When it comes to advocacy, August is a good time to reflect on and celebrate the great work we’ve done so far this year. August is when many of us are taking vacations and celebrating summer in our beautiful state. As the summer winds down and turns into fall, take advantage of this opportune time to map out your advocacy plans.

First, the celebration

In previous Bulletin articles, we noted that the 2021 session, while challenging, was especially productive for cities. The Legislature acted on four out of AWC’s five legislative priorities. The fifth was a transportation package—and there’s still a possibility for a special session later this fall. If you missed it, read our legislative session outcomes summary.

We also want to recognize and celebrate our legislative City Champions and our city Advocacy All-Stars.

City Champion Awards acknowledge the hard work and dedication of state legislators who championed critical city issues during the 2021 legislative session. Eleven legislators received the award this year.

AWC’s Advocacy All-Star Awards call out and honor the actions of city officials and others who advocate for all 281 cities and towns. The award winners conducted advocacy efforts throughout the 2020 interim and 2021 legislative session. Eight city officials and one organization received awards this year.

Please join us in thanking the award winners for their work on behalf of cities.

Finally, the interim is a great time to reach out to your local legislators and reiterate your thanks for their hard work. Everyone appreciates a “pat on the back” and legislators are no different.

Planning for your fall advocacy efforts

While we’re all enjoying summer in August, we can’t forget that fall is just around the corner. This is the time of year when you should start thinking about developing your own city legislative agenda.

AWC’s Legislative Priorities Committee will meet again on September 7 to finalize recommendations for our 2022 priorities. Those recommendations will go to the AWC Board for approval at its September 24 meeting.

We encourage cities to adopt your own agenda in the fall. This allows for enough time to communicate the agenda and priorities with your legislators ahead of the 2022 legislative session and to work with them on the best way to implement your requests.

If you need inspiration as you think about your advocacy plan, check out AWC’s advocacy tools.

We hope you enjoy a fun and safe August and that you’re looking forward to engaging your advocacy skills this fall.