Officials with PRIDE (the Progressive Rural Iowa Development Enterprise) based in Atlantic, have announced that two legislative coffees have been scheduled to take place in Cass County, in preparation for the 2013 session of the Iowa Legislature. PRIDE President Kenner Baxter says “These coffees are opportunities to have face-to-face dialogue with our Iowa legislators.” It’s the first time the coffees have been held in the fall.

Baxter says reasons for the early coffees include redistricting, which has added a new legislator to our area in Senator Hubert Houser from Carson, and because they “Want to meet before the session begins to express what’s important to our citizens ahead of convening in January to be proactive.” She says  “Our legislators always appreciate coming to Cass County because we have such terrific attendance. People here really want to have input into our state government, so they participate when the legislators make time to come to our towns.”

Legislative coffees will also be held while the legislature is in session. The schedule for those events will be released in December or January. The first Fall coffee is set for Saturday, October 27th, at the Cass County Museum in Griswold, beginning at 10 a.m. Baxter says Representative Jack Drake and Senator Hubert Houser have committed to attending. Representative Clel Baudler has been invited. The second coffee will be on Saturday, November 17th, at the Marne Community Center, beginning at 10 a.m. Senator Houser has tentatively agreed to be present. Representatives Drake and Baudler are invited, but as both have contested races, their presence depends on the outcome of the November 6th election.

P.R.I.D.E. is the economic development organization that works on behalf of the cities of Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, and Marne for Cass County development, plus numerous individual members and businesses in Southwest Iowa. For additional information, or to join P.R.I.D.E., please contact Kenner Baxter, President, at kennermc@metc.net, or Clarke Gerlock, vice-president, at 712-774-5476.