I just listened to a two-week old NRA News interview with Kurt Liske of Iowa Firearms Coalition which included the statement that they have volunteer lobbyists who are in the Capitol every single day during the entire session working to advance the Second Amendment rights of Iowa firearm owners. Does anyone here know if there is anything remotely similar here in Hawaii? I haven't heard of anything. Seems like there should be enough people on Oahu to have shifts (maybe serving one day a month or every two weeks?) where there is at least one person there every day talking to some of the 76 legislators about certain bills. Right now, if there is virtually no one ever talking to any of the legislators except for an occasional random citizen talking to their particular representative those legislators wouldn't be getting any "face to face" feedback.

https://www.nratv.com/series/cam-and-company/video/cam-and-company-2017-kurt-liske-iowa-senate-begins-process-for-right-to-keep-and-bear-arms-constitutional-amendment/episode/cam-and-company-season-13-episode-9

If I were retired, I would do that.
One downside to that plan is that if you have a different person every day, there is no consistency. ..And we stand a chance of having some nut job representing us gun owners. Also, different people have different levels of communication skills.

If I were retired, I would do that.
One downside to that plan is that if you have a different person every day, there is no consistency. ..And we stand a chance of having some nut job representing us gun owners. Also, different people have different levels of communication skills.

Well, remember: one man's "nut job" is another man's advocate for liberty. But, yeah, I'd hope it would be "organized" (as it is with IFC), which would include some kind of training in the various skills and methods utilized as most effective for lobbying, and all the lobbyists would be coordinated in their efforts, but since it's extremely unlikely that such a thing will happen here in Hawaii (I mean unless someone else chimes in that it is already happening and has been for years... to which I'd have to say "Imagine how bad things would be had they not been doing their job?"), I guess they're all moot questions.

I may be able to devote one day per month to the cause.


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I may be able to devote one day per month to the cause.

I was pretty sure there'd be people on Oahu who would make themselves available if such an opportunity existed. Thanks for speaking up dustoff003. I'm not sure who, other than HRA/NRA, would be an organization or person to hold the requisite training seminars and coordinate the who, what, when, why, where nuts (pardon the term oldfart) and bolts of the day to day activities (such as which committee chairpersons/potential backers to contact and say what regarding which particular bills, etc.). I vaguely recall the the NRA rep for Hawaii gets here maybe once a year for a few days, so it's likely they wouldn't be directly in charge, but maybe someone (zippz?) who has a connection could contact them or IFC and ask about details. It seems like there are about 30 people who read the "legal and activism" forum posts regularly, and if 20 of those people volunteered (assuming there are that many who live on Oahu), with the legislature being "in session" for a total of 60 days a year (no wonder they get so much done for us!) that'd be two days a year to volunteer! Of course we'd probably want to lobby outside of the actual "in session" days, but even then maybe 5 or 6 days a year per person... to have someone contacting people in person every day. I have no idea, but I'd think that might be more influential than email contact. It's just an idea... perhaps even daily contact by a flood of advocates couldn't turn the Titanic around...

From the IFC website, suggestions from a pro-2A Iowa state senator:

Iowa Senator Amy Sinclair is a long-time friend of the Iowa Firearms Coalition and a staunch supporter of your Second Amendment rights. Every year she gets tons of phone calls and emails from Second Amendment advocates. Recently she offered up a handful of extremely useful tips on how our members can maximize their efforts while talking with legislators about Second Amendment issues.

Tips On Lobbying Your Legislator
State Senator Amy Sinclair – District 14

1. Establish a relationship before you ask for something and before the legislative session actually begins. Attend a local forum just to introduce yourself. Share who you are, what you do, and some of your interests. Additionally, learn something about your legislators that you can use to encourage them. Be aware of votes they’ve taken on an issue with which you agreed or an organization to which they belong that you also support. Build a positive connection so that when you later need to ask for their support on 2A issues, they will remember you.

2. Contact your legislators regularly throughout the session, not just when a vote is looming. Personal visits are the most memorable, but most legislators pay close attention to their email and phone messages as well. Be sure to remind them of who you are (legislators meet lots of people) and some of your common interests. Make yourself a resource, if you can.

3. When you visit the Capitol, be sure to advise your legislators that you will be coming. Email them requesting a brief meeting, letting them know what time you will be available, what you’d like to discuss, and how long you expect to take. This is very important, as the schedule during session is chaotic. Committee meetings, subcommittees, debate schedules, and other events are constantly being added to calendars. If you have scheduled a meeting in advance, legislators are more likely to be able to meet with you because they’ll have it on the calendar.

4. When a call to action from the Iowa Firearms Coalition or the NRA comes, be prepared to respond. They will include a form email that you can use and send to all legislators. Feel free to send that email, but you should follow that up with a personal email to your Senator and Representative. Begin your email identifying yourself and where you live. Be sure to remind them of issues on which you’ve agreed in the past. Follow that with the heart of your response. Include pertinent, factual information. All legislators aren’t experts in all areas. Share with them what you know in your area of expertise. But be concise. The volume of email received by legislators daily during session is overwhelming. If correspondence is too long, it is less likely to be read in its entirety.

5. As my mom and my Bible both advised, follow the Golden Rule. This is certainly true when working with your legislators. No one responds well to threats and abuse. Most people respond positively to respect and kindness. Legislators are, after all, just people. I knew this prior to being elected, but it became all too real once I was in office. Trying to balance a family, a non-legislative job, a home, and all the other things that all people face each day is difficult, and during session that becomes even harder. It’s hard to take time for someone who is treating me poorly.

As far as I know, Harvey and Kerry at the HRA goes to the legislature pretty often to represent its members. They probably have to pick and choose which day to go if there is a hearing or a meeting with a legislator.

This sounds like a good idea though. More face to face = more support but will require more coordination.

I will help anyone that wants to go to the capital to meet their legislator or to testify at a committee hearing.  Just let me know what day you're free.