Advocacy in Action: Strategies for the Iowa Legislature

This session is designed for individuals who want to deepen their understanding of effective advocacy during the Iowa legislative session. We’ll start with introductory concepts and then focus on practical tools for navigating legislative processes, influencing policy, and strengthening relationships with key decision-makers.

Participants will receive a guided walkthrough of the Iowa Legislature’s website — tracking bills, understanding subcommittee assignments, interpreting fiscal notes, and accessing live-streamed committee meetings. The session will also provide an overview of the legislature’s makeup, recent leadership transitions, and changes in committee chairs, along with strategies for identifying key legislators and mapping relationships to support your advocacy work.

Key topics include:

• Navigating the legislative website -- bill tracking, subcommittees, fiscal notes, livestreams.

• Understanding legislative structure, leadership changes, and committee chair transitions

• Identifying key policymakers for specific topics or bills