Hour-long, district-wide call allows constituents to participate, ask their legislators questions from home

Rep. Joel Kretz and Rep. Shelly Short are inviting constituents in the 7th Legislative District to participate in a telephone town hall meeting Thursday, Feb. 9.  The community conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will last one hour.

To participate, residents may call the toll-free number at 1-877-229-8493 and enter the code 15429 when prompted.  During the telephone town hall, the Representatives will listen to residents, answer questions and discuss a variety of topics related to the 2012 session.  Once on the line, participants may select star 3 on their telephone keypads to ask a question or they can simply listen in and take part in instant polls.  There will also be an opportunity at the end of the call to leave a message for Kretz and Short.

"Our two main priorities for this session are to come up with a solution to our state’s projected $1.5 billion shortfall within existing revenues and to implement legislation that will help create more long-term private-sector jobs,” said Kretz, R-Wauconda.  “However, in the first couple weeks of session we’re hearing proposals to ban plastic grocery bags across the state, legalize the non-medicinal use of marijuana, and make spitting or roller skating on a state ferry a misdemeanor.  Having a telephone town hall with 7th District constituents is a good way to balance the craziness of Olympia with the sanity of the common sense and wisdom from the folks back home.  I’m looking forward to a good, lively discussion on a variety of issues.”

“The 7th Legislative District is the largest district in the state based on square miles,” said Short, R-Addy.  “In the past, we’ve had literally thousands of participants in our telephone town halls.  To get that kind of participation in a district the size of the Seventh District would take weeks of traditional town hall meetings and hundreds of miles on the road.  And I know many folks in district can’t take the time or are unable to travel to Olympia or other community-based town halls.  This telephone town hall gives them the opportunity to participate from the comfort of their own home and to let us know how they feel on important issues.”

Constituents who are unable to participate in the telephone town hall meeting can reach Kretz at his legislative office at (360) 786-7988 or Joel.Kretz@leg.wa.gov.

Short can be reached at her legislative office at (360) 786-7908 or Shelly.Short@leg.wa.gov

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For more information, contact Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698