Although the blog has been quiet lately, there has been a flurry of activity within FOIM. We have an energetic and promising start to 2009!
First and most exciting, FOIM leaders and members met with Rep. Mary Mascher from Iowa City to discuss our cause. The room was filled with parents and babies and everyone eloquently argued for their stake in making out-of-hospital birth accessible to all Iowans. Mary was warm and supportive and gave us a ton of great ideas for making this a reality.
Second, it looks like a Quad Cities chapter of FOIM is in the making! If you are a Quad Cities member and want to be in on the action, please contact me and I'll put you in touch with its organizers. Hopefully we will have FOIM in all corners of the state soon.
We have a lot of amazing plans for the next few months as the legislative session opens. The bill committee is working on a draft to shop around and we are scheduling meetings with representatives.
What can you do?
First, write a letter. Please! You would be amazed at the difference these letters make. We need FOIM to be in the hearts and minds of our legislators and the only way to do that is for them to hear directly from constituents. Our website has a great section all about writing letters.
Second, schedule a meeting with your representative. As a consumer who cares about this issue, a face to face meeting -- even for a few minutes -- will make a great impact. Bring your babies/kids! Legislators are home on weekends and are happy to meet with constituents at that time. Gather a few friends from your area and go together. Bring handouts and talking points to share!
Looking forward to a GREAT YEAR!
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