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As a child, I remember that my family regarded animated political discussions as a sporting event. Vocal wrangling never personally appealed to me, but it did teach me to appreciate an inherent aspect of our living democracy - the exchange of ideas.

We harbor thoughts about small government versus large, Jefferson versus Hamilton, federal versus state, state versus local control. We vote for or against candidates based on what we hear candidates say and how that aligns with our personal beliefs. Democracy evolves - it is messy, it's hard work, and sometimes it's loud. It doesn't end at the ballot box. To the contrary, if we truly are engaged, voting and getting elected are just the beginning and conversations around the issues we care about will grow and evolve, as well.

This Iowa legislative session has offered up a lively, up-close and personal lesson on how our form of democracy works - or should work, if we are all willing to participate. No doubt about it, the Republican Party won control of all three branches of state government, so they get to set the agenda. But our representatives still have to come home, still have to engage with their constituents - even the ones who didn't vote for them - and still be held accountable for their stands on issues.

One arena where I've witnessed tremendous opportunity to learn from an exchange of ideas is the series of town hall meetings hosted by the League of Women Voters of Sioux City with other civic groups on the last Saturday of the month during the legislative session. The January meeting was definitely boisterous, but it came from passion and reaction to what had been an unadvertised, full-throated, frontal attack on Chapter 20 that defines what can be covered under the bargaining rights of public employees. The folks who stood in line for more than 90 minutes to ask questions, express outrage or fear or confront the legislators were there because it was personal - the kind of personal that made them step out of their comfort zone and talk about how vulnerable they felt.

The three legislators present earned not just their salary as elected officials, but also the respect of their constituents. In addition to Democratic Representatives Chris Hall and Tim Kacena, Republican Representative Jim Carlin attended the January, February and March town hall meetings. They listened - sometimes over noisy audience rumblings - they shared, they explained, but most of all they made themselves available. I noticed the audience expressed appreciation to Rep. Carlin, while disagreeing with him, because he took their phone calls, answered their questions and explained his stance on issues. There has been an earnest exchange of ideas in these forums.

But where were our locally elected state senators? Where was their exchange of ideas and the give and take of opposing points of view? Please explain why Chapter 20 needed revamping. Why is it imperative to reduce compensation for work injuries even though the National Council on Compensation Insurance claims premium costs in Iowa decreased and claims have been fair for employers? Why is the stand-your-ground provision in the proposed gun bill so urgent, despite deep reservations expressed by Iowa county sheriffs, attorneys and police chiefs across the state, including Woodbury County Sheriff Dave Drew? Why are $440 million in corporate tax credits untouchable in light of the state's $220 million budget shortfall? If our corporate taxes are so onerous, why has U.S. News & World Report ranked Iowa as the nation's sixth-best state for economic development?

Lets have a public discussion about the origin of bills sent out by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) for state legislators to propose. For example, the Iowa House recently passed a "Convention of the States" bill to limit the power of the federal government and limit terms of office for members of Congress. The name and language of the bill are verbatim from the model distributed by ALEC. This is just one example. What property or state income taxes does ALEC pay into the Iowa treasury?

When and where did legislation that weakens the earning power of working-class wage earners who pay state income and property taxes get publicly aired?

Public forums can be emotional, nerve-racking and uncomfortable, but making every effort to be accessible to your constituents helps both sides of the democratic equation mature and deepens our engagement in self-governance. Legislators and voters alike have a responsibility to partake, and when we do we all gain a foothold in the outcome.

Katie Colling is the executive director of Women Aware, a private nonprofit agency. She was elected to two consecutive terms on the Woodbury County Extension Council and serves on several civic-organization boards. She and her husband, Ron, live in Sioux City.

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THE REGULARS: Democracy: It's messy, it's hard work .. and sometimes it's loud - Sioux City Journal