Basic Template for Testifying
Here is the format for a more casual Memorandum.
Include the following:
Your name
Your contact information
The proposed legislation being addressed
Your position on the Proposed Legislation
The facts that you have addressing the proposed legislation
Any legal citations that affect the proposed legislation
Any changes you might suggest, language, omissions, etc. If you make changes always give a reason why you are suggesting the proposed legislation be changed
Summary of your position on the proposed legislation
Sign and date if hard copy
Example
Name and Number of Proposed Legislation SB 5811
My Name and Contact Information:
Celeste Bishop
14301-127th Ave SE
Snohomish, WA
360-568-8175
NoNAIS.org
Your position on proposed legislation
FOR THE RECORD A MEMORANDUM OPPOSING SB 5811
Address the Chair and Committee-Mr. Chairman and distinguished committee members. I would appreciate my testimony be entered into the record.
Name and why the committee should listen to you or your connection (expertise) on the bill
My name is Celeste Bishop. I am a small non-commercial sustainable farmer in Snohomish County. I represent small farms, and property owners in Washington and nationally. I am engaged in an international value-added product business with another Snohomish County small farmer. Insert why the Committee should listen to you.
Facts, legal Citations, Concerns
My concerns on proposed SB 5811 are the following:
- The Legislature’s reckless, arbitrary, and capricious overuse of the emergency clause by attaching it to non-emergency legislation has seriously impaired the citizens’ right to referendum.
- We the people feel find it odd that an emergency clause is inserted into a provision to extend the Cattle Advisory Board.
- We the people of Washington have not been informed of any animal emergency and are left to wonder if the emergency is merely that the Cattle Advisory Board has sunset without any findings from their four projects, thus putting WSDA in jeopardy of default from their receipt of federal funds for these projects.
- If this distinguished committee knows of an animal emergency please inform us so that we might be proactive. We may be left to believe that the USDA may be promulgating a de facto mandatory implementation for cattle within interstate commerce.
- The Cattle Advisory Board did not make a report to the legislature at the specified time and when they did finally make such a report it was not an official board. Hence, their recommendations are fraudulent due to untimely filing.
- Washington has other viable animal breeds such as horses, hog, poultry, goat, sheep, llama, and alpaca which have not been included into formulating any identification or disease program. Nor have small farms been included. This violates equal protection as set forth in the 14th Amendment.
- Passage of this proposed legislation is depriving other segments of livestock industry representation.
- It is interesting to note that there is no definition of ‘emergency’ within Chapter 16.
- We have concern that due to the very nature of the Federal Cooperative Agreements signed in this matter that in fact the federal government has superseded state government in this case.
What you want the Committee to do
For these reasons we oppose SB 5811 as it is written though we have no opposition in itself to the Cattle Advisory Board.
Thank you and I would be happy to answer any questions
Provide any supporting attachments or documentation
Attachment A
RCW 38.52.010Definitions. |
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(6)(a) “Emergency or disaster” as used in all sections of this chapter except RCW 38.52.430 shall mean an event or set of circumstances which: (i) Demands immediate action to preserve public health, protect life, protect public property, or to provide relief to any stricken community overtaken by such occurrences, or (ii) reaches such a dimension or degree of destructiveness as to warrant the governor declaring a state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.010.