The Legislative & Governmental Affairs Committee monitors and reviews legislation and health care initiatives affecting PAs and consumers of health care services and recommends action to the Board either to support or oppose such legislation. The WAPA Grassroots Network Your Voice Counts…Let It Be Heard!! We have learned from our legislative efforts in the past that we need PAs throughout the state ready to contact their legislators when there are issues effecting PAs. On occasion, a personal visit to your legislator at his/her home office might be in order as well. While this may seem intimidating, we can assure you that it is not difficult and we will be there to help prepare you for you visit every way we can.
Your profession needs your help. If you volunteer to be part of WAPA’s Grassroots Network your information will be kept strictly confidential. But your name will be on file if your legislator’s name comes up in connection to an important piece of legislation that will effect PAs. We will inform you what the issue is and what you can do (i.e. phone, email, face-to-face meeting). If you are asked to do any of these, we will inform you on what the issue is and what message needs to be conveyed to your Legislator. Easy! So please, take a moment to email the WAPA office at wapa@wapa.org with your name, mailing address, email address & phone number.
This is a small but very important way that you can get involved to help ensure that the practice environment for PAs here in Wisconsin remains strong and continues to be improved.
Become a WAPA "Key Contact"
The key to success in politics is getting your voice heard. All communications with lawmakers are critical for WAPA, but lawmakers receive hundreds of messages from constituents every day. The trick is to get your message through the clutter! That's where "Key Contacts" come in…
A "Key Contact" is someone who has some relationship with a lawmaker - something that opens a door or makes your message stand apart. Many of the most ordinary relationships can make a "key contact" - here are some examples:
· They are or have been a patient
· You are active friends with a lawmaker
· You attend the same church, or belong to the same club
· Your kids attend the same schools or take swimming lessons together
· You've met at a civic function, party, fundraiser or even the grocery store.
There are 99 Representatives in the State Assembly and 33 Senators in the State Senate. Ideally, WAPA will have 2 or 3 "Key Contacts" for each, but even one can make the difference.
Most likely, "Key Contacts" for a lawmaker will be constituents who live in that lawmaker's district - but some of the best relationships may be with a lawmaker from the other side of Wisconsin, and that's just as important! Everything counts! Nothing is insignificant. Anything that can open a door, catch someone's attention, be a conversation starter - that can make a "Key Contact," and WAPA needs to know about it. Please take a few minutes to look at the lists of Wisconsin State Representatives and State Senators by clicking the links below. Then email the WAPA office at wapa@wapa.org with your name, mailing address, email address & phone number. Also provide a brief description of your relationship or connection to the legislator. We will put together a database of this information, and when necessary, we will call on you to help WAPA communicate effectively with the Wisconsin Legislature.
2011-12 Assembly Directory 2011-12 Senate Directory
Who are my legislators?