Dear Member Bowling Proprietor:

This year’s Bowl Expo was a great success! Here’s what you missed:

The approximately $40,000 we raised will be extremely useful as we engage in public policy campaigns—and this year’s election cycle. With your continued support for the new Government Action Fund, the BPAA will be better equipped to mobilize against the policies and issues that are the biggest threats to our operations. The Action Fund is a great way to ensure that your money is used to affect the issues that matter most to you, since you can decide how your contribution is used and where your money goes. $40,000 is a good start, but it isn’t enough to ensure that all of the issues we care about will be considered by candidates and lawmakers in the coming months. We need to commit to funding issue-oriented campaigns that bring our concerns to the attention of voters as well as lawmakers. 

The Government Action Fund was created with this is mind. Instead of simply giving to friendly candidates, the Action Fund will allow us to shape public policy debates on the issues most important to you. The award-winning Negligent Driving campaign is a good example. It allowed us to put the debate over responsible social drinking and driving in perspective—without anti-alcohol activists hijacking it for their own ends. The Government Action Fund will allow us to continue to engage in—and affect—debates on topics of concern to us.

In addition to funding these initiatives, it’s vital that we have a good understanding of how the legislative process works and how we can each be most effective in influencing our elected representatives. There are several tools available from BPAA that will help you engage in policy debates and make a difference in the issue areas that affect your business. Your participation in the public policy process can make the difference between winning and losing important legislative battles.

Our new guide, Government Affairs: The Basics provides information that will better prepare you to battle threats to the industry as they arise, and to have your voice heard.

The brochure includes sections such as:

• How to get involved in the legislative process
• Effective legislative communications
• Effective media communications
• Facts, figures, and other resources useful for formulating persuasive arguments
• Information about how to contact your representatives

 We’ve also included a copy of the Target Pin,BPAA’s journal on legislative and regulatory affairs. It provides background information on growing threats, updates about ongoing BPAA advocacy campaigns, and analysis and commentary on issues affecting our industry.