LEGISLATURE 2023-24: Be Informed About Upcoming Legislation (PC)
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Be Informed About Upcoming Legislation
There are thousands of bills introduced in the Legislature – How do you make sense of it all?
How many of you have heard of a new law and were upset that you had not known about it when it was being considered by the Legislature?
You may have wanted to weigh in with your representatives if you had only known. It’s frustrating when you are blindsided at the end of a legislative session, finding that some damaging policy or another has been passed without general public knowledge.
The media is partially to blame because of bias, but the main reason is there is just so much information out there – it’s hard to pick and choose those issues that are the most important.
You could take the time to do all the research yourself, but there are almost a thousand bills dropped each session. It is impossible for one person to keep up with that much information. Even those who work at the Legislature have staff members to help keep track.
The truth is there are only a few bills that will be important for you to follow closely. Many bills are non-controversial and will fix some problem that currently exists. Only a few are very controversial and would have an adverse effect on our lives. To figure out where to focus your attention is very difficult. Fortunately, there are many places to get the information to get you started.
Where to get information about bills
There are a few think tanks in Washington who are watchdogs when it comes to the legislature. Sign up for their newsletters. It may be that you will have more emails to sort through, but these sources usually zero in on the most impactful legislation.
Focus on One Issue
Sign up for a few newsletters from organizations that focus on your most important issue. Some organizations are not necessarily conservative, and others are, but they will inform you about current bills being considered during the legislative session. There are dozens of organizations out there – almost every group has some sort of association. You don’t have to agree with all their views to stay informed. In fact, it might be good to sign up for some you completely disagree with – you can just oppose the bills they want to pass.
- National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
- Family Policy Institute of Washington (FPIW)
- National Rifle Association (NRA-ILA)
More examples of organizations you might be particularly interested in:
Developmentally disabled (DD) advocacy – The ARC of WA State
Schools have WEA or WSSDA and CURE (Citizens United For Responsible Government – focus is Education)
Agriculture – The Farm Bureau
Businesses – Association of WA Businesses (AWB)
Almost all groups have associations – pediatricians, hospitals, dentists, accountants, the hospitality industry, homeschoolers, social programs, etc. There are labor organizations, associations for the aging population, and a thousand others to choose from who watch what the legislature does and report back to its members.
Choose One or Two Organizations to follow
Because there are countless organizations that will give you legislative updates, you should choose one or two where your interests lie to get the information. Again, whether you agree with their policy desires or not, they can be a good information source. Finding out about bills you disagree with is sometimes just as important as the ones you agree with.
Media Outlets are also a good source of information
There are a few talk shows on that radio that might help, as well. John Carlson, Brandi Kruse, Jason Rantz, and Lars Larson to name just a few. Many talk shows are now available in podcast format which is handy. You can download the podcast and listen while you are in the car or performing some other task.
If talk radio isn’t your thing, follow them on Twitter or Facebook. If you are on either of those, consider following the Republican Caucuses. They will point out important legislation in a timely manner. Follow people who work at some of the think tanks as well as several of the local media organizations and reporters. By following a wide variety of sources, you will stay more informed. Don’t limit yourself to an echo chamber of your own beliefs. You need to know what the other side is up to, as well!
Sign up for newsletters from Republican Senators and Representatives
It’s also good to follow Republican Senators and Representatives. Even if they are not your own, they will provide information about various bills. Bear in mind that some are active on social media and some do not utilize the venue at all. But you can sign up for their individual newsletters on the legislative website. You can also search for the hashtag #waleg to find individuals who tweet bill information and follow some of them.
TVW.com is a great resource. They are 24/7 coverage for the Washington Legislature, and you can also watch committee hearings or floor debates utilizing their programming.
You have probably already started hearing about bills, but legislation will become more dominant in the headlines starting in January.
Future newsletters will give you concrete action items…
You need to be ready to take action when the session begins on January 8th, so your voice can be heard in the process.
Following the legislature takes time, but it is far better to find out early in the process what bills are being introduced than to wait and find out after the bill has already passed and it’s too late to weigh in with your opinion.
This is where it is crucial to have a group who will work together – divide up the various topics (tax, firearms, education, etc) amongst your circle and notify others when critical actions need to be taken. Post bills that you hear of (good and bad) here in the comments, so others can follow them, as well. It has been shown that destructive bills can be stopped if we unite our efforts in a common cause. We can affect the changes that are needed by the people of our state. If we work together, we can make a difference!
