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On Jan. 12, the 78th Oregon legislative assembly kicked off and all 90 legislators were sworn into office. Legislative Organizational Days ran through Jan. 14.聽During that time,聽members-elect are sworn in as legislators, bills are introduced and committee membership are announced. The聽assembly will convene on Feb. 2 for the regular session.

Nearly 1,500 bills were printed on this day. That is A LOT of bills to stay on top of, and for the average citizen, too overwhelming. Many of those bills can affect business owners in the construction industry, and not in a good way.

If you have the time and are a quick reader, the state of Oregon has its Legislative Session Information website, which is an excellent bill-tracking resource. However, with 1,500 bills, it is very time-consuming.

Other options are to check with your chamber of commerce, trade associations, etc. Usually, they have a state lobbyist who is tracking the various bills, and they want to keep you informed.

Why track the bills and understand what is happening in the Legislature? Your future depends on it. Staying informed of your legislators鈥� activities and positions is vitally important.

Legislators respond best to the people they represent. Any legislator will tell you that he or she would rather hear from a constituent than anyone else. Members of Congress depend on you to tell them how proposed legislation or regulations will affect the construction industry, your district and especially your company and its employees.

Communication by telephone

While it usually is best to put your views in writing to your legislators, when a vote is scheduled to take place immediately, calling your representative鈥檚 office is a very effective way to make your views known.

Call a member of Congress鈥� office prior to an important vote to remind him or her how you would like them to vote. Congressional offices almost always count the number of calls received for and against certain pieces of legislation, and consider these calls an informal gauge of their constituents鈥� opinions.

Keep in mind that unless you are a personal friend of the legislator, it is not necessary to speak directly with him or her. You can leave a message about your concerns with the individual who answers the phone, or, better yet, with the legislator鈥檚 staff member who handles the particular issue in question. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to talk to the individual in your office who handles labor legislation.鈥�

Try not to argue. Just express your opinion. Say why you feel the way you do, and state what action you want your legislator to take. 鈥淚 am against HB 1234 because it will cost my business more than $1,000 extra per employee each year 鈥� this is something I just cannot afford. Please let Representative Smith know that I urge him to vote 鈥榥o鈥� on this bill.鈥�

Seek assurances that the message will be transmitted to your legislator, and request a response in writing. 鈥淲ould you please pass this message directly to Representative Smith, and also send me a letter about his views on the bill?鈥�

It is very important when calling a legislator鈥檚 office to remember these cardinal rules: Be sure to give your full name and address, and keep your call short and to the point.

Your legislator鈥檚 number is available through the ABC Action app or the Oregon Legislature website.

Communication by fax and email

When a bill is coming up for a vote, and there is not enough time for a letter or personal meeting, email and fax are the fastest ways to voice your opinion. The guidelines listed above for writing letters apply to these forms of communication as well. While personalized constituent correspondence is ideal, ABC also utilizes its Grassroots network and VoterVOICE software to distribute Action Alerts, making it easy to email your legislators.

Remember, you have a voice in politics. So use it.

Laurie Kendall is president of the Associated Builders and Contractors鈥� Pacific Northwest chapter. Contact her at 503-726-5440 or at [email protected].