Current Legislative Alerts (your contributions are helpful)

1. HB 353 (State Rep. Keller) - An Act relating to the blocking of certain Internet sites at public libraries and to library assistance grants. Ways to keep kids safe.
   02/06/08 Referred to House State Affairs and Finance Committees
2. SB 14 (State Sen. Davis) - An Act raising the compulsory school attendance age; relating to the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a minor; relating to duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to truancy; and relating to employment of a minor.
   01/16/07 Referred to Special Committee on Education (S)SED, then to Judiciary (JUD) and Finance (FIN) Committees.
   04/18/07 (S)SED AT 8:00 AM, BUTROVICH 205
   04/18/07 (S) Heard & Held (minutes are available online)
   02/13/08 (S)SED 8:00 AM, BUTROVICH 205
   02/13/08 (S) Heard & Held (minutes should soon be available online)
3. H.R.1592 (Rep Conyers, MI, US Congress) Related Bill: S. 1105 (Senator Kennedy, US Congress)
   To provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.
   5/2/07 Read more information on the bills and sign the petition.
   5/3/07 House passes the bill. Goes to the Senate.
   5/7/2007 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
4. HB 52 (State Rep. Ramras) - An Act relating to driver's licenses for persons under 18 years of age
   01/16/07 Referred to House State Affairs and Finance Committees
   04/01/07 Thanks to your letters and calls, the bill has been pulled by the sponsor.

Past legislative bills that didn't pass (but just so you know what they're capable of)...

1. HB 267 (Rep. Neuman) - Education Materials from Religious Institutions
   NO ACTION TAKEN
2. HB 345 (Rep. Weyhrauch) - Raising Compulsory School Attendance Age to 17
   NO ACTION TAKEN
   
3. SB 28 (Sen. Davis) - Legal Age for School Attendance (lowering to age 6)
   NO ACTION TAKEN
4. HR 1815 (US Congress) - Section 522 (Recruitment and Enlistment of Homeschooled Students in the Armed Forces)
   January 6, 2006 - Signed by President. Became Public Law No: 109-163

Contacting those who represent you

Where do I start? What do I do?

Here are some suggestions and tips offered by a former state legislative aide:

When the legislature is meeting, it is said to be "in session." Most years the Legislative session begins meeting (convenes) on the second Monday in January. But, in the year following a gubernatorial (governor) election, the legislature convenes on the third Monday in January (unless that happens to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in which case it convenes on the Tuesday after). It ends 120 later (most years this would be the second Tuesday in May).

The best way is to call or write your own representative. You are the "constituent" and constituents bring votes. It may not be fair, but it's reality. Be sure to provide your full name, address and phone number at the bottom of your letter (this helps to distinguish the C's from the non-C's and saves the staff from looking you up the voter registration rolls to figure out whose C you are).

Standard e-mail format is:
Representative: Representative_FirstName_LastName@Legis.state.ak.us
Senator: Senator_FirstName_LastName@Legis.state.ak.us
Staff: FirstName_LastName@Legis.state.ak.us

Public Opinion Messages (POMs) are about the least effective means of communication there is. They don't provide much space (50 words) and use up lots of staff time for little gain (I think it was calculated at around 30 minutes per POM).

Bill "packets" (i.e. all info pro/con the SPONSOR chooses to include as backup for his fellow legislators) get distributed about 24 hours before the committee meeting. Thus, bills generally don't make the radar screen until this time. Keep in mind that there are, AT LEAST, 400 or so other bills floating around the Capitol; to maintain sanity, the legislators have to prioritize.

When a bill is scheduled for a committee meeting, mail/email/fax a PERSONALIZED letter to EACH committee member (i.e. "Honorable Representative/Senator __________"). Note the bill number in the "Subject" line so the legislator (or staff) recognizes it as a soon-to-be-heard bill. The fastest way to get the "delete" button is to list and address "all legislators" (someone else on the list will take care of it, right?).

For EACH committee and ALSO when it goes to the House Floor for a vote (if it makes it that far), you will need to do the same thing (an important point most people miss). If you are against the bill, your comments will not necessarily move with the bill's packet (note the earlier comment about who compiles the bill packet) so it's up to you to make sure that each committee hears from you directly.

I believe that faxing a letter to the LIO will automatically get your testimony entered into the official record (you'll need to verify this part as I don't remember the protocol). Don't wait for the chairman's office to get back to you. Just ask the LIO staff; they'll know.

Lastly, and most importantly, please be informed when you write or call. Don't just repeat the mantra, "Bill ___ is bad, don't pass it". Know why. Expect to be questioned about the bill and be prepared with some thoughtful answers. I don't know how many phoned in and just repeated the same few words they were told to say and some, when questioned, had no clue why it was good or bad policy. Volume is good, but educated volume is so much better. It gives your cause (and you) so much more credibility.