The 2020 legislative budget session is set to convene February 10. Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral with a blessing for legislators February 9, at 10:00 am. Visit https://www.wyoleg.gov/ for contact information for all legislators as well as for status updates of all bills. During the session check my blog for periodic updates, at http://legislative.dioceseofcheyenne.org/ and the Diocese of Cheyenne Legislative Liaison Facebook Page.
The 2020 legislative budget session is set to convene February 10. Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral with a blessing for legislators February 9, at 10:00 am.
Visit https://www.wyoleg.gov/ for contact information for all legislators as well as for status updates of all bills. During the session check my blog for periodic updates, at http://legislative.dioceseofcheyenne.org/ and the Diocese of Cheyenne Legislative Liaison Facebook Page
Recommend Support or Opposition for Pending Legislation:
Online Hotline: During the legislative session, you can recommend support,
opposition or leave a comment on legislation using the Online Hotline.
Telephone Hotline: 866.996.8683 or 777.8683 (in Cheyenne). Also use to obtain
the status of a bill in process. Available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days the
Legislature is in session.
Hearing Impaired:
800.877.9965 (Wyoming Relay Service)
Reminders for Communicating with legislators:
* When emailing your legislators, remember to indicate in the subject line that you live in their district, the particular House Bill or Senate File that you are contacting them about, and whether or not you want the bill to pass or fail. For example,
Subject: “I live in House District 1 Please Vote YES on HB#0”
This tells them that you are a constituent, which means more than an email coming from someone they do not represent. This also makes it easy for them to tally “yes” or “no” votes on that particular bill from their inbox. The same information is pertinent if you choose to call your legislator, instead. Also, there is nothing wrong with emailing all of the legislators; just know that it will make a bigger impact on those who represent your district.
* Be polite. We will not always like the way our legislators vote on a particular bill, but he/she might be the final vote needed on the next important bill.
* Be concise. By the end of the session, our legislators will have read hundreds of bills and emails. If it isn’t concise, it will likely not be read.
* Avoid using “strawman” arguments. Instead, debate like Thomas Aquinas. Use the strongest arguments presented by the other side before illustrating why those arguments do not ultimately hold up.
* Avoid oversimplifying the issue. It may seem clear to you, but it won’t be to everyone.
* If your legislator indicates they will be voting in a way that opposes Catholic Social Teaching, remember that the battle for justice belongs to God. We are just privileged to engage in it for a time. Thank them for listening and let them know you plan to stay in touch.
* Follow through. Schedule a time with your legislators after the session to get to know them and to allow them to get to know you. Remember, we can’t positively influence anyone if we have written them off, so keep trying. We must be like the persistent widow.
*If your points aren’t received, try to find new and creative ways of explaining.
* Remember, we are all sinners and sin darkens the intellect. It clouds our vision and our ability to see the dignity of human persons in certain contexts. So we rely on each other’s help to see
the image and likeness of God reflected in the human person at every age, stage and situation. Until we have a clear picture of human dignity in our minds, it is impossible to clearly contemplate our responsibilities toward one another in every circumstance.
* Working to highlight the dignity of human persons begins with you and the people in front of you.
* Know that your effort makes a difference! A few persuasive contacts from constituents can be enough to move a bill up or down. Also, because sessions are so short, they often don’t have time to fully consider all of the implications that will occur if they pass or fail a bill. That means they really do need to hear from you! * Finally, don’t forget to lift all of our legislators and lobbyists up in prayer.