I was a Legislative Day rookie in 2018, and it was more than worth the effort. Madison is a beautiful place with a free college town spirit, and it is where the machinery of the government of Wisconsin does its thing. I got the privilege of learning how it all works. First, we got our agenda from the Wisconsin Dental Association, then we mastered that agenda, and finally, we went to to present that agenda to the legislators in the Capitol.
All of us first-timers bonded over getting lost in the labyrinth that is the Wisconsin State Capitol. But I went from feeling intimidated to feeing familiar with the beautiful building once we met a few of the friendly legislators and the folks who made up their gracious staff. Everyone we met was very open to our input and seemed thankful that we were getting involved. They mentioned that without that vital input, the whole system can’t function.
It goes without saying that we should give back to dentistry. One of the most important things we can do as providers is to be aware of the issues affecting our profession and to let our voice be heard by those in government. Legislative Day 2018 was a fantastic experience, not just because of the importance of the work, but also for the camaraderie I got to experience. Those folks are just a great group of fellow dentists, students and people who have the oral health of Wisconsin as their primary focus. I feel extremely lucky to have been invited to participate last year and know that I will be sure to go every year from now on!
Register for 2019 WDA Legislative Day on Tuesday, March 19, 2019: https://blog.wda.org/members-2/legislative-day