I would like to set the record straight in response to the way Suzan Stewart characterized a 2017 League of Women Voters (LWV) meeting. In her Regulars columns, "In discourse, try to be civil, informative," on page A15 of The Journal's Nov. 9 issue, Ms. Stewart set out to describe the ebb and flow of civility in an assortment of public arenas. The low point for her was a setting where the public met with local state representatives and senators, and brought red and green cards to demonstrate their agreement (green) or opposition (red) to an opinion being expressed in...wait for it... a TOWN HALL MEETING.
This was a publicly advertised meeting hosted by LWV on the last Saturday of February - the month that the 2017 Iowa Legislators completely rewrote Chapter 20, which governs the bargaining rights of public sector employees. I have a very clear memory of this meeting, because I walked in with a huge group of people and someone was there, handing out pairs of red and green sheets. I declined to take a pair, saying to no one in particular, 'I'm here for the League town hall meeting.' I thought the turnout and the cards were for some other meeting being held in the building at the same time.
People are also reading... Kristie VerMulm McManamy continues call for Dan Greenwell's resignation Construction on $60M+ South Sioux City casino may begin next year 7,300 Sioux City properties could have lead service lines, see if your property is on the list Sioux City Police Department seeks missing man Dan Greenwell shares contentious messages referenced in recent school board meeting Taco John's to test-market Fritos menu item in Sioux City metro Breezy bake: Siouxland business owner finds fulfillment from bread-making venture Hardline Coffee and Winnie's bringing new energy to Fourth Street Arts group says it is 'no longer connected' to Sioux City building that caught fire Sioux City school board delays purchase of electric buses in aftermath of Trump's election Ex-Plymouth County deputy sentenced to prison for stealing prescription drugs State football: Remsen St. Mary's knocks off Bishop Garrigan to reach 8-Player title game Sioux City man pleads not guilty of impregnating 13-year-old ArtSplash to move from Labor Day weekend He admitted to molesting a boy. And his church protected him for years.
The tenor of that morning's town hall had nothing to do with LWV's plans, intentions or expectations. It was a town hall forum where anyone could - and did - show up to give the new class of Iowa elected officials a report card on recent legislative action. The attendees' emotions were riding high - a reaction to an unexpected bill just signed into law by Gov. Branstad, and they wanted to hold their local representatives accountable for it. Frankly, I think that the red and green cards actually worked to quiet some of the spontaneous utterances.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts
This 2017 meeting was contrasted to a "more civilized" candidate forum this October, that LWV organized with the Siouxland GO group. Candidate forums are much more structured and organized than town hall meetings so that the public can listen as opposing candidates answer the same question, side by side. It's an opportunity for voters to hear for themselves and learn which candidate more closely reflects their voice. The panel members who pose questions to the candidates are invited to help draw out candidate thoughts on diverse public matters that could be impacted by future legislation.
The candidate forum events are the result of months of thoughtful planning. The tenor of town hall meetings, on the other hand, can often be traced directly back to what the legislators enacted. That, to me, is the crux of democracy - public representatives hearing directly from their public.
In case you're interested, 2025 League of Women Voters town hall meetings are scheduled for Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and March 22 at the Sioux City Public Museum.
Katie Colling, a former Regulars columnist for The Journal, is a member of the local League of Women Voters.
0 Comments Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Catch the latest in Opinion
Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.