February in an election year. Back in December we saw an increase in bill prefiling in States that allow that, now we see what the rest of the states are doing. All signs point to a banner year for bills we need to fight.
We ended up hiring lobbyists to fight in some of the more critical battles in late 2023, now we need to replenish our funds for the battles sure to come this year. We just finished a GAT fund raiser that offered a balcony room on the Big Nude Boat as the prize in the fundraiser. Thanks to Nancy Solvin and the Bare Necessities Crew for the generous donation to the cause.
Your volunteer team members also deserve a big Thank You for their on-going efforts. In-person team members and everyday nudists armed with talking points are an effective tool when public testimony is requested. Your emails and texts to comment on proposed legislation is important. Many times it is the quantity of responses that gets the attention of lawmakers. Where you live is important also. When we were fighting in Seattle for nude use, we needed our Washington and specifically our Seattle members comments on the record to make a difference. We care about laws everywhere and it is great having members in each locale when these challenges arise.
We are fortunate to have so many people who rise to the occasions when the calls to go out for action. Our friends who are not AANR members are also important. Fellow nudists who show up, or write, or email, add to the numbers. Imagine if they were members and their dues were helping us pay for the on-going costs of due diligence in scouting out these challenges.
It’s you, the AANR members who make this happen. Your forwarding information to us of your concerns, as well as the bill analysis software we use to find these bills, are important to protecting your nude use areas. I’m looking forward to a busy year ahead as we see what new legislation awaits the nudist communities.