. The Equus Survival Trust also list them as Critical with less than 300 breeding mares.In 1989, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg Virginia added American Creams to its Rare Breeds program. Using the creams for wagons and other wheeled vehicles around the living history museum. The visitors were drawn to their beauty and friendly personalities. We also found that marketing products of these horses profitable such as figures, toys, and postcards just to name a few.I hope that you pass this bill and made the American Cream Draft your State Horse

Marian Houseman

The American Cream Draft Horse was founded and developed in Iowa and is an important part of Iowa's agricultural history. It is also the only draft breed originating in the United States. Making the American Cream Draft Horse the state horse of Iowa has been something Senator Annette Sweeney has worked on for at least six years. In the last couple of years, my sister, Barbara Knox Homrighaus, has become an added voice in support of Senator Sweeney's bill, and has garnered support for this bill in Iowa and other states which have American Cream Draft Horse owners and breeders. This horse, once quite popular in Iowa because of its strength and its gentle nature, was used for farming. With the advent of the tractor, draft horses became less necessary, and the American Cream became a breed which was in danger of becoming an endangered species. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in this breed and its role in Iowa's agriculture history. The reason my sister, Barbara Knox Homrighaus, has become so interested in the history of this horse and in helping to increase the number of Creams, is because our grandfather, Charles Knox, was instrumental in the development of the breed. She has spent hours on researching the horse's history, and that resulted in a book called Silver King which she has made available to Iowa legislators. I hope that you give consideration to making the American Cream Draft Horse the state horse of Iowa and help to make this dream come true.

Rebekah Jacobs

Please vote OPPOSED to HSB 281. Voting is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, and any effort to suppress the votes of American citizens based on an unverified claim that they may not be citizens is unconstitutional. The creation of a new category of "unconfirmed" voters will only lead to confusion among citizens. If someone is flagged as "unconfirmed" before the registration deadline, will they have an opportunity to rectify the issue before the election, ensuring their vote isn't suppressed? Furthermore, eliminating the grace period for uncured ballots is another form of voter suppression. Changes in a persons handwriting can occur for a variety of reasons, including aging or health issues. A cured ballot can determine the outcome of local elections, but perhaps that is the intention. Voter suppression undermines the fairness of elections, the integrity of democracy; and, it hinders equal participation by disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups. Voter Suppression erodes public trust in the democratic process. Vote NO to HSB 281.

Pamela McDonald

NO to HSB 281...This bill an make a persons voter status become "unconfirmed" at the behest of an undefined "reliable" source. It eliminates our freedom to choose ranked choice voting in the future, if we choose.It's very long, and contains mines to blow up our voting rights. Please vote NO.

Katy Hardy

Please Oppose HSB 281. We should have less obstacles for voters to register and vote. This bill creates more confusion and distrust for new voters and could potentially make it so long term voters cant submit their vote. For example, because of the newly developed tremor in their signature due to health issues does not match the signature on their valid drivers license a man or womans vote would not be counted. We should make voting more transparent and accessible for all citizens.

Jodi Knox

Please vote Yes and make the American Cream Draft Horse the State Horse of Iowa. This hard working, gentle draft horse with the beautiful traits of champagne colored coat and amber eyes would serve Iowa well as the state horse. The fact that it is even a breed due to the wise and persistent, insightful decisions of a few hard working farmers in central Iowa, along with a veterinarian from Jewell, Iowa is a great testament to the unique agricultural partnerships and entrepreneurial outlook of Iowans. This horse has a great Iowa heritage. Please vote yes and make the American Cream Draft Horse the State Horse of Iowa.

Nichole Ingram

I strongly oppose HSB 281 due to its numerous provisions that threaten voter rights, undermine election integrity, and sow mistrust in our democratic processes. While the bill has garnered attention primarily for its removal of Ranked Choice Voting, the issues within the bill go far beyond that and raise significant concerns for Iowans' access to the ballot and the fairness of our elections.One of the most concerning aspects of HSB 281 is the provision that allows a person's voter status to be labeled as "unconfirmed" based on a "Record from a reliable source." This opens the door to arbitrary disenfranchisement, as this vague criterion could be used to remove people from voter rolls without proper justification. Its crucial that every eligible voter has access to the ballot without unnecessary obstacles, and this provision does the opposite by creating uncertainty and fear for voters who may not have a "reliable" source to verify their status.The bill's elimination of the current grace period to confirm ballots with mismatched signatures is equally troubling. Under this provision, any ballot with a signature discrepancyno matter how minorwould be tossed out, denying eligible voters the opportunity to correct their ballots. The existing grace period allows voters to remedy signature issues, ensuring that their votes are counted even if small administrative errors occur. This change disproportionately harms individuals who may have difficulty providing a matching signature, such as elderly voters, individuals with disabilities, or those who may have changed their name.By shifting the responsibility of investigating election misconduct from the Attorney General to local law enforcement or sheriffs, the bill risks politicizing election oversight. Local law enforcement agencies may not have the expertise or objectivity necessary to handle sensitive election issues, and in areas where local authorities are politically motivated, this change could lead to inconsistent and biased investigations. Voters need confidence that election laws will be enforced impartially, and this provision jeopardizes that confidence.HSB 281 is a deeply flawed bill that would have farreaching consequences for Iowa voters. From voter suppression tactics to undermining election oversight, this bill is a step backward in protecting the rights of all eligible voters. I urge lawmakers to reconsider these provisions and work toward policies that expand, rather than restrict, access to the ballot, and ensure that all Iowans can have faith in the integrity of our elections.

Sue Topp

Please vote in favor of HB292 to name the American Cream Draft Horse the state horse of Iowa. I grew up in Hardin County and still am involved in the family farm there. My grandfather worked for C.T. Rierson, the farmer who promoted and developed the breed. Mom was the secretary for the breed association in the 1940s and kept the studbooks. She worked with Creams and often spoke of how amazing they were "easy keepers" being smaller than some draft breeds, so were not as expensive to feed and maintain as larger horses. Yet they were beautiful and had gentle and willingtowork personalities. The Cream is the ONLY draft breed to originate in the U.S. and it originated right in Iowa! What a wonderful claim for the state.

Diane Lekarczyk

I am an associate member or the American Cream Draft Horse Association for 3rd year now, and family members are members of the Association, together we breed this amazing horse and wish to help recognize the history and bring awareness to the breed that originated in Iowa and is on the endangered horse breed list. Please vote Yes to make the American Cream Draft Horse the State Horse of Iowa