As a person with a developmental disability or as a parent supporting a person with a developmental disability, your opinion matters. Decisions made in Olympia and Washington, D.C. affect you and your family every day, so it's important to tell lawmakers how you feel about the laws they're considering. This page will to help you contact elected leaders in our state and federal government.
STAYING INFORMED
It's not always easy to stay informed about laws that may affect people with developmental disabilties and their families. An important part of the The Arc's mission is to keep people informed as important issues arise so you can consider them carefully and offer your input. For laws being considered at the state level, The Arc of Washington State is an excellent resource for information. The Arc of the United States follows laws at the national level and is also an excellent resource for information. Click the links below to learn more about issues at the state and national level.
• The Arc of Washington State
• The Arc of the United States
To be added to The Arc of Spokane's Legislative Response e-mail list, which provides up-to-date information about legislation being considered in Washington State, send an e-mail to: legislative-subscribe@arc-spokane.org with "subscribe" in the Subject box. Simply reply to the e-mail you receive in your in-box and you'll be signed up.
THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
The State of Washington is divided into legislative districts. Each district elects representatives to the state Senate and House of Representatives. The Washington legislature meets in Olympia from January to about March each year and passes laws that affect only people who live in the State of Washington.
To contact your legislators, you need to know which legislative district you live in and who has been elected to represent that district. Click here to find out. If you need additional help, call The Arc of Spokane at (509) 328-6326. If you already know which legislative district you belong to, the links below will connect to each official's web page where you can find their contact information, learn their position on important topics or send a message:
3rd District
Senator Lisa Brown (Democrat)
Representative Andy Billig (Position 1, Democrat)
Representative Timm Ormsby (Position 1, Democrat)
4th District
Senator Jeff Baxter (Republican)
Representative Larry Crouse (Position 1, Republican)
Representative Matt Shea (Position 2, Republican
6th District
Senator Michael Baumgartner (Republican)
Representative Kevin Parker (Position 1, Republican)
Representative John Ahern (Position 2, Republican)
7th District
Senator Bob Morton (Republican)
Representative Shelly Short (Position 1, Republican)
Representative Joel Kretz (Position 2, Republican)
9th District
Senator Mark Schoesler (Republican)
Representative Susan Fagan (Position 1, Republican)
Representative Joe Schmick (Position 2, Republican)
THE FEDERAL LEGISLATURE
The United States Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They meet in Washington, D.C. and pass laws that affect all 50 states. The links below will connect you to each official's website where you can find contact information, learn more about their position on important issues or send a message:
Washington State's representatives in the U.S. Senate are:
• Senator Patty Murray (Democrat)
• Senator Maria Cantwell (Democrat)
Eastern Washington's representative in the U.S. House of Representives is:
• Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Republican)
