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1. Members set the legislative priorities
Each year, hundreds of delegates to the WEAC Representative Assembly establish legislative priorities. Based on these priorities, members of the Legislative Committee recommend a biennial legislative agenda to the Board of Directors.
2. Members analyze the voting records of legislators
After the legislative session, the WEAC Board of Directors assigns a weight to legislative floor votes that affect public education. A percentage of support is calculated for each legislator.
The WEAC Board of Directors also requires each incumbent to complete a written questionnaire, the responses to which are included in the weighting procedure. The Board of Directors may vote to recommend the re-election of any legislator who achieves a 70 percent or better weighted score. However, a local or UniServ president from a legislative district can request that the Board not support a particular candidate, regardless of his or her weighted score.
3. Members interview the candidates and review their positions on issues important to children and public education
In districts where no candidate has a 70 percent record of support, or where an incumbent does not seek re-election, local members recommend candidates. First, a questionnaire is sent to each candidate to determine his or her positions on WEAC's legislative priorities. Then each candidate is invited to an interview by a local committee of members. This committee votes and sends its recommendations to the WEAC Political Action Committee, which has 22 members who represent all parts of the state.
After reviewing the recommendations of the local screening committee, the Political Action Committee forwards a list of recommended candidates to the WEAC Board of Directors, which votes on each recommendation.
4. WEAC members have the final say
Ballots are mailed to each member who pays political action dues. These members vote on the statewide candidates and the legislative candidates running in their area. A candidate receives WEAC's support only if the members concur with the WEAC Board.
From start to finish, WEAC members control the process and decide who gets our election support.
5. Would you like to help?
If you are interested in working with your colleagues on this process, please write or send an e-mail to John Stocks, WEAC's Director of Government Relations. Include your name, address, home and school phones, and e-mail addresses if you have them.