It’s your time to raise your voices and speak up!
As the regular legislative session approaches, it’s crucial for Arkansas residents to engage with our lawmakers. This session will address various important issues that will affect our communities.
The session starts on Monday, January 13th and is expected to end on Friday, April 11th. Here’s how you can make your voice heard.
Track Legislation
To stay informed about what’s happening during the session, visit Recently Filed Bills to track bills. For personalized bill tracking alerts, sign up at Bill Tracking Alerts.
Understanding the bills being discussed will help you effectively contact your legislators in the next steps.
Bills to Keep an Eye On
We’re particularly watching bills related to women’s health and reproductive rights. Here are some bills that have been filed, which initially caught our eye:
- HB 1001: Restores rights protected by Roe v. Wade in Arkansas and repeals roughly all anti-choice laws in the state.
- HB 1004: Expands postpartum Medicaid to 12 months postpartum, with a requirement to attempt enrollment in ARHome first.
- HB 1008: Expands postpartum Medicaid to 12 months postpartum without a requirement to attempt enrollment in ARHome first.
- HB 1047: Makes pregnant women presumptively eligible for Medicaid to provide prenatal care while the full application is processed.
- HB 1010: Sets Medicaid reimbursement rate to 100% for maternal health services and reimburses for comparable services in surrounding states.
- HB 1013: Protects individual rights to fertility treatments and the rights of healthcare providers to provide fertility treatments.
Email each of your legislators
You have two reps: one in the Senate and one in the House. Go to the Arkansas District Finder and enter your address. Click on the Senate District button to get their information, then do the same for your House District.
Best practices for emailing your legislators:
- Be courteous and polite.
- Send one email per bill with relevant feedback for that bill. If you don’t have time, you can send one email that addresses multiple bills, but they may only scan the email and miss a lot of what you say. Remember that they’re busy and focused, relevant feedback is easiest for them to engage with.
- In the subject line, write “Constituent Feedback for (insert bill number).” If you’re sending feedback for multiple bills, write “Constituent Feedback for (insert bill numbers separated by commas).”
- Clearly and succinctly explain your position. Personalize your message as much as possible.
Call each of your legislators
Occasionally, you can reach them directly, but it’s best to be prepared to leave a brief message.
When You Call, Say: “I am your constituent and urge you to support/oppose (insert bill number).” Feel free to elaborate if you wish, but remember to keep your message brief and focused, particularly if you’re leaving a voicemail.
If their voicemail is full, you can often text the same message.
Send a pink slip to each of your legislators
In Arkansas, you can communicate with legislators during sessions by sending pink slips, which are written notes indicating that someone wishes to either speak with them or convey a message. These pink slips are then hand-delivered to the appropriate legislator(s).
Here are the numbers to call to send a pink slip:
House in-session number: 501-682-6211
House out of session number: 501-682-7771
Senate in-session number: 501-682-2902
Senate out of session number: 501-682-6107
When You Call, Say: “Hello, I’m a constituent and I’d like to send a pink slip to (insert your legislator’s name) telling them I support/oppose (insert bill number).”
They’ll hand-deliver your message to your legislator. This is a great way to give direct feedback in the moment, particularly when they’re on the floor hearing a specific bill, showing that you’re engaged and paying attention.
Wrapping it up
We encourage you to engage actively with your legislators this session. They’re counting on not hearing from you. The more they hear from constituents like you, the better they can represent our interests. Remember: they work for us, and contacting them is one way to hold them accountable in a respectful manner!
Lastly, don’t forget to show your support for PAWPAC. We provide direct financial support to progressive women who are running for office. Women who understand the need in their communities and are ready to fight for what’s right. Help us support their election campaign!
Click here to contribute to PAWPAC once — or become a sustaining donor!