Greetings, ICRA members,
First off, warm
holiday greetings to you from your ICRA board of directors! As 2006 comes
to a close, I wanted to update you on some exciting ICRA
happenings.
Page Rate
Increase. The Iowa Supreme Court is seeking public comment
on the proposed transcript rate increase. We are nearing the final stages
of making a proposed transcript page rate increase a reality, and ICRA will be
sure to keep you updated on any happenings. Many people in ICRA have
worked very hard on improving the transcript rate in Iowa, and I am hoping to
have good news for all of you shortly after the first of the year.
Here is the link for the request
for public comment on the page rate increase:
Legislative Reception and State of the
Judiciary Address. ICRA board members will be attending some
upcoming events as representatives of court reporters in Iowa.
On Monday, January 8, 2007, Bill Wimmer, ICRA's
lobbyist, is hosting a legislative reception at his office in West Des
Moines. This will give ICRA board members a chance to establish a
relationship with legislators from around the state. If there are issues
which you believe need addressed, please let me know prior to the January 8th
legislative reception.
On Wednesday, January 10, 2007,
at 10:00 a.m. new Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus will give the
State of the Judiciary address. ICRA board members will be attending the
address as we establish a positive relationship with our new chief justice.
State Judicial Branch
Awards. For those of you aware of a State of Iowa Judicial Branch
employee who has done an exemplary job, the nominating process has begun for the
annual Judicial Branch awards. The deadline is February 15, 2007, for
nominations. Award categories include distinguished service award,
meritorious service award, court innovation award, amicus curiae award, teamwork
award, and customer service award. I have criteria information and a
nomination form which I would be happy to forward to you if you know someone
worthy of recognition.
Midyear
Seminar. Sylvia Kreamalmyer, ICRA's
president-elect, deserves a huge thanks for her hard work on putting the
Midyear Seminar together. Great job, Sylvia! It will be held on
Saturday, January 20th, and our next ICRA board meeting will be held on Friday,
January 19th. Registration materials for the midyear seminar are
forthcoming, and we look forward to seeing you on the 20th.
ICRA Dues Renewal. A friendly
reminder to please consider renewing your ICRA dues today. As you can see,
those of us on the ICRA board work tirelessly on your behalf. We
appreciate each and every member of ICRA, and we welcome your comments, your
criticisms, and encourage you to get involved. Thank you for allowing us
to continue to serve you!
Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous
2007!
Linda Dona
ICRA President