Many new legislators
The 2023 legislative session will begin on Monday, Jan. 9th, 2023. Iowa operates in a biannual calendar so 2023 will be the first year of the two year General Assembly. Basically, this means we work off a clean slate, all bills must be re-introduced if they did not make it last year.
This will be the first legislative session after the redistricting and elections of 2022. Therefore, there will be many new legislators coming to the Capitol this session in both the House and Senate. You may have a new Senator or Representative in your area after the election. To see who your legislator is go to: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find enter your address and click SEARCH. Your current Senator and Representative information will be displayed.
Once you know who your legislators are, reach out to them, introduce yourself and let them know you are a volunteer firefighter in their district. Ask them for their support at the Capitol when legislation comes up regarding firefighters. Invite them to your department to meet your colleagues, let them know about your pancake breakfast or other fundraising event or fire meetings.
Our main focus this year will be the LOSAP-Length of Service Award Program. We have worked many years on this one and we will post talking points for you so you can ask your legislators for support. It passed the House last year but stopped in the Senate. Therefore, we are currently working with the Senate State Government committee to get their support.
Wednesday, Feb. 1st is our Firefighter Day on the Hill. Once again, we will have a Chili Cook-off from 11-1:00. This is a highly competitive chili tasting lunch that brings many legislators and staff to come and vote for their favorite chili. This is a great time to meet your legislator and visit with other legislators about the needs of Iowa volunteer firefighters.
Radcliffe has taken the trophy home for the last two years. Let us or any board member know if you want to join the competition and bring a roaster full of chili. We provide the bowls, spoons and napkins. We hope to see you there!
Stay tuned for legislative updates every month and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or need more information.
John & Cyndi Pederson,
IFA Lobbyists