Remember to Request to Speak

As long as we’re doing Lenten Throwbacks, remember when Solveig Muus came to our Advent Supper tell us about Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona? Well LAMA is reminding us that we have a voice in our local politics! If you are interested in maintaining communication with your representatives regarding your feelings on current issues, look no further! When you sign up with LAMA’s Request to Speak system, you have the opportunity to “vote” (it’s not an actual vote, it is only like a thumbs up or thumbs down on Facebook), and show your local politicians how their constituents really feel about today’s issues!

Take a look at this info, straight from their website: (pasted below)

You can voice your opinion on legislative initiatives from home by registering for Arizona’s user-friendly RTS System.

WHAT IS THE REQUEST TO SPEAK PROGRAM?

The Request To Speak program (RTS) is designed to allow the public to register an opinion on bills listed on agendas and to request to speak on a bill in a committee. It replaces the old slips of paper previously used to sign in and let the committee chairperson know you want to speak to the committee. Under the old paper system, you could only sign in to speak or register an opinion if you were physically at the capitol. After the initial setup, at a kiosk, the RTS program allows you to participate from your home or office.

When the committee is in session, the committee members, and the public, will see a list of names of people who have registered an opinion, if you wish to speak or not, who you are representing, and comments you may leave in the comment box. This information is also available if a person searches past committee agendas.

Legislators will see your bill position throughout the process.

HOW TO CREATE AN RTS ACCOUNT

Constituents are required to visit the capitol in person to apply for an RTS account. Once at the Capitol, you create an account by signing in at one of the Kiosks in either the House or Senate (there is also a Kiosk available in the Tucson office).

If you create an account at home, you will only be able to use the Bill Status Inquiry application to track activity on a bill, not register an opinion or create a request to speak until you come to the capitol and sign in on one of the Kiosks here. You only need to physically come to the capitol once. After that, everything can be done at home.

HOWEVER… if you are interested in having an RTS account and would like our help, click the RTS Application button below, fill out the application, email the document to LAMA. We will open the account for you by visiting the Capitol on your behalf, and advise you when you are officially registered.

Download the application here.