TELL STATE
GOVERNMENT WHAT YOU WANT:
WITNESS SLIPS – WHAT? WHY?
WITNESS SLIPS – WHAT? WHY?
By Anne Sommerkamp
What issue(s) are near and dear to your heart?
Is it the Environment? Healthcare? Guns? You know how important calling and emailing your state representative
or senator is concerning your cause(s). Every call and email is recorded by
staff as "for" or "against “___cause or bill. Refresh
your memory on how a bill becomes a law by looking at this 3-minute
favorite... Schoolhouse Rock: America - I'm Just a Bill . Remember to call and email your representatives
even when you know they are on your side of an issue. Sometimes we forget there
are two (or more) "sides" working on the same bill to sway the
committee.
"Witness Slips" are a great and quick
way to assert your opinions in state government. Our witness slips are a vital
piece of the legislative process because it is all about the numbers, the
numbers that support or oppose. Witness slips play a big part in committee
markup sessions where members debate, amend, and rewrite the bill.
On days a bill is heard in committee, the chairperson reads who has submitted
witness slips and whether they support or oppose the bill. Witness slips
help inform legislators where Illinoisans and organizations stand, so they can
make informed decisions when voting. To create a Witness Slip look at How to File a Witness Slip--there are screen shots showing every step in
the process. Once you have created your dashboard, sending witness slips next
time takes no time.
Go to ilga.gov where there is so much to explore. Be careful
-- it is a rabbit hole, but you will be able to see where your causes or issues
stand in committee and a lot more.
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In case links don't work Schoolhouse Rock: America - I'm Just a Bill is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFroMQlKiag
How to File a Witness Slip is https://www.aclu-il.org/sites/default/files/how_to_file_an_illinois_witness_slip.pdf
ilga.gov is www.ilga.gov
