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Your Legislative Voices
Encouraging the involvement of Iowa County Attorneys in the legislative process has been a priority of ICAA for many years. County Attorneys today have a much greater presence and impact in that arena than ever before. There are, however, several facets of that situation of which you might not be fully aware.
You know that annually the ICAA Legislative Committee meets for most of two days formulating the legislative priorities of the Association for the up coming session. A brochure describing those three to five "positions" is produced and distributed to all Iowa law makers. Press releases go out to inform the public. Our legislative liaison contacts the key members of the legislature, executive and judicial branches, as appropriate. On each day of the session all relevant bills are sent for review to the ICAA Bill Review Committee. This, and more, create and maintain the program and presence of the Association as it interacts with the legislative process each year.
At the same time your Board of Directors has encouraged each individual County Attorney to become involved in the process at the local level. Last November you were provided an Advocacy Action Packet which requested that you host a reception for your legislators in order to "become a resource" for them when questions arise. While cultivating those contacts, County Attorneys can become contributors individually. As independent, elected officials responsible for your separate jurisdictions, your concerns should be heard.
And therein can lie something of a dilemma: with which "voice" are you speaking when you advocate or oppose an issue before the legislature? Do you speak on behalf of the Association position? Or, do you speak as an individual County Attorney? For we all recognize that not always can the position taken by the Association exactly reflect the opinion of each and every County Attorney. It is inevitable; many issues will generate a consensus, but not always unanimity.
With that understanding (and all the while encouraging full expression of all divergent views) we suggest the following guidelines to help clarify our communications with law makers.
Inform your listener on whose behalf you speak, making clear that when you might
disagree with an Association position that you speak solely for yourself.
Inform the ICAA office or our lobbyist, Julie Fleming, of your communication with a
legislator. It may be an issue on which ICAA has not formulated a position but
should do so with the benefit of your input.
Inform yourself before speaking if you are not certain of the Association position.
In addition to the three to five priorities identified each year, the Association maintains a
"position paper" with over 100 other policies it has endorsed. Please review it.
Get involved, speak out, speak clearly and help your Association improve its legislative effectiveness.
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