[NASW Alaska Chapter Listserve] FW: Need Alaskans to Support Dental Bill

Tue Apr 4 03:54:55 BST 2006

Help needed!

Pauline Richard, LMSW
Interim Executive Director
AK-NASW
401 E. Northern Lights Blvd, Ste. 205
Anchorage, AK. 99503
(907) 332-6279 Tel.
(907 332-6270 Fax
-----Original Message-----
From: Shelley Hughes [mailto:ShelleyH at alaskapca.org] 
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 10:36 AM
To: Health Policy Legislative Listserv
Subject: Need Alaskans to Support Dental Bill

CALLING ALASKANS TO RALLY

IN SUPPORT OF 40,000 ADULTS IN OUR STATE

WHO NEED IMPROVED DENTAL CARE

YOUR EFFORTS—JUST A FEW MINUTES WORTH—

TO SUPPORT A BILL IN THE LEGISLATURE COULD MEAN:

*	LESS TEETH EXTRACTED &  MORE TEETH SAVED 

*	LESS EMERGENCY DENTAL CARE & MORE PREVENTATIVE / RESTORATIVE CARE 

*	MORE HEALTHY SMILES & LESS DENTAL DECAY / DISEASE 

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BUT YOU MUST DO IT THIS WEEK!

HB 105  Medicaid for Adult Dental Services

is up for a hearing Thursday, April 6th , in the House Finance Committee.

A massive show of support is needed and your part is easy!

1.	WRITE  Send an email or fax by Thursday (it can be short!). 

2.	SHOW UP  Show up at your local Legislative Information Office on
Thursday at 8:30 a.m. or in Juneau for the hearing to be counted as a
supporter. 

EMAIL and/or FAX A LETTER

*	Address it to the House Finance Co-Chair and Committee Members
(members listed in attached document). 

*	At minimum, email and/or fax it to the House Finance Committee Staff
and ask that your letter be included in all committee member packets for the
hearing (staff information listed in attached document). 

*	It is best to also email and/or fax your letter to each individual
Representative on the committee and his/her Finance staff.  Personalize each
letter and avoid generic salutations (ex: Dear Rep. Meyer not Dear
Representatives). 

*	Use your own wording.  You may add your own comments to any
suggested talking points.  If your letter reads the same as several other
letters, it will not be as effective as one composed distinctly by you. 

*	Short letters are fine. 

*	Use a clear subject title. 

*	Consider getting others to sign your letter or letting you add their
names to your email.  Include info about signers as appropriate—position
(i.e., dentist, Medicaid recipient, clinic staff, organization volunteer,
title, credentials, etc.), town/city, other affiliation, etc. 

*	A follow-up phone call is always an excellent idea. 

*	Send your letter before the hearing if possible.  Your letter is
still admissible even if sent during the hearing.  Just be sure to call the
Co-Chair’s staff and ask that your letter be copied and given to committee
staff for distribution. 

SHOW UP 

*	Show up at your local Legislative Information Office (LIO) or in
Juneau for the hearing on Thursday, April 6, at 8:30 a.m. 

*	Take your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers and
colleagues with you.  Supporters spilling out into the hallways will make a
strong statement of support. 

*	To find your closest Legislative Information Office (LIO), look here
HYPERLINK
"http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/legaff/liolist.htm"http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/
legaff/liolist.htm or call (907) 465-4648.  

*	When you sign in at the hearing or LIO, you’ll be asked to write the
bill #.  Squeeze in the word “support” in the space with “HB 105.” 

*	You do not need to testify.  Your presence speaks volumes. 

*	If you do testify, avoid repeating at length what has already been
said and keep your testimony short. 

*	You can also ask the LIO staff to send a note or letter for you
during the hearing.  You can even write it while you’re waiting and the
staff will provide the paper. 

*	Make sure someone who is testifying from your site asks for a show
of hands of supporters at your location and gives a verbal report of that
count to committee. 

*	If you are part of an organization, agency or institution, decide
among yourselves who would be the most effective spokesperson to give short,
brief, compelling reasons for this legislation.  

FOLLOW UP

Send a brief email or letter to the Co-Chairs thanking them for the
committee’s consideration of this important legislation.  If the bill
passes, add that you expect that they will assist its passage in the Senate.
If the bill is still in committee, add something about getting it passed.

To view the latest version of this bill, see HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=24&bill=HB105"h
ttp://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=24&bill=HB105 or
the Senate version (SB 79) HYPERLINK
"http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=24&bill=SB79"ht
tp://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=24&bill=SB79.

Thank you for your efforts and your support for HB 105 / SB 79.  This action
alert has been developed by the Alaska Dental Access Coalition, a
broad-based, collaborative group of agencies and individuals concerned with
improving access to dental care throughout the state.  Please stand by as
support for this bill will be needed again in the Senate Finance Committee.

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