Legislative Conference

Educates 365 Advocates for Park, Recreation and Conservation Initiatives

After 28 IAPD previous legislative conferences, veteran IAPD and IPRA members hardly needed reminding that their involvement in the lawmaking process puts park, recreation and conservation issues on the legislative agenda, while apathy dooms even the most worthwhile initiatives. To bolster their efforts, the more than 365 IAPD and IPRA members who attended the 29th annual IAPD Legislative Conference on May 1 and 2 learned how to keep apprised of the sometimes fast-moving pace of legislation in Springfield and were reminded of the best strategies for successfully lobbying government officials.

Events kicked off May 1, with Parks Day at the Capitol, an annual showcase of park district, forest preserve, conservation, municipal and special recreation agencies held in the Capitol Rotunda. Then it was on to a reception at the lllini Country Club, at which park district commissioners and professionals discussed issues with their state legislators. Let's Go Play Inc. sponsored this year's reception and was represented by Anny and Mark Fiore.

Then it was down to work at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, with a program aimed at giving park and recreation advocates the latest information on the hot park, recreation and conservation agency-related topics on the legislature's agenda. Joint Legislative Committee Chairs George Longmeyer of the Schaumburg Park District and Sandy Gbur of the West Suburban Special Recreation Association, along with IAPD General Counsel Peter Murphy, detailed the issues pending before the General Assembly and offered personal examples of how to build relationships with legislators. Later in the program, representatives from the state's Legislative Information Services unit demonstrated the General Assembly's Web site-based capabilities for tracking legislation, including a demonstration of how users can parse, track and make notes on a group of selected bills that are of particular interest to them.

Lieutenant Governor Patrick Quinn spoke about the park, recreation and conservation activities of his office, including the Save Our Eagles, Walk Across Illinois and Clean Water nitiatives.

The day's luncheon featured the presentation of several honors. State Representative Will Davis of Chicago earned an IAPD Outstanding Legislator of the Year award for his support of park, conservation and recreation issues. Davis's work with some of South West Special Recreation Association's programs have led him to experience first-hand the effect recreation has on people with special needs.

The Hoffman Estates Park District and the Fox Valley Park District were presented with Recreation Access Best Practices awards. Attorney General Lisa Madigan's Disability Rights Bureau and the IAPD sponsor these awards, which recognize outstanding efforts in offering full access to recreation programs and events for Illinois residents with disabilities. Hoffman Estates' sled hockey program and Fox Valley's personal training program and Vaughan Athletic Center fitness pass program were cited as programs that improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families.

After the awards and the luncheon, IAPD and IPRA members took the afternoon to meet individually with their hometown senators and representatives to advocate for issues that further the cause of parks, recreation and conservation in Illinois.

1.  Will Davis of Chicago accepts the IAPD Outstanding Legislator of the Year award.