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Governor Signs Proclamation for Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

From left: Karl Schilling, Maggie Tinsman, Teresa Davidson, Sister Shirley Fineran, Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer, John Chesser, Dr. George Belitsos, and Linda Harrell. Not present: Tom Barr, Heather Brown, Lyna Debner, Kim Hilby, Stephanie Olson, Bernadette Rixner, Brittany Sowder, Chief Tricia Thein, and Jacqueline White.

On January 15, Governor Kim Reynolds and Secretary of State Paul Pate signed a statewide proclamation declaring January 2025 as Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Iowa. This event was held at the Rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol Building and was organized and sponsored by the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery. Despite the temperatures, 106 concerned Iowans from across the state attended. The photo shows Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer holding the proclamation surrounded by Network board members. The Governor asked her newly appointed Lieutenant Governor to fill in for her during the program.

Following the proclamation  signing, Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Awards were presented to six Iowa unsung heroes. Each honoree received a plaque and a signed copy of the proclamation courtesy of the governor. The service award honors individuals and organizations that have made remarkable contributions to ending trafficking in Iowa. Next month’s blog will pay tribute to these 6 Iowa honorees.

Over 60 Local Prevention Month Proclamations Across Iowa

Sincere thanks to the anti-trafficking advocates who secured local government proclamations. Over 60 Iowa city councils and county boards of supervisors signed proclamations declaring January 2025 as Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. What a great way to create awareness and stimulate action within communities across Iowa.

These proclamations were requested by local anti-trafficking advocates and service club organizations such as Rotary and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Below are five photos of local governments signing proclamations.

Photo taken at the West Des Moines City Council meeting. The proclamation is being held by Mary-Ann Ahrens, representing the American Association of University Women. The AAUW secured two proclamations declaring January 2025 as Slavery and Human Trafficking month.

The Cedar Rapids City Council proclamation is being held by Teresa Davidson in black and the Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell in white. Davidson is the founder and CEO of Chains Interrupted which secured over 20 proclamations from local governments. 

The Story County Board of Supervisors presented their proclamation on January 2nd. The chair of the supervisors is Lisa Heddens who is holding the proclamation along with Dr. George who represented the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking. Network board members collectively secured 17 proclamations from local governments.

The Des Moines City Council proclamation was presented at its January 13th meeting. Holding the proclamation is the newly selected mayor, Connie Boesen. Shown are representatives from four different organizations, including Rotary which requested the proclamations and ten others in locations across Iowa.

The Mayor mayor of Winterset/Madison County signed a proclamation declaring January as Slavery and HT Prevention Awareness Month for the first time! Sarah Simon is shown holding the signed proclamation. Sarah represents the Rotary Action Team to Prevent Human Trafficking.

Update on 2025 Human Trafficking Legislation

The 2025 Legislative Session is underway, and the legislature just wrapped up their third week of the session with 12 weeks to go! A handful of new human trafficking bills have been introduced while a few are left over from the last session. Several of these have already passed out of a subcommittee and are on the move. Here is the list of the bills.

2024 Updates and 2025 Plans from Dorothy’s House in Des Moines

Dorothy’s House is entering its 10th year of service to survivors of human trafficking. In the last year, they have made considerable progress in program services and expansion. Kellie Markey, founder and Executive Director of Dorothy’s House, will be retiring as of Executive Director. The NAHT wants to commend Kellie for her groundbreaking leadership and outstanding commitment to survivor services.

What follows is taken from Dorothy’s House newsletter:

Front Porch – In June we welcomed our first tenants into our transitional living apartment program.  Once participants complete the Recovery portion of our program they are eligible for a subsidized apartment as they continue the practice of life and grow their work/personal life skills. This aspect of our program not only helps create better long-term outcomes, but it is also something most of the women in our Recovery program look forward to with great anticipation, increasing the length of their stay. As a bonus, we were able to hire a long-time Dorothy’s House alum to be our apartment manager while she completes her B.A.

Crisis Services – At the beginning of the year, we shrugged off the fear of uncertainty and ran a pilot – some would say experiment – in the area of crisis services. More than 40% of our referrals come from people who need immediate, sometimes life-saving help. From that experience, we took the leap, moved some things around, and opened the first and only crisis service program for survivors in Iowa.  This program will increase our reach in service from about 15 per year to more than 100 as we meet them where they are on their healing journey.

Law Enforcement Support – We supported our law enforcement agencies in a statewide sting operation designed to gather intelligence on perpetration and trafficking rings – some that are nationwide. We met with 11 women during the operation. Not all of them accepted services that night, but we continued to hear from them after we opened the door to help that evening.

Alumna Services – A few of our local alums asked us to develop a support group to work on the ongoing struggles of life and how to continue coping. We gladly met them where they were and asked them to develop the initial concept and schedule. We will invite alums, Front Porch participants, and other survivors looking to connect.

