(This is a repost from the Free The Hops blog, here to help take some of the load off their server)
WE PASSED! Now Call/Fax/Email Governor Riley
By Danner | Published: May 14, 2009
Just before 3:00pm today, the Alabama Senate passed HB373. Success. Vindication. The blood, sweat, and tears of all of our many supporters paid off.
BUT. We are at a point where we must have the Governor’s signature for our bill to become law.
We need to do everything we can to encourage the Governor to either sign our bill. That’s why we’re asking everyone in the state who values personal freedom and who thinks the Alabama government should stop telling us which beers are ok to drink and which ones we can’t handle to contact Governor Riley immediately. By phone, fax, or email, whatever works best for you.
We’ve even had one of his former staffers give us some tips on how best to go about this:
The volume of letters and phone calls that he receives on a particular issue is reported to him every morning, and he takes them seriously. … A couple quick points:
* They have a pretty sophisticated constituent database, so multiple calls/mail from the same person won’t accomplish much. They report to him the number of persons, not the number of communications.
* Any arguments that sounds like something the gambling folks would say should be avoided (â€People go over state lines to do it anyway…â€). You don’t want to equate yourself with those guys in his mind.
* Arguments about personal liberty and economic development will probably have more sway.
* Pointing out the surrounding states that allow it will also be helpful. The fact that GA, NC, SC, and WV have passed these bills in the past couple years is persuasive.
Just keep it short and to the point. Let him know you support the bill and why.
Here’s contact information for the Governor’s office:
Switchboard: (334) 242-7100
Fax: (334) 353-0004
Email form: http://www.governor.alabama.gov/contact/contact_form.aspx
Don’t hesitate! We haven’t come this far only to suffer a veto now. Make sure Gov. Riley knows the people of Alabama want him to sign HB373 into law.
Thank you to everyone who has gotten us to this point. Time to seal the deal.