For those of us in Washington State our legislators are right now gearing up for the upcoming legislative session, and now is the perfect time for us to connect with them.
In my view, the biggest trouble with most citizen lobbying is that it comes too late to make a difference. By the time anything being considered by the legislature makes it on to the news, it is too late for citizen lobbying to have an effect upon it. Citizen lobbying must be done early to be effective.
The second biggest trouble with most citizen lobbing is that it is done poorly. A rude or threatening email sent to a legislator will have zero positive effect, and likely will have a negative effect. Citizen lobbying must be done respectfully to be effective.
The easiest way for a citizen to lobby his or her legislator is via the ‘Legislative Hotline.’ You call a 1-800 number, and leave a brief message with the person who answers the phone. The person answering the phone types up your message then delivers it to each of your three legislators, our Governor, and our Lt. Governor. You don’t even have to know who these elected officials are, the person answering the phone figures all that out for you.
The number for the ‘Legislative Hotline’ is:
1-800-562-6000
Now you know how you can lobby our legislature in Washington State. Wasn’t that easy?
Let’s talk about what to lobby for. Our state is currently facing a roughly 6 billion-dollar budget deficit. Unlike the federal government our state cannot pass a budget that is in the red, cannot rake up massive debt.
This means, quite literally, that the legislature will have to either raise taxes by 6 billion dollars, cut spending by 6 billion dollars, or go with some combination of spending cuts and tax increases.
Government employees, and employees of groups that receive government funding make time each and every day the legislature is working to lobby. This session they will be lobbing for tax increases, ensuring legislators that whatever it is they do is so important that it can not be cut without disaster striking, and that therefore massive new taxes are needed.
Folks who don’t rely upon government for their livelihoods however generally don’t make time for lobbying efforts. Instead they ignore the legislature and just get upset that taxes and regulations both seem to be ever increasing.
This is a mistake. Those of us who believe in lower taxes, in less government, and in more freedom need to lobby the legislature, not ignore it. We need to counter the calls of government types for more taxes and more regulations. If we do not, especially over the next few months, we will all be paying higher taxes, and suffering under more regulation next year at this time.
Therefore, I suggest that this week you call the ‘Hotline’ and leave a low tax, reduced regulation message.
Call the ‘Hotline,’ they will ask for your name and address, and then take your message. If you are like me a Libertarian leaning Republican I’d suggest something to the effect of:
“I feel that taxes are too high already, and urge that the budget be balanced through cuts to non vital functions of government. I am not in favor of any new regulations or laws which will require increased spending, rather I think that we should reduce needless regulation to cut spending.”
Quick and easy. Effective too if done now.
One quirk with the ‘Hotline’ is that your message will go to your three legislators as a matter of course, but only to the Governor and Lt. Governor if you specifically request it. I would recommend that you make that request.
Unless you absolutely want one, you need not ask for a reply to ensure that your message is read.
If you take my advice and spend 30 seconds lobbying this upcoming week you just might end up feeling the process worthwhile. If that is the case, I might suggest that you call back a few days later with a message to the effect of:
“Given the budget deficit I am against any new laws that will increase spending. I urge my legislators to not sponsor any bill that will have a fiscal note attached to it.”
(A fiscal note is a statement prepared by the Governor’s staff detailing how much a bill will cost each year if it is passed into law. All bills that have significant costs are outfitted with fiscal notes if they begin to come under serious consideration.)
Talking about taxes being too high, regulations being out of control, and liberty being infringed is meaningless unless such talk is backed up by action. I urge all of my readers who are located in the State of Washington to spend a couple of minutes this December taking that action, lobbing our legislature as it prepares for its upcoming session.