Executive Director Transition – With that much growth, we look forward to a year of stability and to further develop processes and services in these areas. There is no better way to do that than to hand the reins over to our very competent, talented, and caring employee, Aimee McDonald. Aimee has been running the operations of all our programming for almost four years and will bring a fresh perspective, procedural improvements and tremendous leadership to Dorothy’s House.

Podcast on the Intersections on Healthcare and Human Trafficking

The Alliance for Children in Trafficking has completed its podcast on “Intersections on Healthcare and Human Trafficking.” They have added a few cameos from HEAL. The trafficking mission of HEAL is to lead innovative health solutions to eradicate human trafficking in communities worldwide. Check out the podcast here, and feel free to share with local Iowa Coalitions.

Sweeping Trafficking Reform Legislation in Michigan – 20 bills introduced

Courtesy of the Michigan Alliance

Too often, survivors of sex trafficking are branded with names like “prostitute,” reinforcing the power of abusers and taking away the voices of those who were abused, Robin Bolz, a survivor of human trafficking, told Michigan lawmakers Wednesday.

Members of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee examined bills that would alter legal language in Michigan that labels trafficking victims as “prostitutes” and considered bills that would allow survivors legal protections if they committed criminal acts while being trafficked.

It was like drowning, Bolz recalled, years of sexual abuse starting at age 8 at the hands of her father chipped away at her sense of self, further deepening the control her traffickers held over her. Eventually, as is the case with many who have been sex trafficked, Bolz said she began to feel like her perpetrators were her “breath of air,” making it hard to seek out freedom.

Bolz said she is getting the chance to testify in support of bills that could have helped her heal and seek justice on what would have been her father’s birthday.

“No one saved me, but I had to claw my way to this point through God’s grace and mercy,” Bolz said. “I will spend every last breath advocating for survivors so that they feel seen, heard and valued.”

There are a lot of misconceptions about trafficking and the stigma of blame for victims compounds on an already devastating system of abuse that is prevalent all over Michigan, Assistant Attorney General and Michigan Human Trafficking Commission Chair Melissa Palepu said. To read more about the 20 human trafficking bills, tap here.

Iowa Maps Showing Location of Hotels/Motels Trained to Detect Human Trafficking

In 2020, the NAHT persuaded the Iowa Legislature to pass a bill designed to enhance reporting, training, and prevention of human trafficking. This resulted in Iowa Code 80.45A, requiring the DPS to train employees of lodging providers and to certify providers that receive training. To date, 24,000 employees have been trained and 740 providers certified.

A list of these providers can be found on the DPS Office to Combat Human Trafficking site. There is now also a map showing the location of providers.

If you expand the map using your cursor, it shows in greater detail the number of providers in every city, town and county in Iowa. For example, when Dr. George expanded on the 186 providers over Des Moines, he found 29 in and around Ames (the NAHT office location).

Disappointing Press Release from the Federal Office of Victims of Crime (OVC)

On February 5, 2024, the federal OVC published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register and released the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Compensation Proposed Rule (“Proposed Rule”). During the 60-day open comment period, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) received thousands of comments from survivors, advocates, national organizations, state administering agencies, and other state and federal officials. The majority of comments strongly advocated for the OVC’s efforts to reduce barriers to compensation, clarify the breadth of expenses that can be covered, and reduce administrative burdens that victims experience when applying for compensation.

It’s disappointing that the OVC announced on January 19 that the Proposed Rule has been withdrawn from the rulemaking process. This was a difficult decision. There simply wasn’t enough time remaining in the current administration to get this over the finish line.

However, the rulemaking process was a valuable learning experience for the OVC. The information obtained from the more than 3,800 comments received during the public comment period, literature reviews, and listening sessions will have a lasting impact, and not just at the OVC. It has been heartening to learn that many states are already leading the way in implementing changes to their own compensation programs that align with the intended purpose of the proposed rule. The OVC hopes the transparency with which they followed the rulemaking process has encouraged states to have their own conversations about how victim compensation is administered and who has access to it.

New Safety Planning & Online Safety Resources

In honor of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month last month, the 3 Strands Global Foundation announced the launch of two brand-new, completely free courses.

  1. Online Safety and Awareness – Learn about online safety and build your awareness of current trends, helping to protect yourself and others.
  2. Crafting a Safety Plan – Learn how to create a practical safety plan, raising your awareness and taking action based on best practices.

You are welcome to send these educational resources to your family, friends, and coworkers who share your passion for preventing human trafficking. By spreading the word, you can help build a stronger, more informed community ready to prevent and address human trafficking questions.

For more information on 3 Strands, contact Emily Miller, Implementation Specialist.

TV News Clips & Articles

By on February 3, 2025   /   News