Originally distributed 4/11/2012 at 2:07 PM.
The Legislature has finally adjourned and we are finally safe — at least for the moment. Our GR staff was in the Capitol building until nearly dawn this morning, and it will take them a while to recover and provide us with a complete analysis of what happened in the final days of the session. The full impact of the various bills held hostage by the Senate Republicans and road kill caucus won’t be known for a few days.
However, we do know the efforts from members and staff throughout the session — and especially in the last 24 hours – had a huge impact. Importantly, it made a difference.
We broke new records for the number of emails sent, leaders who came to Olympia and calls placed to legislators. The rallies back home, which energized so many members, caused legislators to reconsider their positions on the health care takeover. The doorbelling in targeted districts showed the power of our grassroots effort.
And most impressive was yesterday’s last-minute push by so many leaders and staff. With almost no notice, more than 70 WEA members and staff traveled to Olympia to personally lobby legislators. Thank you to those leaders who dropped everything and joined the fray in Olympia. Thanks, too, to our staff who canceled the WEASO Executive Committee and other staff meetings to join in the concerted effort. If we build on this kind of unity going forward, we can’t be stopped. Those members and staff created a buzz. You steeled the backbone of key allies. You made a difference.
Those who couldn’t go to Olympia made a difference, too. Again and again, legislators told us they were being inundated by calls and emails. One threatened to destroy his laptop, just to make it stop. Another asked us to stop the calls, assuming they were robo calls and was shocked to find out that was not the case.
To all of you who have responded again and again, and worked tirelessly over these past weeks: thank you!
We are very grateful — and very fortunate — to lead an organization of such commitment and unity. We Are One.
Mary Lindquist, WEA President
John Okamoto, WEA Executive Director