Contacts

The first person we will contact is Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey. As the patron of the bill, he is a key stakeholder in promoting the agenda. By contacting him, we will be informing him that there are constituents interested in promoting and supporting the bill. This blog will help to continue to provide information and research that we have collected and may be of interest to him.

The next person we will contact is Delegate Beverly Sherwood who is the chair of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee. This person has the ability to influence the passage of this bill. Currently this bill is being held within a subcommittee in this specific committee for discussion and possible revision prior to a full committee vote.

Another key stakeholder to contact is the Speaker of the House, Delegate William Howell. He is important because, like Beverly Sherwood, he also has the power to influence whether or not a full house vote will be needed to pass the bill. He also is able to decide which committee takes a look at the bill and decides on revisions or if it should even move forward.

One of the more prominent lobbying groups in Virginia for Clean air is the community action group Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public (GASP). We have decided to contact them with a link to this bill in order to provide them with our research and information so that they may use it in their promotion of clean air in connection with HB 186. Hopefully, this will also help them recognize that there are constituents in VA that agree with their position on this bill.

Another major stakeholder is Philip Morris USA, a tobacco company that is prominent in VA especially around the Greater Richmond area. Though they are a tobacco company that is obviously seeking profit on their products, they still support federal regulation of tobacco products. They give health information on their products within their national website, so by providing a link to this blog it may help give more information regarding secondhand smoking especially when it pertains to children.

The last person that we will be contacting is Governor McDonnell because as the Governor of Virginia the position he maintains on bills can greatly influence the rest of the members of his party. Therefore, if he were to support HB 186 then it may persuade the rest of the Republican party to look more carefully into their positions on the bill. By providing him a link to this blog we can give him a better understanding of some basic facts regarding the effects of secondhand smoke on children within a motor vehicle. This blog would help to show that there are constituents that support this bill who are not necessarily involved with the government.