League of Women Voters legislative forums kick off Jan. 20

CEDAR RAPIDS - The League of Women Voters Linn County Legislative Forums will kick off at the end of the first week of the 2018 legislative session.

The Legislature convenes Jan. 8, and the first LWV forum will be 10:30 a.m., Jan. 20, in the Hallagan Center at Mercy Medical Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

Legislators representing Linn County - Sens. Rob Hogg, Wally Horn, Liz Mathis and Dan Zumbach, and Reps. Liz Bennett, Ashley Hinson, Ken Rizer, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, Art Staed, Todd Taylor and Louis Zumbach - have been invited.

The free public forums are a venue for legislators to discuss issues of concern and to answer questions from constituents. If internet signal strength allows, Pro Video will stream the forums live on the LWV Linn County and Pro Video Productions Facebook pages.

Following the forum, a video of the event will be available via the Neighborhood Network News link at lwvlinncounty.org.

The forums are held on the third Saturday of the month while the Iowa Legislature is in session. The Feb. 17 forum also will be at Mercy Medical Center.

The March 17 and April 21 forums will be the Kirkwood Community College Regional Center, 1770 Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Those forums will be 10:30 to 11:45 a.m.

The forums are conducted by league members and community volunteers under LWV forum guidelines. Community volunteers interested in helping moderate, time or screen written questions should contact LWVLC Forum Chairwoman Janet Boddicker-Rampulla at jan_ram@msn.com.

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com