Who’s My Legislator?
Recently, Cosmetologists of Washington United hosted a FREE Virtual Legislative Day where we talked about the legislative process and how to use the WA State Legislature website to give feedback on drafted legislation in Olympia, WA.
(Recording of 2021 VIRTUAL LEGISLATIVE DAY HERE )
What was the biggest TAKEAWAY? It is important to create lasting connections with your district legislators so you can have a more effective impact on laws and their work at the Capitol in Olympia, WA. Having a rapport with the legislators who represent you takes you out of the realm of being simply another number, and highlights you as a real person. Knowing a person’s story creates an AUTHENTIC connection with someone & makes a legislator more likely to go to bat for you. Obviously, we are not all going to be best friends with our area’s legislators but having a professional communication and regular dialogue is priceless.
Here is a quick HOW-TO on how to start this process!
- Click Here for the District Finder to find out WHO are your local legislators. Washington is broken up into areas called districts. Each area has one senator and two representatives. You are their constituent and they represent YOU! Enter your contact info and it will bring up the 3 legislators that represent your specific district. We highly recommend to WRITE THE NAMES OF LEGISLATORS DOWN and their contact info. (see below)
2. You can email the legislators DIRECTLY and they or their staff will receive your message. Once you use the District Finder, you can click on their name to open up an email window to contact them directly! All written communication to legislators needs to be logged. TIP: Most legislators email is their “firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov”
QUICK TIPS: Introduce yourself (do you own a home? do you own a business in the same district? what do you do for a living? are you a parent or caregiver, are you an employee or employ others, etc?) , limit your email to 2-4 short paragraphs, be respectful, and if you are messaging about a specific piece of legislation make sure to use its Bill # and why the legislation would positively or negatively impact you. Note: You may not always get a response back and that is not awesome —but is typical sometimes when they receive so many messages.
3. Create and Maintain Relationships with Your District Legislators: It is advisable to check in with your legislators throughout the year- even just to say hello! They work for the PEOPLE and need to stay connected to the pulse of their community to represent YOU effectively. It’s NOT just about legislative session. It’s about sustaining connections that will help YOU and THEM! EX: During 2020 Covid19 shutdown many legislators were going the extra mile to help constituents navigate the Unemployment Security Department and some send regular newsletters to constituents with valuable resources.
4. Comment on a SPECIFIC BILL:
a. Go to the BILL INFO PAGE here and type the bill number in. TIP: Make sure you are in the CORRECT YEAR in the drop down menu to the right of entering in the bill number.
b. Read the BILL PAGE by scrolling down and clicking on items. Utilize links to learn more about the bill. TIPS: What Committee is it in? When is it having a public hearing scheduled & read Bill Reports and the bill itself.
c. Comment on the BILL– You can select Support, Neutral or Oppose and leave a brief comment.
5. 2021 Legislative Session in Olympia is VIRTUAL due to Covid19— so if you want to sign up to testify for or against a bill in a Committee hearing you can do that for the corresponding chamber it was introduced in ONLINE! You can sign up to testify up to ONE HOUR before the committee hearing. Prepare a BRIEF 30 – 60 second statement as time is strict and you may be cut off if you run over. Be SHORT & SWEET!