Robbie Wills Supports Health Insurance Relief Package
Rep. Robbie Wills, Speaker of the House for the Arkansas General Assembly, is making help for Arkansas school employees’ health insurance premiums a priority for the House leadership team According to a recent posting on his blog, Rep. Wills plans to work with Rep. Curren Everett, the House Speaker Pro-Tem, and Rep. Bill Abernathy, the chair of the House Education Committee, and other members of the House and Senate, to assemble and propose a health insurance relief package during this session. To read the Wills’ full article, go to www.robbiewills.com/2009/01/28/teacher-health-insurance-relief/
Other News
HB 1214: An act concerning the rules and procedures of the Professional Licensure Standards Board; and for other purposes, passed in the House and was completely unopposed, with 95 representatives voting for it and five who did not vote.
This bill would remove the requirement that the Commissioner or his/her designee serve as chair of the Board. This means the Board will be allowed to select its own chair from its members. This bill would also provide protection to any educator who is alleged to have violated the Code of Ethics and gives them the right to appeal to a court of law.
The Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families has agreed to support AEA’s bid for improved health insurance for public school employees.
Writing to Your Legislators
The AEA is working with legislators every day while the Arkansas General Assembly is in session to support legislation that provides great public schools for all Arkansas students.
Each one of you can help as well, by communicating regularly with your legislators by phone or e-mail. Phone calls and e-mail can be particularly effective in influencing legislators' views. To call, contact the House switchboard at (501) 682-6211 or the Senate switchboard at (501) 682-2902. If you prefer to use e-mail, here are a few tips on how to write effective e-mail.
Keep it brief. Keep e-mail to one page. Try to discuss only one bill or issue in at a time.
Avoid informal language. E-mail to a legislator should be treated seriously. Resist the temptation to use the informal language and symbols often associated with e-mail communications. Never use impolite language or make "demands."
Don’t “shout.” Words written in all capital letters in an e-mail are considered to be shouting, and should be avoided.
Write a clear subject line. Make sure you state whether you would like your legislator to vote "for" or "against" a specific bill in the subject line of the e-mail.
Identify yourself. Begin by introducing yourself or the organization on whose behalf you are writing. Use a simple statement, such as "I am a third-grade teacher at _______ elementary school" or "On behalf of the members of the ________"
Get to the point. Follow your introduction with a brief statement of your issue or concern, such as "We urge your support for H.R. _____, which will ________." If you are writing in reference to a specific bill, include the bill number. Follow your opening paragraph with a concise explanation of why you support or oppose the particular bill or issue. A few strong, well-thought-out arguments are much more effective than a laundry list of reasons to support or oppose a bill. Whenever possible, outline your arguments.
Relate it to home. Help the legislator understand why your position is important to his or her constituents. Include specific facts about how a bill will impact educators, students or schools in the legislator's district. If possible, include a local anecdote illustrating the problem you are seeking to address. Avoid the use of form letters or generic postcards - use your own knowledge and experience to inform the legislator.
Allow for follow-up. Include specific contact information and offer to act as a resource should the legislator or staff have questions or need additional information. Where appropriate, state in the e-mail that you will follow up with a telephone call.
Address your e-mail correctly. Visit the AEA Web site at www.aeaonline.org to find your legislator's e-mail address.
Include your full address and zip code. Many legislative offices screen e-mails for address information identifying the sender as a constituent. E-mail that appear to come from outside the district are unlikely to be read and may be blocked by filtering programs.
