• My Account
  • Cart

Act Missouri

Act Missouri

stars
Taking ACTion to Build a Healthy Missouri
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Mission, Vision, and Ways We Can Help
    • Staff and Board of Directors
    • Archived Newsletters
    • Programs, Partnerships, and Alliances
    • Contact Us
    • Prevention Resource Center Locator
  • Resources
  • Advocacy
    • Distracted Driving Legislation
    • Prevention Stories
    • Capitol Basics
  • Caring Adults
    • Prevention Emeritus Awards
    • Community Coalitions
    • Prevention Resource Center Locator
  • PRCs
    • Mini Grants
    • Community Coalitions
  • Youth
    • Support Our Ambassador Program
    • Youth Ambassador Program
    • Prevention Resource Center Locator
  • Events
    • Annual Prevention Advocacy Day – March 29, 2022
    • Prom Campaign
    • Speak Hard Youth Conference | April 14, 2022
    • National Drug Facts Week | March 21 – 27, 2022
    • ACT Missouri Opiate Summit
    • Red Ribbon Week
    • Art of Prevention Contest!
  • SADD
    • Prom
    • TST
    • SADD Programs
    • SADD in 60
Home | Get Involved

Getting to Know Your Legislator

Getting to know you…getting to know all about you.  These Julie Andrews lyrics are familiar to some of us classic folks, but who knew they applied to something like advocacy?  Last week, about 30 Missourians had the privilege of attending the annual CADCA Forum, and, more importantly, had the opportunity to get to know some of our federal legislators.  As exhilarating as this experience was, one does not have to go to this extreme to start the advocacy process.

So, where do you begin?  Do you know who your representative and senator are, but not much else?  You are not alone!  The best place and time to start getting to know him or her is here, and now. With a little research, patience, and diligence, you will soon know more about your legislator than just their political affiliation!

If you do not know who your legislators are, you will need to determine your 9-digit zip code by typing in your home address.  Once you have this, you are ready to navigate to the House of Representatives website.  Type in your zip code where it says “Who Is Your Representative?” and it will take you directly to his or her page.  Now you can determine:  how long they have been in office, what bills they sponsor or have sponsored in the past, and what they may be willing to sponsor.  You can also read their bio to ascertain what their personal interests are, what civic organizations they belong to, what their professional background is, and if they are from a rural or urban community.  Use this same process with your Senator and click where it says “Legislator Lookup”.

Now, to get a little more acclimated with their policy interests, investigate which committees they serve on.  For example, a farmer may serve on the Agriculture committee, a teacher on the Elementary and Secondary Education committee.  Make a special note of which Appropriations committee they serve on to further determine basic interests.  If you want to see how your legislator voted on past bills, email ACT Missouri at info@actmissouri.org and we will research it for you.

For information on lobbyists that are financially contributing to your legislator, check the reports on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.

Remember, legislators rely on their constituents for input, stories, data, and most importantly, votes!  Email your legislator, set up an appointment if you desire, or just offer to be a resource on your area of expertise.  You will be singing “Getting to Know You…” in no time!

March’s #SubstanceFreeSaturday

With all the excitement from the 2015 #SpeakHard Youth Conference, we almost forgot about this month’s #SubstanceFreeSaturday! Luckily, the dates are all printed on our #RedRibbonWeek calendar!

This month is a great time to get friends together and watch some March Madness basketball! Is your team still in the tournament?


Source

Even if you don’t like basketball, you can still get a group of friends together and do something fun and #SubstanceFree! Make some yummy snacks, watch a movie, or play a game. Saturdays are a great time to hang out with your friends without the stress of homework!

St. Patrick’s Day Safety

Did you know that over St. Patrick’s Day weekends from 2009 to 2013, there were a total of 276 lives lost in drunk-driving crashes? There are so many other #SubstanceFree fun things to do this year for St. Patrick’s Day.

In 2014, college students in Michigan organized #SubstanceFree events to combat binge drinking. You can do the same thing in your community! Organize a school dance or lock-in, have a Lucky Charms cereal eating contest, a parade with your friends and pets, or watch movies. The possibilities are endless!

If you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement. You could save a life. A third of all crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. If you know someone who is about to drive drunk or ride with someone who is impaired, help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. If a friend is drunk and wants to drive, take the keys away. Don’t worry about offending someone—they’ll thank you later.

We hope you have a safe and #SubstanceFree St. Patrick’s Day!

For more information on safety during St. Patrick’s Day, visit the Traffic Safety Marketing website.

Stay Connected

Get ACT Missouri emails and updates, so you know what's going on. Sign Up
  • Email
  • Facebook

Info For Our

  • Prevention Resource Centers
  • Caring Adults
  • Youth
  • Educators

ACT Missouri Blog

Dec 06

Prevention Happened Here!

Dec 03

National Drug Take Back Totals

May 26

Prevention Wins Were Lean in 2019

Contact Us

2208 Missouri Blvd. Ste. 102 #122
Jefferson City, MO 65109
phone: (817) 832-8559
email: info@actmissouri.org

Prevention Resource Center Locator

Contact your local Prevention Resource Center to find out more about what’s going on in your community and how you can make a difference!
Get a map or see list of locations

Partners

  • Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
  • Missouri Youth/Adult Alliance
  • Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Important Info

  • About ACT Missouri
  • How To Get Involved
  • Mission, Vision, and Ways We Can Help
  • Programs, Partnerships, and Alliances
  • Disclosure

Privacy Policy

2016 © ACT Missouri