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Physicians at the Capitol, in person, played a key role in organized medicine's victories during the past three sessions of the Texas Legislature. The 2009 session offers a chance to do it again. TMA urges physicians, medical students, and TMA Alliance members to make their presence felt in Austin this year by participating in First Tuesdays at the Capitol.
Sponsored by TMA, the TMA Alliance, and the Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee, the First Tuesdays program allows physicians, medical students, and alliance members to become lobbyists for a day on the first Tuesday of each month of the session. Participants will don their white coats and show up en masse at the Capitol to lobby for key issues affecting patients and their physicians. Read all about those issues and TMA's 2009 legislative agenda in Doctor's Orders: TMA's Prescription for a Healthy Texas.
The initial First Tuesdays event will be Feb. 3, with three others on March 3, April 7, and May 5. April 7 will be dedicated to medical students and residents.
Each event will begin at the TMA building with a "Burning Issues" briefing, followed by a crash course on how to be a lobbyist for a day. That will be followed by visits with individual representatives and senators, as well as attendance at legislative committee hearings and House and Senate floor sessions.
Housing for First Tuesdays participants is available at the Doubletree Guest Suites, located across the street from the TMA building at 15th and Guadalupe. Those interested in participating in First Tuesdays at the Capitol should register now for one or more of the events, make hotel reservations at the Doubletree no later than two weeks before the event, make appointments with legislators before the event, or contact TMA or your county society staff for help in making appointments.
For information about First Tuesdays at the Capitol, call TMA at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1361, or (512) 370-1361.
Action, Feb. 2, 2009
Last Published: 1/30/2009 Print this page
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