Iowa Voters For Companion Animals Is Making A Difference For Dogs...

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR DOGS

Iowa State Capitol

Oh boy. If you really want to make a difference for dogs in Iowa puppy mills, you simply MUST pay attention to who is running for political office and you MUST vote for those candidates who are willing to help get laws passed that will protect those dogs.

Be sure to signup for our e-newsletters so we can keep you up-to-date on future elections and the work we do at the Capitol. We’ll make it really simple. But to learn  more, read on…..

WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WASHINGTON POLITICS

Perhaps you’re not sure where to begin with all this political stuff. Please don’t let that stop you. First things first…. We’re only talking about state-level politics, not federal. 

We’re talking about the Iowa General Assembly which is made up of representatives from all over the state who are voted into office by people who live in their district. The Iowa General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol in Des Moines every year for approximately 100 days, starting in January. Here’s some good information to help you learn more about all this stuff. And there’s a video on our sister organization’s website with more information. Click on the “Getting Better Laws to Protect Dogs in Iowa Mills” link.

YOUR LEGISLATORS ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS

Your Iowa Senator and Iowa House Representative are your neighbors and they’re supposed to represent YOU in the Capitol. So guess what…. you have the right, and  the responsibility, to let them know how you want them to vote on particular bills.

THE 2014 ELECTIONS

The 2014 elections are over! That means it is possible that the state legislators you contacted in years past have changed. Here’s how you can find out who your current legislators are.

• Click here to go to the Iowa Legislature website to find out what your Senate and House district numbers are. You’ll have to enter your mailing address to obtain this information. Also take note of the name of your State Senator and State Representative.
• Next, visit the Secretary of State website and search for the election winners. Click here for the state senate races and click herefor the state rep (house) races. Scroll through to find your unique District numbers (as identified in the previous bullet point). Keep in mind that not ALL districts were included in this last election. So if you don’t see your district listed, you can assume that the person listed on the Iowa Legislature website is still current.
• If your legislator(s) hasn’t changed, their contact information  is on the Iowa Legislature website. Simply click on your legislator’s name to be directed to that information.
• If your legislator HAS changed, you can click here to visit the Secretary of State website listing of all the candidates and their contact information.

Now what you need to do is get in touch with your State Senator and State Representative and very simply tell them, “I want you to support new laws that will protect dogs in Iowa puppy mills.”

If your legislator is listed on the Iowa Legislature website, you may find their contact information there. Get in touch with us if you have trouble finding it. Call or email us at 515-556-5949 / mlahay@iowavca.org. If your legislator isn’t listed on the IA Legislature website, but IS listed on the Secretary of State website, you’ll find their contact information there. Call us if you need help finding their contact information: Mary LaHay 515-556-5949.

Here’s a list of Talking Points you may include in your conversations or letters. We hope you find them useful. Please feel free to print this document and share it with your legislators.

Please start contacting  your legislators now. Ask to meet them for coffee or simply have a phone conversation. The dogs can’t do this so we must!