I spoke with my representative's office about meeting with my rep to get a bill submitted for next year.   Best time to meet with the reps for getting a bill submitted for next year is June. 

You dont need to know how to write the bill, our taxes pay for staff who do that.  All you need to do is set up an appointment with your rep wtih your idea of a bill to submit.  It will help if you have the details on what you want the bill to accomplish, examples of laws from other states will help as well. 

You dont need to have your own rep submit the bill, so if your rep is massively anti-gun, dont bother and make an appointment with a rep who is at least willing to listen. 

Reps can only submit a certain amount of bills so meeting in early June is the best way to make sure it meets the list.

I will me meeting with my rep In June to get some bills submitted.  I encourage everyone to set up a little bit of time to meet with your rep in June.  The more pro-gun bills we can get submitted the more counter offensive we can drive to the onslaught of anti-gun bills.

Dont wait for the NRA or some other group to step up and do this.  At very least you get a sit down appointment with your rep to explain why things like the government steeling legal property is bad. 

If you have questions about the process, call your reps office, say you have "an idea about a bill for next session" and ask how the process works.  It sounds quick and simple and you dont need to know how to write a bill. 

You know when the bill says "submitted on someone's behalf?"   this is that process

Care to share what specific bills you have in mind?

Neither my senator (Ruderman) nor my rep (Onishi) would introduce any of the bills I proposed. In the whole legislature only senator Gabbard was willing to do so for some of them (even he wouldn't introduce a permitless/"constitutional" carry bill). None of the three bills he introduced for me (SB237 handgun mag limiit to 17, SB238 shall issue ccw (with WAY more restrictions than I wanted...), and SB245 electric gun ban repeal) were scheduled for even a single committee hearing, and I seriously doubt they were ever even considered for a committee hearing.

So if anyone ever gets any suggestions as to how to get a pro-gun rights bill to be heard by committee, I'd like to hear them. I wrote all the committee chairs (called them too), vice chairs, and members, and asked them to please hold hearings for the respective bills. Nada.

 

Im submitting a bill about medical insurance (non-firearm related) and will also request to submit a bill dealing with the medical waver for firearm licensing at the same time (I'm going to think about exactly how best to do that in the next few months).  I suspect if I approach this as a physician and tackle something small it will have a better chance of getting introduced.  I now have experience doing several of these. 

I dont care if they fail or dont get introduced.  I want to suggest everyone do this to as many reps as possible.  Just like there is an onslaught of anti-gun bills, I want us to be ahead of the curve and introduce an onslaught of pro-gun bills next session.  I'll be doing this every year from now on. 

every year we are on the defensive submitting worthless testimony on anti-gun bill after anti-gun  bill.  We now have HiFiCo which is actually doing something but we need to individually start meeting with our reps. 

I was wondering where sb245 stun guns came from.  No worries the Andrew v Ballard lawsuit will lift the ban and the attorney will get paid from the State, so he can file more lawsuits in the future

It's very important to talk on the phone or in person with the office so they know exactly what you want in the bill and make sure it's written correctly.   They're usually not gun people.

It's very important to talk on the phone or in person with the office so they know exactly what you want in the bill and make sure it's written correctly.   They're usually not gun people.

Politicians are experts of nothing. 

Politicians are experts of nothing.

Don't sell them short.  Most career politicians are lawyers, making them experts at arguing either side of an issue. It doesn't matter to them which position is right as long as they win.

Don't sell them short.  Most career politicians are lawyers, making them experts at arguing either side of an issue. It doesn't matter to them which position is right as long as they win.

I dont consider that an expertise.  Being able to argue a subject they have no knowledge on is trickery at best.  It would be fine if representatives represented but they govern based on what they think or feel is the best for all us children.  They dont take time to learn about what they vote on or have any sense of the consequences.  Worse is if they vote just based on who bribes them the most.  I've interacted with a lot of politicians over the years and not met one that had enough knowledge to vote on a subject that effects all of us. 

Even the former physicians I've met who have went into politics I would no longer trust as physicians.   Like the certain physician who was elected recently,  I would in no way have them treat myself or my family for example by my inside knowledge of how they practiced.   
My rep in oregon was a physician and the only bill she ever submitted was one that required gun store workers to counsel customers on suicide.  If she recommended that as a physician, (tell a suicidal patient to talk to their gun store worker)  I'd report her to the state board of medicine for gross malpractice.  But here she is submitting a bill to do just that. 

So best when talking to a politician about any subject, no matter how much they claim they know, is assume they know nothing of consequence and need to be taught even the simple basics.

I dont consider that an expertise.  Being able to argue a subject they have no knowledge on is trickery at best.  It would be fine if representatives represented but they govern based on what they think or feel is the best for all us children.  They dont take time to learn about what they vote on or have any sense of the consequences.  Worse is if they vote just based on who bribes them the most.  I've interacted with a lot of politicians over the years and not met one that had enough knowledge to vote on a subject that effects all of us. 

Even the former physicians I've met who have went into politics I would no longer trust as physicians.   Like the certain physician who was elected recently,  I would in no way have them treat myself or my family for example by my inside knowledge of how they practiced.   
My rep in oregon was a physician and the only bill she ever submitted was one that required gun store workers to counsel customers on suicide.  If she recommended that as a physician, (tell a suicidal patient to talk to their gun store worker)  I'd report her to the state board of medicine for gross malpractice.  But here she is submitting a bill to do just that. 

So best when talking to a politician about any subject, no matter how much they claim they know, is assume they know nothing of consequence and need to be taught even the simple basics.

You're correct. I was talking to Patsy Mink on a flight to the Big Island once (yes, before she died  ).  She said she often voted based on her party's synopsis of the bill and their description of what the party's position is.  They aren't directed to vote with the party specifically, but at least the party's preference is well-defined.  You'll notice the Dems who break with the party on a vote are normally closer to the impact it may have on their state.

She said she spends the majority of her (and her staff's) research time on local issues that affect Hawaii, and in particular her district. Those are the issues that matter most to her.

I'd add, she cared most about those issues because that's where her "bread was buttered" in terms of earning votes.

Add to that the special interests spoon-feeding legislators the talking points and "facts" that support their agenda.  The Squeaky Wheel (often with the most money and/or votes) gets the grease.

Thanks for this info, I plan on doing this in June/.

Is there a way for a group of people to begin a petition conveying a desire for a specific bill to be submitted? A list of proof that such a bill is in fact the desire of the constituents. Any ideas for some bills to submit next session? We can all focus our attention to certain pro gun bills and start the legislative year on the offensive.