Let Your Voice Be Heard: Citizen’s Lobby Day January 23By People For Puget Sound Citizen’s Lobby Day, sponsored by People For Puget Sound, will be Wednesday, January 23 at United Churches on Capitol Way and 11th Ave. SE in Olympia. Lobby Day includes a lobbying training, issue briefings on the priorities, keynote speakers, a rally, and a party in the evening. To register, go to http://www.pugetsound.org/index/lobbyday. For more information contact Rein Attemann at 206-382-7007. Priorities for A Healthy Washington, a coalition group of environmental organizations, will hold a day-long crash course at Seattle Pacific University on January 12, just two days before the start of the 2008 Legislative Session. At last year’s teach-in, several hundred people were in attendance to learn about the key environmental issues and legislative priorities facing our state today. Led by the state’s cream-of-the-crop environmental leaders, the Priorities workshop on January 12 will include staffed information tables, break-out discussion groups based on the group’s four environmental priorities, and trainings on how to write effective letters to the editor and how to lobby your legislator. For more information, contact: https://www.wecprotects.org/join/legworkshop_reg.cfm. The Priorities coalition hopes to pass four environmental priorities this session, as reprinted from www.environmentalpriorities.org: Climate Action and Green Jobs Our state has set goals to reduce global warming pollution, and now it is time to make these goals real. Evergreen Cities Planting and protecting trees in our cities is one of the most cost-effective ways to control stormwater runoff and improve our water quality, air quality and our quality of life. Local Solutions to Global Warming Help local governments make responsible plans about where we live, how we get around, and consider how better choices can reduce driving and promote efficient, livable communities. Local Farms — Healthy Kids By getting more locally grown produce into our schools and food banks, we can improve health and create new and thriving markets for our farmers. This is the sixth year in a row that the Priorities for a Healthy Washington coalition has united to present four proposals to the state legislature. All four priorities passed during last year’s legislative session. Ways to Learn & Take Action There is a great deal one person can do during the 2008 Legislative Session. The contacts provided at www.environmentalpriorities.org will immediately put you on any urgent action or informational email lists you wish you receive to receive the latest updates on specific bills and issues. The best website for finding the current status of legislative bills is the Washington State Legislature www.leg.wa.gov. The Washington Environmental Council also has a legislative action center at www.wecprotects.org/getinvolved/actioncenter.cfm. Write personal letters, call, visit or email your representatives, other legislators, and the governor. The legislative process, committee meetings, and final floor votes are open to the public. Go to these meetings, follow the progress of specific legislation and if possible, take your school-age children at least once this session. Introduce a subject of interest to them and track it in action from beginning to end. It is an effective, first-hand lesson in the democratic process. Pick up information such as House and Senate committee member rosters and committee meeting schedules at the State Capitol Building, First Floor. If you can’t make meetings, legislative committee meetings are aired on TVW, Washington State’s public affairs network. See www.TVW.org for their schedules on television or via the Internet. Real-time legislative information on bills, meetings, visitor information, teaching materials and much more is available at www.leg.wa.gov or call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-6000. This is also the location to find who your legislator is and his or her contact information. To write Governor Christine Gregoire a letter, her address is P.O. Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002, call 360-902-4111, or email www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp. ----
Priorities for a Healthy Washington coalition is composed of the following groups:
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