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Get connected! Get involved!
Connections
Where
do I find that bill?
How can I find my legislators?
What's the Governor's website?
Try these web-based sources for that missing legislative answer!
Federal
legislation
Congress:
Features easy e-mail links to the President and members of Congress
as well as links to federal bills.
Library of Congress: An easy source for finding information
about legislation, the Congressional Record, and Committee actions.
Michigan
legislation
Michigan Legislature:
An excellent source for finding the actual language and status
for pending and actual legislation, public acts, and more.
Virtual
Michigan: The Government section of this website offers
links to over 20 different sites, including the Governor's office,
the Democratic and Republication parties, and more.
Michigan in Brief:
Addresses more than 40 Michigan public policy issues, presenting
a glossary, background, a nonpartisan discussion of policy options,
and sources of additional information
Nursing concerns
Michigan Department of
Consumer and Industry Services: Look under the "Office
of Health Services," which is a good source for licensing
information, filing allegations, the new Michigan Nursing Scholarships,
the Public Health Code and more. You can also find the Michigan
Board of Nursing members and related information regarding continuing
education requirements here.
Michigan Department of
Community Health: Look here for information on MIChild,
critical health indicators, community public health, immunization
registry, Patient Bill of Rights, and Medicaid and Medicare
programs. Take note, also, of the smallpox resource link.
Department of Health and Human
Services: Here's where to look for the latest on privacy
of health information/HIPAA, national smallpox information,
disaster and other emergency information, specific disease details,
drug and food administration, and the latest health news.
Centers for Disease Control:
Not only is this a good source for more smallpox information,
its home page "spotlights" section provides
information about new studies and guidelines for disease intervention.
Other sources for nursing information
American Nurses Association:
"Breaking news" headlines offer a quick overview of
what's happening in the nursing profession, including legislative
Action Alerts.
Michigan Nurses Association:
NurseLine, MNA's free weekly electronic newsletter, features
not only breaking legislative news and Action Alerts, but other
timely nursing information. To subscribe, send an e-mail with
your name to carol.smith@minurses.org.carol.smith@minurses.org
Get involved!
Politics is the participation
of the citizen in government. The kind of government depends
entirely on the quality of that participation.
Eleanor Roosevelt
A little
or a lot, everyone can take part in the legislative process.
The key is to do something! Here's some ideas:
NurseLine
Every Friday, an electronic newsletter is sent out of the
MNA office with the latest nursing news that happened during
the week. It's free. You don't have to be a member to get
it. It's also easily accessed from the MNA home page at www.
minurses.org. Any Action Alert (a call to write or e-mail
legislators on a particular issue quickly) is sent to the
NurseLine subscriber list. To subscribe, send your
name to Carol Smith at carol.smith@minurses.org.
Scrape together $1.67 a month
Now, really. We can all afford to pay $1.67 extra a month
to help support MNA-PAC. That's less than 20 bucks a year.
You've got more change than that in your couch. We have a
friend in the highest office in Michigan now and it was faithful
donations to MNA-PAC that helped us establish that relationship.
If you haven't filled out the MNA-PAC
contribution form, please do so!
Tell your story
We are always on the lookout for nurses who can provide testimony
or talk to media. If you'd like to be on that list, go to
www.minurses.org/VolunteerQuestionnaire.pdf
and download the Volunteer Questionnaire.
Become a Legislative Liaison
If you 1) understand the issues facing the nursing profession
and 2) can talk to a politi- cian, then you would make a wonderful
MNA Legislative Liaison. We need nurses who can talk to their
legislators and help educate them about the needs of both
the nursing profession and providing quality health care.
This is politics at its best - working on the grassroots level.
To find out more about being a Legislative Liaison and to
receive a copy of the Legislative Liaison Handbook, contact
Meghan Swain-Kuch at 888/MI-NURSE, ext. 41 or meghan.swain@minurses.org.
2/12/07
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