WE HAVE A HEARING SCHEDULED ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL TO DEFUND AND ELIMINATE THE LEOPOLD CENTER!

As you know, budget proposals introduced in the legislature earlier this week would eliminate funding for the Leopold Center and end the Center’s operations as of July of this year:

​WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO


What should you say to legislators?

Whether you are speaking at the hearing, submitting written comments, or calling your legislator, stay concise and try to cover these three main points:

(1) Why is the Leopold Center important to you personally? Tell your personal story – as a farmer, as a student at ISU, as an advocate for farmers, as an Iowan who likes to eat locally grown food and drink clean water. Explain how the research and education conducted and funded by the Leopold Center specifically impacts you.

(2) Why should legislators care about the work done by the Leopold Center? Place your personal story in a larger context – explain why all this matters generally to the citizens and voters of Iowa. For example, we expect our elected officials to offer real solutions to problems facing our state like: water quality, the struggling farm economy, the lack of beginning farmers, the long term reliability of our food system, etc. These are the larger issues that you and other voters will hold them accountable for if they fail to offer real solutions.

(3) What are you asking legislators to do? Be sure to state your ask clearly: Don’t defund the Leopold Center. Don’t close the Leopold Center.

General Tip: You really only need to be the expert on your personal story, but it also helps to be educated on the details of what you are talking about. For example: