LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS OFFICER REPORT - MAY 2009
Can an ordinary citizen — a motorcyclist — influence a state legislature? The answer is not only "Yes," but "Maybe more than you think." The question really should be, “How can I influence my legislators”?
There are 4 valuable contact methods that should be considered when deciding how to get involved in the process of turning an idea, turned into a bill and finally getting it passed into a law.
· Personal visit to your Legislators
· Email ~ If you follow the following steps on-line, it makes it easy to send an email to all 3 of the state legislators from your district in about 5 minutes.
1. go to : http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature
2. click 'Find your Legislator' on the left hand side
3. on the tab 'find your district', type in your address information
4. click on any of the legislators listed (this will bring you to their web page)
5. click the word 'e-mail' (just to the right of their picture)
6. type in your address again
7. Fill in the blanks on this page and be sure to check off the following:
a. To receive a a response, please check..........................
b. Check here if you wish to send a copy to.........................
(This will send the same email to your district Senator and both of your representatives, and it will make sure that you receive a response from your legislator.)
8. Cut and paste one of the form letters that ABATE provided, or put in wording of your own.
· Telephone
· A hand-written letter
Each of these methods is essential to our success as an MRO. The entire process of getting an idea sponsored into a bill, and finally onto the governors desk, hinges on the relationship that each of us can build with our individual legislator.
Letter writing is an important and effective tool in legislative grassroots activism. Meeting and talking in person on the phone is very helpful, but letter writing helps put something concrete in hand that helps you iron out a position or reinforce something you may have talked about. Even after you personally meet with a legislator and talk to them, it is most appropriate to follow up with a letter. You can thank them for meeting with you while reminding them about it at the same time. This gives you another opportunity to remind them of what you are asking from them or perhaps to clarify. Sometimes a meeting does not go as well as you would like and the follow up letter gives you another opportunity to leave someone with a good thought about the time spent with you or perhaps another way to think about what you had discussed.
The proliferation and increased use of computers and email have made letter writing even more valuable, but as an MRO, letters can be one of our most important tools. Even people without a computer can go to the library and send a letter by email. We need to continually engage members in the letter writing process, for many of them this will be the only way for them to share their wishes and thoughts with their elected officials. Our elected representatives in the Washington Legislature and the US Congressional delegation have been elected to represent us. Our legislators cannot completely do their job unless we do ours. We are their constituents. It is their job to represent us; therefore we must share what is on our minds. We need to tell them how we want to be represented and what legislation we want them to support, as well as what legislation we do not want them to support, etc,
Our GRASSROOTS EDGE.
It is also VERY important to write your legislator when you approve of something they have done. We are poised to capitalize on things like this in a LARGE way. Know that not many people get involved in communicating with their legislators. Our doing so is how we wield power reserved for effective grassroots organizations. The only thing fewer than the number of people who take the time to communicate with their legislators is the number of people who take the time to express their appreciation or thanks. It is sad but true. Most people who contact them are mad, and almost all of them want something. Please capitalize on every opportunity to say THANK YOU. These expressions of appreciation will be remembered longer than you know, because they can be very rare. Taking the time to make contact with your elected officials when you do not want something or to say thank you is a VERY valuable part of legislative grassroots politicking. It puts you and our organization in a very positive light.
It is important that the motorcyclist community become involved in effective communication with their legislators and that we educate them on our concerns. It is time we unify our voice and be recognized.
Enough said.
Mr. Breeze
Legislative Affairs Officer
Donnie ‘Mr. Breeze’ Landsman