MEUW Members' feedback as we develop plans for 2026 events

Advocacy is an important role for MEUW. Through the years, MEUW has regularly organized a “Day at the Capitol” in Madison to educate state legislators about public power. Those events have typically been held once every 18 months (in May 2022, October 2023, and February 2025).

Next year, MEUW’s Annual Conference will be held in Madison on May 13, 14, and 15, 2026. When it was last held in Madison (in 2022), the conference took place at a downtown hotel, making it convenient to include time for legislative visits as part of the agenda. The 2026 conference is being held at a hotel outside of downtown (closer to the interstate and Highway 151).

One option being considered is to dedicate part of the Annual Conference agenda to visit the Capitol. MEUW would provide transportation for conference registrants from the hotel to the Capitol, arrange group meetings with legislators, and then return to the conference hotel.

With that background, we are interested in your feedback about 2026 events.

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* 1. Understanding that everyone is busy and resources are limited, please read the options and rank your preference for the type of event MEUW should organize.

  1st choice 2nd choice 3rd choice 4th choice 5th choice
Hold a separate "Day at the Capitol" event at another time in 2026
Organize legislative visits by MEUW's Legislative & Regulatory Committee in 2026 (without hosting a "Day at the Capitol" for members)
Do not hold a "Day at the Capitol" in 2026
Schedule an optional "Day at the Capitol" to occur on the day before the 2026 Annual Conference
Incorporate "Day at the Capitol" activities into the 2026 Annual Conference agenda (similar to 2022)

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* 2. Based solely on the date and location, how likely are you to attend the 2026 Annual Conference?

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* 3. Have you ever attended MEUW's "Day at the Capitol" event?

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* 4. Please rate the degree to which you agree with each of the following statements:

  Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Neither Agree nor Disagree Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree
State lawmakers need to know more about municipal utilities
Networking is the most important element of the Annual Conference
My governing board members and local elected officials support my participation in advocacy activities
Legislative meetings should be left to MEUW staff
Attending MEUW's "Day at the Capitol" is a good use of people's time
Meeting with legislators and their staffs is something I enjoy doing
Municipal utilities have a solid reputation inside the Capitol
I believe meeting with lawmakers positively influences their policy decisions
I make it a point to regularly attend MEUW's Annual Conference

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* 5. How important is it for MEUW to regularly hold a “Day at the Capitol” event?

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* 6. In the past (most recently in 2019) MEUW has sometimes partnered with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and other associations to hold "Municipal Day at the Capitol." Which of the following statements most closely matches your opinion? (select only one)

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* 7. What other insights would you like to share?

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* 8. Your name/utility (optional)

Thank you for taking time to provide your opinions. We will keep you posted on plans for next year's events.

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