COVID-19 precautions at the Capitol mean no face-to-face access to legislators but KANPNM is using technology to promote the profession and aid members in contacting their officials.
Livestream and Webinar bookend a day of contact with Lawmakers
February 10, 2021 will start with a Livestream event featuring messages from our Key Legislative Champions, ideas and aids to help you contact your officials and information celebrating and educating lawmakers as to who APRNs and CNMs are and what they do. You will hear updates on the Association's legislative priorities for this session and learn how important "the personal touch" is to advocacy efforts.
If you aren't sure which legislator represents you, use this handy link to get the names
and district numbers for your State Representative and State Senator.
The Facebook Live event, appearing on the KANPNM Facebook page, will allow you to easily connect to the program and share it with other APRNs. After the Livestream concludes, members will be encouraged to make contacts with their legislators to advocate for their patients, profession and legislation that increases access to quality health care.
Later that afternoon, rally up in a Zoom Webinar to compare notes and strategies on the advocacy of the day. Register for the Zoom "Advocacy Round Up" webinar here.
Virtual Legislative Day is a Rally Point for engagement and information
The most influential advocacy activity comes when individual contacts are made by NPs with their elected officials. Your Advocacy Team will aid you with prompts and information designed to help you create messages to keep APRNs and our goals in front of legislators. "Virtual Legislative Day" is a promotional rally point to launch emails, texts and a push on social media about the value of APRNs to Kentucky.
The Message to Lawmakers: Elimination of the CAPA-CS will increase access to quality health care for Kentuckians
APRNs have been front and center during the pandemic treating surge of those ill with COVID-19 while still looking after the health needs of their regular patients. It is time for Kentucky to modernize its laws to ensure that NPs are always able to practice to the full extent of their education and training.
Get the SB 78 Talking Points -- Eliminate the CAPA-CS
Get the HB 92, SB 76 Talking Points -- Free Standing Birth Centers Bills
We CANNOT let SB 78 and the important care provided by NPs be "OUT OF SIGHT and OUT OF MIND" for Legislators.
Phone calls are great. Do you know your legislators cell number?
Call and leave a detailed message on the LRC Message line. Messages are forwarded to their offices.
Call 1-800-372-7181 .
Text messages are immediate. Do you have a "texting" friendship with your official?
Hand written notes are seen as especially important in a legislator's in-box. Your personal touch and heartfelt words have impact.
Emails will let you personalize your story. Can you describe how NPs on the front lines of the pandemic have saved lives and cared for their patients in difficult circumstances?
Set up a conference call and bring NPs from your district together to chat with the local Rep or Senator. It's the same thing we would do during Legislative Day... but virtually.
Strike up a conversation in a socially distant encounter in your community. Visit their place of business. Say hello at the market. Utilize your friends of friends to find and establish a connection.
Let the Advocacy Team know if your legislator is supportive or needs more info
Report how the conversation went to your Advocacy team. Will they support SB 78? Do they have questions? Are they willing to be a co-sponsor? The Advocacy team needs to know who supports and opposes the legislation.