Your state legislators want to see you

Your elected representatives say they want you to meet with them before the 2015 legislative session begins in January. Many organizations are already firming up their work plans for the 2015 legislative session. Groups are finding legislators who will take lead roles advocating for the bills their constituents want passed, and they are continuing to nurture activists’ relationships with the three people who represent each one in Olympia by arranging opportunities for advocacy and conversation. Many actions have occurred since the 2014 session ended. A few are listed below: • Governor Inslee formed a carbon emissions reduction taskforce to work through the spring, summer, and fall to prepare for legislative action in the 2015 session. • Representatives from organizations hoping to abolish the death penalty, including FCWPP, have met three times to develop strategies and identify key legislators to contact during the interim between legislative sessions. • The Adult Behavioral Health System Task Force met in April, and again on June 13, 2014 to study mental health care and substance abuse treatment needs in light of potential legislation. • FCWPP continues to work with the Healthy Washington Coalition to make sure all insurance plans sold in our state have adequate networks of providers to serve subscriber needs and to discourage plan structures that do not support the more costly care required when subscribers become seriously ill. • Virtually all the issues on the FCWPP 2014 Work Plan require additional action to – hopefully – support legislation that passes in the 2015 session. After considering all the important issues you could discuss with your two state representatives and your state senator, we hope you are led to set a time, pick a place, and find some Friends, or friends, to accompany you on a visit to all three. Contact your Legislative Advocate and Policy Analyst – Steven Aldrich – at to get help setting up meetings and with background information on issues you feel most led to discuss. In Peace, FCWPP Legislative Committee * Legislators responding to a recent poll stated their favorite time to meet with constituents is between sessions when they are more relaxed and have more time to devote to individual conversations.