We know the desire to become politically engaged is strong for many families in Washington, especially as parental rights are stripped away and Christian values are attacked from every angle. Thankfully, it doesn’t take traveling to Olympia and testifying before a committee to make a difference – there are many other ways to become politically engaged that require far less of your time, such as registering PRO or CON on a bill.

If you’ve seen our Action Alerts, you have likely seen us prompt you to register a position on certain bills. You may be wondering: “Why should I register PRO or CON on a bill? Why not just email, or call, or write my legislators a letter?”

In short, here’s the answer:

Registering becomes part of the official bill record and therefore it is announced to the committee members formally, so they will actually hear it. The other methods of communication are good, but not guaranteed to reach the legislators.  

Now for a longer but more complete answer:

During the time that Public Hearings are taking place, an email or letter must be sent to every member of a committee. The likelihood that the email or letter will be read before the committee hearing is not good. Even if it is read, the email or letter does not become part of the official bill record. Phone calls must also be made to every member of a given committee. The vast majority of calls will go to voicemail or a message will be taken by the legislative assistant. In the rare chance you’re able to talk directly to a committee member, your call does not become a part of the official bill record.

Registering your position does become a part of the official bill record. The number of people who have registered PRO or CON is announced to the committee members and is often noted during the actual public hearing. Furthermore, the legislator is not required to call you or read your letter, which saves them time and lets them know your position without personally interacting with every person wanting to support or oppose a specific piece of legislation.

We will never discourage someone from writing or calling a legislator; however, most people think about calling their representative or senator, not the legislators on a given committee. If your legislator does not serve on the committee hearing the bill, your call or letter or email has no impact on the bill whatsoever.

Finally, making phone calls to multiple legislators or writing even a short letter takes time – which many of us don’t have much of. Registering takes a few seconds and you can impact seven or eight bills in five minutes vs. perhaps 20-30 minutes to impact one bill.

Our state desperately needs passionate Christians willing to stand up for Biblical values in the public square. It’s time for action. We understand that most of you may not have the bandwidth to write letters, make phone calls, or visit the Capitol – and that’s okay. One of the most effective ways you can make an impact is by registering your position on bills. We encourage you to download our Washington Defender app to stay up to date, or regularly check this page on our website for weekly Action Alerts at FPIWAction.org. The information is the same in both places.

Please also consider joining our team of Defenders to advocate for your values in the public square and beyond. You can learn more about FPIW’s policy views in our Issues Booklet, which can be found here.

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(Sponsored by: FPIW Action • PO Box 5298 Lynnwood, WA 98046-5298 • 425-608-0242)