Endorse ROP’s Legislative Platform
The ROP Legislative Platform represents the priorities of our member groups, the needs that our communities face, and the strategic opportunities for our human dignity movement. Since we shared our draft platform with you last month, many of you have written to share what you want to see on this platform. We have also had the chance to share this platform with more than a dozen of our allies around the state to find out if there are plans in the works that we would want to make sure to highlight on our platform. We now return to you and ask that you share the 2009 Legislative Platform with your group and endorse it as a group.
WHY THIS ACTIVITY? Oregon is positioned for historic gains in this session, but we know that just because there is a D or R behind someone’s name does not determine whether or not they will stand up for our priorities. If we want to realize the potential for change this year, it is up to us to continue to lead the way!
ROP is comprised of more than 60 local autonomous human dignity groups. While each group has local and individual projects and passions, we share a collective commitment to human dignity and real democracy. When we unite, we cover the state with thousands of households whose actions can impact every county and every legislator in Salem.
Endorsing this platform puts your group on the record alongside each of these other groups. That allows ROP to work with you to make sure that our legislators know we are counting on them and holding them to a platform that will lift up the rebuilding of Oregon over the costs of war at home and abroad. This is how our local power builds to statewide power. We need each other to make the change that we want and need!
STEPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:
1. Review the platform. This can be an opportunity for a great conversation or a simple back and forth on your email list.
2. Decide if your groups will endorse ROP’s Legislative Platform for 2009. Let us know if you do NOT want to endorse the platform by January 12th. If we have not heard from you, we will assume that as a member group of ROP, you are supportive. (Contact cara@rop.org if you want to know if you are paid up as a member group!)
3. Select a member of your group that would like to be a legislative liaison for your group. Identify anyone else who is interested in being a member of your legislative action team. These are the folks that will be notified when there is an important decision being made at the legislature that relates to your state senator or state representative. ROP will send out occasional updates over ROPnet during the session, but we will also let you know when you legislator most needs to hear from you so that you know that your contact makes a difference. Often just 3 or 4 phone calls can make a huge difference!
4. Send the names and contact information for your group’s legislative liaison and team members to amy@rop.org. It’s okay if not everyone can respond all the time, but it is helpful to know who might be willing to make an occasional phone call when needed.
5. Save the date for ROP’s Annual Rural Caucus & Strategy Session on March 15th & 16th in Salem, OR:
Sunday: Rural Caucus: A Day of Strategy and Inspiration including a Mid-Day Rally to Stop the Wars at Home & Abroad
Monday Morning – Early Afternoon: Democracy Bailout Legislative Visits: Bring an Infusion of Democracy to our State Legislators in Salem!
6. Consider yourself ready to pack a powerful punch at the legislature in 2009! Here’s to using – and expanding – our collective power in 2009 to further our platform that says YES to Rebuilding Oregon and NO to the Cost of War at Home and Abroad!