Being an informed citizen entails being knowledgable about how state government functions, because it effects your every day life. Your local schools systems funding, your road quality, and hot topic issues are all effected by your elected officials in Frankfort. The general assembly being in-session in Frankfurt, not to mention it being a budget year, means that there is an increased amount of conversations happening around the political process. How is a bill passed, who are your legislators, and what is role of the judicial system are all questions people have. Identifying and addressing these concerns led to the offering of the “Basics of the Kentucky Legislative Process” workshop as a homemaker leader lesson.

    The workshop was broken out into three parts. The first part discussed the executive branch, including who the governor and lieutenant governor are. The second part discussed the legislative branch, including how to identify using the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission website who your legislators are. The last part discussed the judicial branch, including a discussion of the Kentucky court system and Kentucky Supreme Court. 

    The culmination of the workshop was a call to action. As a hands on take home activity, homemakers were given the contact information for their appropriate elected officials including state legislators and governor. Their supplies included their elected officials contact information, an example letter to an official provided by a state specialist, blank paper, and an envelope. 

    The workshop was well attended by homemaker lesson leaders and received positive feedback. Several weeks later a homemaker came in the office for an unrelated matter. She was excited to report back that she had received a response from her letter. Governor Andy Beshear responded to her letter, thanking her for the work Homemakers were doing in the commonwealth and commenting on the quilt hanging in the capital rotunda. The “Basics of the Kentucky Legislative Process” workshop was a success, empowering people to connect with their elected officials.