This is just a repost of an article from the Sam Slom website. I thought it was important information.

A bill is introduced and referred to a committee. It is there where all of the work is done.
While it is always worthwhile to contact your legislator on any issue at any time, there are even more effective ways to influence the process. Contacting the committee mem-bers where the bill is to be heard (especially the chairperson) is the first point of notification by you on any bill.

The key, however, is to know when the bill is up for a hearing. Submitting testimony to a committee prior to a hearing is essential. Your testimony becomes part of the public record. The amount of testimony in support or against a bill can be influential in decision making. Showing up to testify in person at the hearing itself is highly recommended.

The final chance to get your voice heard in the legislative process is to contact all the senators or representatives prior to a floor vote on any measure.

All bills can be tracked at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Once there you can click on "Bill Status and Documents." In the top left you can enter the bill number (SB79 or HB444) and get the status of the bill. Depending on the bill status, you will know where to send your comments.

Individual representatives can be emailed at rep(last name)@capitol.hawaii.gov, such as repward@capitol.hawaii.gov. Individual senators can be emailed at sen(last name)@capitol.hawaii.gov, such as senslom@capitol.hawaii.gov. Committee testimony can be submitted by several ways listed at the bottom of every hearing notice.

Good advice...I've been trying for 2 years now to convince Hawaii's gun owners to particiate in the legislative process, almost exactly as the info on Sen. Slom's website. I hope that with your posting, and with the distribution to Hawaii's gun owners, we can get tons of testimony to support our causes. The web submission of testimony is very easy and takes only a few minutes. And, as mentioned, actually going to the hearings is the best possible way to make sure the law makers know our position.

Thanks for the great info!

Well I know I'll at least submit testimony. If I can make it to some of the hearings, I will.

Here's a couple of links you may be interested in

How to get e-mail notices about hearings and bill status:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/

How to submit testimony online:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

Hopefully we'll see you, and lots of other gun owners at the hearings.....

Happy New Year.

HiCarry,
Do you have any sample testimony or sample guidelines on how to write testimony for the average joe who hasn't done this sort of thing before?

I may have something, but essentially the testimony is dependent on the bill...in other words, if we are arguing for a concealed carry law, then the arguments must support that position. But, there is a format to the testimony and I think I have something I can put out...but it'll have to wait as I am on the mainland for the next couple of days.

I would like to submit testimony, but I have a few questions first.    Is it a formal-letter type of format?  What type of details specifically should I include?   If we could see a few sample testimonies I think it would be easier for the rest of us to write up pieces of our own. 

I would be interested in the format too.

I would like to submit testimony, but I have a few questions first.    Is it a formal-letter type of format?  What type of details specifically should I include?   If we could see a few sample testimonies I think it would be easier for the rest of us to write up pieces of our own.

There are two basic formats to submit testimony. The first is the more "traditional" format. It addresses the committee chair and members in a more formal tone and then states the position of the writer.

The other form lends itself to the electronic submission of testimony. If you go to the Legislature's testimony submission website you can basically search for the bill you want to testify on, click a few buttons and heit send. In this option you also have the ability to attach a document or exhibits.

I personally use a combination. I submit my formally worded testimony via the web as an attachment to the online submission form.

Example of both types of testimony can be found for SB358, SD1 here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/getstatus.asp?query=SB358&showtestimony=on&currpage=1