We’re still more than two months away from the start of 2017 state legislative sessions, but we’re already hard a work getting ready for another successful nullification season.
This is the time of year state legislators are determining their priorities for the next session. That means we have to start talking to them now and encouraging hem to introduce bills to limit federal power.
Over the last few years, we’ve developed a pretty effective process for connecting with state legislators. We’ve painstakingly created databases of legislators who have shown interested in our various issues. Starting in September, we email literally hundreds of state representatives. We send them model legislation and ask them about their plans for the upcoming session. Once we connect with legislators who express interest in sponsoring legislation, we follow up with phone calls, discussing strategy and determining how we can support their efforts once the sessions get under way.
I’m heavily involved in this legislative outreach and it’s a primary focus for me this time of year. It takes a lot of work keeping everything coordinated and organized, but it will pay off in January once the legislatures go into session. By then, we will already have a good idea about the bills that will be introduced and the opposition we’ll likely face. It’s also a great way to build positive relationships with state legislators across the country. This is really the heart and soul of our activism.
You can get involved in this process. One of the most effective things you can do for the nullification movement is to contact your own state representative and senator, and encourage them to introduce some of our model legislation. You can find it all HERE, broken down by issue. I recommend starting with an email pointing them to the model language for an issue you think will play well in your state. Then follow up in a week or so with a phone call. I think you’ll be surprised how receptive your legislators are to hearing from you.