REQUEST TO SPEAK AZ
- AZSurgeons
- May 8
- 3 min read
Advocacy Newsletter, AZ chapter American College of Surgeons, Fall 2024
By Sarah Lee-Davisson, MD (Advocacy Chair)
Get Started Right Away
This Month, let’s get you signed up for the Request to Speak
you will be all ready to make your voice heard.
What is Request to Speak (RTS)?
First, it is a misnomer. It is NOT only used for you to request to speak to a committee at the State Senate or House (though that would be amazing if you feel passionate enough to take time off to come speak at Committee!). It is a simple system from your computer to just put in a quick note about what you want the legislators voting on a bill to know, and why.
Q: How do I get started?
A: The rate limiting step to get started with the RTS is a requirement to log in at the Kiosk which is unfortunately only at the State Capitol in Phoenix. I really don’t see the value in this step, it almost seems like making that step is to avoid citizen input right?!?
So if you can, stop by the State Capitol 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007 and use the kiosk so that you will be all set up! All you need is your first and last name, email, and to choose a password. If you are headed that way, ask your friends and family if they want you to get them started too!
Another option I am happy to offer in an attempt to have lots of surgeon opinions for the legislators to see…please feel free to send me your first and last name, and email. I will be at the state capitol regularly and can get your initial logon at the kiosk completed. I will email you when I have done your kiosk check in so that you can login and change your password (I will choose a generic initial password to get you started). My email is sarahjleemd@gmail.com
Q: then what?
A: From then on, you can logon to the site https://apps.azleg.gov/ whenever you want, sign in, and hit the request to speak button. From that screen, you can navigate to agenda items, click on the ones you want to comment on, enter your vote preference (yes or no) and enter a comment.
Q: What is the best way for my comment to get noticed?
A: Legislative staff do check the RTS for a poll of what constituents are saying! The amount of ‘yes and no’ does matter, but if you add a comment, especially with a very short blurb about your expertise or why this is important to you, it grabs their attention since many people do not leave comments.
Also, your comment saying “as a doctor and registered voter…” is an important attention grabber as well.
Q: How do I find out what bills are coming up?
A: I subscribe to email lists of organizations that my values align with to get ‘heads up’ emails about bills up for vote. For instance in healthcare, Arizona Medical Association has a great advocacy team that will send out these emails with the House or Senate Bill number so you can log on, search up that number, and enter your RTS opinion. This usually takes me no longer than 10 minutes on a Sunday. I also get emails from organizations I am involved with outside of medicine.
Another way is to just glance through the weekly agenda, but I find that option more time consuming, and agendas often change so it is easy to miss things for those of us not at the capitol moment to moment.
Best of luck with RTS! Let me know your experience and let’s connect on advocacy issues. sarahjleemd@gmail.com. 520-237-4712.
“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you come because your liberation is bound to mine, then let us work together” -Lilla Watson
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