[MD-Sligo] FW: Day (or week) in Annapolis

[Deborah]

In case you missed this announcement.  If you are going to be meeting with
legislators, please attend one of the orientation meetings.

Debbie


_____________________________________________
From: Deborah [mailto:deborahb14 at verizon.net] 



Every normal year, we spend a day in Annapolis trying to meet in person with
every state delegate and senator in all 47 of Maryland's legislative
districts.  We generally focus on 3 issues.  We give the legislators fact
sheets on all the issues and spend as much time as we and they have, usually
about 15 minutes, talking with each legislator that we can meet.  We are
broken up into teams with a team leader who has done this many times before.
Once you learn the drill, you find yourself able to participate and offer an
expert opinion on at least one of the issues.  

At the end of the day, we report to our legislative director, Sharon Maneki,
on which delegates and senators will co-sponsor our bills.  As the session
goes on, we advocate for our bills by writing emails or letters or calling
our legislators to remind them of the issues.  When the bill is up for a
hearing, we usually go to the hearing in force, holding up our canes and
making our gide dogs visible.  A few of us will provide detailed expert
testimony to the legislators.  

These activities require a good deal of stamina, and some of our people
cannot walk around the House and Senate office buildings for a whole day.
Those who cannot participate in that way give support with their letters,
emails, and phone calls.

This year, none of us are walking around Annapolis.  We will be holding Zoom
meetings with the legislators.  Those of us in Montgomery and Prince
George's counties will be talking to legislators on Thursday, January 28.
If you are able to participate, please let me know.  If you cannot
participate for the whole day, it is possible to attend some appointments.  

If you would like to participate, you should attend one of two orientation
meetings on either Wednesday, January 20 at 8 pm or Monday, January 25 at 8
pm.  

Following this email, I will send you three emails, one of which will
contain orientation information, and three of which will be fact sheets on
the issues.  If you have questions, you may contact me or ask them at one of
the orientation meetings.
Please let me know if you are able to attend on Thursday, January 28, for
part or all of the day.  We will send out Zoom links later on.

Debbie Brown

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