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POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. IOWA’S INFLUENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS JUST TOOK ANOTHER HIT. THE STATE’S ONLY REPRESENTATIVE ON THE POWERFUL RULES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE HAS LOST HIS SEAT. ����vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA RUCKER JOINS US NOW. AMANDA, THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR IOWA DEMOCRATS. IT IS NOT. STACEY. A LOT OF IOWA DEMOCRATS ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR STATE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. THE RULES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE IS WHERE DECISIONS GET MADE ABOUT WHICH STATES GO FIRST. IN PICKING THE DEMOCRATS NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT. AND NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, IOWA HAS NO SEAT AT THAT TABLE. MY PRECINCT, FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, SCOTT BRENNAN, HAS BEEN IOWA DEMOCRATS ONLY VOICE ON A KEY DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE PANEL. IT DECIDES WHICH STATES VOTE FIRST IN THE DEMOCRATS PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES. HIS LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO THE GRASSROOTS IN 2022, BRENNAN WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO NO VOTES WHEN THAT COMMITTEE VOTED TO STRIP IOWA OF ITS FIRST IN THE NATION STATUS. I CANNOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL BEFORE US. AND DAYS AFTER THE 2024 ELECTION, BRENNAN TOLD ����vlog. IOWA DEMOCRATS SHOULD FIGHT FOR FIRST IN 2028. THERE’S GOING TO BE A BRAND NEW CALENDAR, BRAND NEW FIGHT, AND AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, WE SHOULD BE IN THERE FIGHTING. BUT NOW BRENNAN IS OUT. I’M SURPRISED. SHOCKED, DISAPPOINTED. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST JEFF LINK SAYS IT’S A BAD SIGN FOR IOWA’S CHANCES OF RECLAIMING FIRST IN THE NATION. THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT THE PEOPLE AT THE DNC DON’T REALLY WANT TO PUT US BACK. IN A STATEMENT TO ����vlog, A DNC SPOKESPERSON SAID THEY’RE COMMITTED TO RUNNING A FAIR PROCESS FOR THE 2028 PRIMARY CALENDAR, AND THAT ALL STATES WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. IT’S A FALSE PROMISE TO SAY IT’S GOING TO BE A FAIR PROCESS. THEY MUST HAVE FELT THREATENED BY SCOTT BEING ON THAT COMMITTEE OR OTHERWISE THEY THEY WOULDN’T HAVE REPLACED HIM. BUT LINK SAYS A STRONG SHOWING IN 2026 COULD CHANGE THE DNC’S MIND. IF ROB SAND COULD WIN AN OPEN SEAT FOR GOVERNOR. I THINK THAT REOPENS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT CAN A CAN A STATE LIKE IOWA LEAD THE NATION IN IN THAT PRIMARY PROCESS? IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR RITA HART SAYS SHE EXPECTS TO HAVE, QUOTE, TOUGH AND DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DNC ABOUT THE IOWA CAUCUSES AND, QUOTE, THE SERIOUS CONCERNS SURROUNDING THE BIDEN 2024 CALENDAR. SHE ADDED THAT, QUOTE, NATIONAL DEMOCRATS LET TRUMP GET A HEAD START IN THE 2024 CAMPAIGN BY EXCLUDING IOWA, WE SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD TO BE IGNORED. AGAIN, I ASKED A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DNC WHY BRENNAN WAS REMOVED FROM THE RULES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE, BUT DID NOT HEAR BACK. NOW, OTHER STATES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY KICKED OFF THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS NEW HAMPSHIRE, SOUTH CAROLINA AND NEVADA EACH GAINED AN ADDITIONAL SEAT. NOW THEY NOW EACH HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES ON THE RULES AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE. STACEY, BOY, WE’RE GOING TO WATCH THIS ONE AMANDA. THANK YOU. NOW, WHEN THE DNC KNOCKED IOWA OUT OF ITS FIRST IN THE NATION SPOT, IT RELEASED A NEW NOMINATING CALENDAR THAT PUTS SOUTH CAROLINA FIRST. BUT IN 2024, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEFIED THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND HELD ITS PRIMARY FIRST, ARGUING A 1975 STATE LAW REQUIRES IT TO HOLD ITS NOMINATING CONTEST BEFORE ANY OTHER STATE. AND AGAIN, AS AMANDA JUST MENTIONED, BOTH OF THOSE STATES NO