Contact a Legislator

 

 

 

Who is My Legislator?

 

The first step in contacting a legislator is determining one’s legislative district. Legislators want to hear from their constituents, not from citizens in other parts of the state.

The following link will take you to the Washington State Legislature’s web page. Enter your street address and the computer will identify your legislative district, your legislators, and their contact information.

http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/

If you need assistance or would prefer WSSRA researched this information for you, please call Peter at (360) 413-5496 or email peter@wssra.org.

 

What is the Most Productive Way to Contact a Legislator?

 

A personalized letter or email is the most effective form of legislative correspondence. Personalized letters get a personalized response. If you send a form letter, you will receive a form letter in return.

You will speak with a legislative assistant if you call a legislator’s office. The legislative aide will relay your message to the legislator. If a legislative office receives many calls regarding the same subject, the legislative aide will only report the number of calls their office received on the topic.

WSSRA members should meet with their legislators whenever possible. As an organization, it is critical to establish personal relationships with those who represent us. Our contract lobbyists remind us that the most effective lobbying is done between legislative sessions. Your letter will have more impact if your legislator knows who you are.

 

What should I say to my legislator?

 

As stated, it is most important to communicate in a personalized way. Explain your story when you communicate with a legislator. Explain that you don’t receive a six figure pension and you need a Cost of Living Adjustment to afford groceries. 

Also, it is important to communicate politely. Any legislative visit should begin by addressing the legislator by their title. Name calling and issuing threats are not acceptable forms of behavior at the capitol.

WSSRA has several overarching policy goals. Please communicate them to your legislators.

  • Make the actuarially recommended payment to the state pension funds. The Plan 1 pension fund is underfunded due to past skipped payments by the State.
  • Maintain the Medicare Eligible Health Care Subsidy at the full $183 per month. 
  • Maintain the PERS/TRS 2 defined benefit retirement plan for future school employees.
  • Equalize Return-To-Work rights so all retirees are able to work part-time in retirement without losing their pension.
  • Restore a Plan 1 COLA at the earliest possible date.
 

When Should I Contact my Legislators?

 

Please feel free to contact your legislators at any time. However, when the Legislature is in session, there will be times when WSSRA will need you to contact your legislators in order to defend your hard earned retirement benefits.

You can sign up for legislative alerts on this webpage. Go to the “Home” page, and click on the blue button titled “Join Our Mailing List”.