Visit our Alerts page and become familiar with the bills listed there.  Bills go through the legislative process VERY FAST, so you MUST respond NOW to be truly effective. We have taken most of the work out of this process, so it only takes a few minutes for you to become involved.

See what others have already told the Governor and Legislature concerning these bills. Now you have necessary information needed to send an informed and effective message to the Legislature.

If you email us a copy of your letters to the editor, email messages, press releases, public opinion messages (POMs), editorials or written testimony to the legislature, which speak out against excessive state government spending, we may include your comments on our Opinion page. To be posted please include your name, hometown and email address.

If you have not yet submitted comments concerning bills listed on the Alerts page take a few minutes NOW and do so. To check the current status of any bill in question click here and enter the bill number in "Display Bill Root" box provided.  If the bills you are concerned about are still in the process, your comments could make a BIG difference on the final vote.

We can no longer afford to leave this task for the "other guy"! We've "been there and done that" already; look where it got us! With your help; the involvement of your family, friends, and neighbors; we can make our legislators work for us, not the other way around. Together we CAN and WILL make a difference!

There are many ways available for us to effectively communicate with our Legislature. The common ones are listed below, complete with instructions. They are fast, easy and most are FREE!!! If you have problems sending a message contact us.  We'll be happy to help you get started.

Registered voters can send a message of up to 50 words using the POM system.  If you are not yet a registered voter sign up NOW! It only takes a few minutes and will make you a valuable part of future campaigns!

POMs are fast and easy to send. Although these instructions look "wordy" in reality it only takes a couple of minutes. Go to the POMs page now and fill in the blanks. Take the required field information right off your voter's registration card and a screen will pop up stating you are a "Registered Voter Match".

Below the "Registered Voter Match" message is a list of all members of the legislature with a box beside each name. You have the option of sending your message to an individual member, a committee, the entire Legislature, every Representative or every Senator. Make your selection and a new screen will pop up, enabling you to select the subject or bill.

Whenever possible use the exact bill number so they know specifically which subject is your concern. The next box is VERY important for statistical purposes. Do not forget to fill out whether you "OPPOSE" or "SUPPORT" the bill. 

Next, fill in the dialog box. You can use up to 50 words for your message and remember that double spaces between sentences count as an extra word. You don't have a lot of words so be direct, polite and state the facts as you see them. Use your own style of writing and thank them for considering your view.  Follow up frequently and visit the Watchdog page, where we keep track of the Legislature's voting record.  This information will be very helpful at election time!

To see sample POMs, visit our Opinion page. Here you will see what others have said about specific bills. Remember, you are always welcome to submit your POMs to the Opinion page.

Email can be more effective than POMs as there is no word limit on message size, plus you can add hyperlinks and graphics to better illustrate your point.  For the address of individual legislators go to the State Representatives or State Senators links. 

Call TOLL FREE to talk with a legislator or their staff.  When calling, make sure you have the bill number (s) in front of you and key points you want to make.  Be polite but make sure they know exactly how you feel on each bill. 

Send written testimony to the committee hearing a bill. This is a VERY effective way to add your input to the discussion on a particular piece of legislation. It is entered into the official record and unlike POMs or email, it travels with the bill through the committee referral process. You can submit written testimony by faxing it directly to the chair of the committee currently hearing the bill or to your local LIO. This can also be emailed to your local LIO. If you email to the LIO, be sure to include your telephone number so they can verify the origin of your message. Your testimony is not limited by number of words; it can be as long as you need to express your views fully. Make sure you include your name, address and signature (not required if emailed, but include your telephone number). Print the blank written testimony form if you wish to fax your testimony. A spending bill with 1,000 pages of written testimony attached will get some serious attention!

Attend a teleconference at your local LIO (Legislative Information Office). Click here for the email address of LIO's statewide.  Request teleconference schedule, and they will email it to you.

Write an old fashioned letter, hand-written are the MOST effective! Make sure you have plenty of time for delivery.  If not, consider a POM, fax, email, or phone call.

Make an appointment to see your legislator in person.  Catch him in town between sessions or better yet take a few days off work and visit him in Juneau.  The paid lobbyist will all be there with their hands out, so we MUST add balance to the spending pressure on our legislators!

Call your local radio talk shows and tell everyone "just say NO" to excessive spending.  When you call in, don't forget to help us get the word out about the akvoters.org website!  Whenever possible, ask your legislator "on the air" about his voting record on non-essential spending bills.  Remember to use the information from our Watchdog, Alerts and Statistics pages.  Press them for direct answers and follow up if needed.  By using the powerful tools provided by the Alaska Voters Organization you will now be heard!  A partial list of radio station website addresses is listed on the Links page under the Public Forums category, and a partial list of radio email addresses is listed under the Radio Stations category.  Additional radio station addresses are added as we become aware of them.   

A very important component of any campaign is the press.  Letters to the editor reach a wide audience and often encourage others to submit their written comments.  This is a great way to spark debate.

Effective letters should address a single subject or bill, be short (225 words or less), direct and to the point.  Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number when submitting a letter.  Before printing a letter, most editors will call to verify you sent the article.   For a list of individual press email addresses go to the Links page.