TRACK LEGISLATION
By computer: Find House and Senate calendars, listings of lawmakers and an explanation of how a bill becomes law at
www.kslegislature.org. You can search for bills by keywords or phrases and track a bill through the legislative process.
You also can listen to House and Senate sessions live.
By phone: Call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924. Use the same number for TTY calls for the hearing impaired. The hotline has information about legislative activity and documents, including bill introductions, sponsorships, amendments, status, history and other related legislative action.
By subscription: The state offers a free subscription service that allows you to track a bill. To get started, visit
www.kslegislature.org.
For an initial $95 fee, you can access these additional online programs:
Multi-bill tracking: Track the history of multiple bills at once. Cost: additional $1 per search.
Full-text bill packet: Contains the full text of all bills introduced the previous day in the Legislature. Cost: additional $2 per packet.
Lobbyist-in-a-box: Allows you to track specific bills and alerts you to any changes to those bills. Cost: additional $1 per bill profile or $50 a month for unlimited access.
Kansas statutes annotated. Cost: $0.25 per search.
For questions about subscription services, call 785-296-5059.
LOBBY A LEGISLATOR
You can find contact information for legislators at Kansas.com and at
www.kslegislature.org.
Write a letter. Be formal and brief. If the lawmaker represents the district where you live, point that out. Lawmakers say most of the mail they receive comes from organized groups. They place more emphasis on [mail] those from individuals.
Send an e-mail. Legislators get bombarded with e-mails, so they may have to sort through a lot before getting to yours. Your own words are more effective than copy-and-paste material from lobbying groups.
Make a phone call. Although this is the most direct way to speak with a legislator, it may be the most difficult, because legislators are in session and committee meetings much of the day.
Watch for public forums. The Wichita-area delegation and individual legislators conduct several forums each session, usually on the weekends. Notices will be published in The Eagle.
Register to vote. Some lawmakers send newsletters to the registered voters who live in their district, explaining issues and seeking suggestions from constituents.
CONTACT THE GOVERNOR
By mail: Office of the Governor, Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Suite Ste. 2418, Topeka, KS 66612-1590
By phone: 877-579-6757, or locally, : 785-296-3232; for hearing impaired: 800-766-3777
By e-mail: Visit
governor.ks.gov/contact-the-governor
TRACK SPENDING
To examine where the state's money comes from and how it is being spent, go to
www.kansas.gov/kanview.
HOW THEY VOTED
See how your legislator voted on US Senate and House bills.
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
Find out who donated money to your legislator through reports filed with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Go to
www.kansas.gov/ethics/index.html and click on Campaign Finance on the left side of the screen, then click on View Submitted Forms & Reports or on View CFA Reports.
FIND A DEPARTMENT
Go to
www.kansas.gov for links to all state departments and elected officials, including the governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
BE A LEGISLATIVE PAGE
Students who are 12 years or older can get a first-hand look at how the Legislature works by volunteering to be a page for a day. Pages work as messengers from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. They also tour the Capitol building.
Contact your individual legislator and ask to apply. Slots can fill up quickly.
TOUR THE CAPITOL
The Kansas Historical Society offers free daily guided tours of the Statehouse and the Capitol dome. During the session, it is a good idea to call ahead for reservations or fill out the reservation form by visiting
www.kshs.org, click on Visit, then Capitol Tours.
Walk-in visitors will be included if there is space on a tour. Parts of the building are inaccessible because of ongoing construction.
Questions? Call 785-272-8681.
The Capitol store on the first floor, west side of the rotunda, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and includes a variety of Kansas-themed gifts.
If you visit, be aware that free wireless Internet access is available throughout the Capitol.
THE STATE LIBRARY
The State Library is on the third floor of the Capitol building. The collection includes state and federal documents along with books and audio recordings. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is on the Web at
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/KSL/.
GOVERNOR'S MANSION
Free tours of Cedar Crest, the governor's mansion, are available from 1 to 3:30 p.m. every Monday, except public holidays. Tours start every half-hour and take about 30 minutes.
A virtual tour is also available at
governor.ks.gov/media-room/photo-gallery/cedar-crest.
Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more and must be arranged at least two weeks in advance.
To learn more, go to the website or call 785-296-3636
TESTIFY ABOUT A BILL
If you feel strongly about a bill, you can speak before a committee assigned to study it. Contact the secretary of the committee assigned to study the bill. You'll find the information at
www.kslegislature.org.
You'll need written copies of your testimony. Ask how many copies to bring and how long you will be allowed to speak.
Committee members may ask questions, and committee decisions often may not be made the same day as the hearing.
Tips to be effective: Research the bill number and the bill's status. Let the committee know if you have any expertise on the issue. Be brief.
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