Session ended on April 22nd, meaning the Advocacy Team has had some time to reflect but mostly relax. And now we are back!
We hope many of you enjoyed the fun, sarcastic, daily updates throughout session. If you didn’t have a chance to subscribe, we think you should before session starts next year (January 2022). You will receive all the daily happenings from the Statehouse, including the gossip and satire…your wish come true! This session focused on the state budget, COVID-19 civil liability protection, and health services (telehealth, white bagging, etc.), just to name a few. We encourage you to visit the IGA website to review the bills that passed or died and follow up with us if you have any questions or concerns.
Now, it is time to look forward to all that will occur this summer (interim) and beyond. Normally during the interim, legislators will return to their home communities to rest or return to their full-time jobs (perks of being a part-time legislature); but due to the Census being published this year, legislators will meet throughout the summer months to discuss redistricting efforts that are to be finalized before January 2022. It will be an interesting (and heated) discussion since we are hearing rumors that some legislators will have to campaign against each other depending on the redistricting. And, to ensure our clients are taken care of and our relationships are strong with legislators, the advocacy team will be traveling the state to meet with various federal, state and local legislators. We want to discuss issues that occurred during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the 2021 session, what items will be of importance in the coming months, and what policy initiatives we should be looking at next year. For our clients: When we are in your neighborhood, we will try our best to meet with you to catch up on your concerns, issues and ideas as we look towards the future.
Lastly, we will continue watching COVID-19 vaccinations, statistics, and potential funding from the federal government. The Advocacy Team releases an update on federal actions each week since our team will be heading to Washington D.C. at least once a quarter this year to meet with legislators, agency leaders and other decision makers. After each visit, we will send an update to our clients to recap what was discussed and the pathway(s) moving forward. What more could you ask for?
RJL had a productive and successful session, and we look forward to our future work on your behalf. We will be researching policy that is specific to our clients, watching the federal government like a hawk and trying to relax by the pool in between. We wish you all a happy and healthy interim and look forward to seeing you soon!
Taylor & Ryan
