DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa's legislative session is well underway, but the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Iowa wants people to still know how to get involved this session.
So, they're holding a virtual series titled "Lobby Day, Every Day."
The series shows attendees how to get involved with policy and how to try and make the changes they want to see.
The series began at the beginning of March and covers topics such as:
- Legislative Update from ACLU of Iowa Policy Director Pete McRoberts
- How to Write a Letter to the Editor or Guest Column
- How to Speak at Subcommittee Meetings or Public Hearings
- How to Craft an Ask to Legislators
Of those four topics, "How to craft an ask of a legislator" is a base foundation to starting on the path to make a difference.
"So essentially what are you going to say to them once you contact them on an issue you care about," ACLU Iowa Advocacy Campaign Manager Becca Eastwood said. "We want folks to have the tools to feel comfortable and empowered to do that."
Some talking points to remember when speaking with a lawmaker are discussing why should they care about that issue, why does the individual fighting for the issue care about it and why should the general public care about it.
The series also explains new protocols for remote participation.
"We walk folks through, 'this is the webpage that you can go to', this is how you can access a subcommittee meeting [online]," Eastwood said.
The ACLU also has a toolkit for people to use. They can sign up for online and it provides further resources and strategies in addition to the ones told in the series.
The oganization says one of the most important things about the Lobby Day, Every Day series is with it being online, it's available to people across the state and shows them how to get involved without leaving their homes or disrupting their schedules too much.
"The goal really is to make lobbying accessible to everyone, and so online I think, is a really helpful tool to be able to do that and empower folks to do that," Eastwood said.
To register for one of the events, held every Wednesday at noon, click here.
