As a Cooperative, one of our basic operating principles is to work to ensure that our member-consumers receive reliable power at an affordable cost. Today more than ever, what is happening in Des Moines, Iowa, and Washington, D.C., can impact your cost of power and its reliability.
When we partner with our state and national associations, cooperatives have the power to influence what happens in state and federal government. We accomplish this in three ways: our state association hires a lobbyist to represent the interests of our members at the state and national capitals; we maintain regular contact with elected officials; and through political action committees (PACs), we support the campaigns of those officials who have proven themselves supportive of Cooperative goals.
Members can help us reinforce our message to lawmakers. You can contact your elected representatives directly, and you can contribute to our two PACs. The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) sends funds to candidates for federal elections, and the Friends of Rural Electrification (FORE) supports candidates running for state office.
Cooperative funds cannot be used to contribute to election campaigns—that is illegal. Employees and directors must contribute to ACRE and FORE with their own personal funds. The candidate’s political affiliation is never taken into account. Support is determined after evaluating a candidate’s position, public statements, and voting record on issues critical to electric cooperatives. Committee assignments and leadership positions are also important considerations.
If you participate, your contributions will be divided equally between federal and state elections. With the exception of a small federal tax of less than one percent, all contributions go to candidates. No part of your donation is used for administrative expenses.
