About 75 Federation members from around the state gathered in Seattle for grassroots lobbying training Saturday and gained support from legislators from both parties in trying to save jobs, programs and the contracts.
"This is the largest turnout at this event that I've ever seen and it's the most motivated I've ever seen," said Federation Executive Director Greg Devereux.
"We have such a high unemployment problem here, I don't want to add state employees to that problem," said House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Kelli Linville, D-42nd Dist.
Linville was joined by five legislators who participated in role-playing exercises giving members feedback on how to effectively make their case one-on-one with senators and representatives.
"It costs a lot less to save a job than it does to create a new job," said Rep. Priest, R-30th Dist.
Joining Priest for the one-on-one training sessions, were: Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-15th Dist.; Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-44th Dist.; Rep. Marko Liias, D-21st Dist.; Sen. Karen Keiser, D-33rd Dist.
Linville and her colleagues urged Federation members to share their ideas on other ways to save money. She recommended using facts, not anecdotes.
Dennis Eagle, the Federation's director of legislative and political action, said human nature leads legislators to take the path of least resistance. If no one speaks up, they'll do the easy thing-which in this case means following the governor's all-cuts budget plan.
Liias agreed, urging members "to come in and ask us to do things we don't want to do."
The dark economic clouds loomed over the lobby training, but even Linville, the top House budget writer, kept it in perspective about the challenges ahead.
"I've been waiting 15 years to be chair of Ways and Means," she joked. "I guess I wouldn't have picked this year."
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