Last year was certainly a year of change and a bit of a roller coaster ride as far as politics is concerned. The political makeup of Washington State in particular has shifted and, on the national front, Congress is trying to implement reform at a whirlwind pace that has heads spinning.

Our goal is to provide relevant, valuable resources for you as well as opportunities to get involved in advocacy. Over the past few months, we have been meeting with members to discuss how we can best serve you in this area and what about the CPA profession is keeping you up at night. Based on your comments and suggestions, we have implemented some exciting new initiatives in the Advocacy department and have more coming up this year.

News & Resources

All Things Advocacy—One of our most exciting initiatives is our blog/vlog, All Things Advocacy, which is dedicated to keeping members informed of important issues on both a local and national level.

We sat down with experts to discuss important issues such as the state elections, the 2017 legislative session, and national legislation affecting CPAs. Members are also featured sharing their experience and participation in advocacy. If there’s a topic you are passionate about, we would love to have you as a guest writer.

(Left) AICPA Senior Manager, Lindsay Patterson gives an update on the Mobile Workforce legislation.
(Center) CPAPAC Chairman, Bill Simer, CPA talks about the importance and role of the PAC.
(Right) WSCPA lobbyist, Lisa Thatcher discusses the 2017 legislation session and elections.

The Advocate—Mark your calendars! The first edition of The Advocate quarterly newsletter will be out in March 2018. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to update your preferences in your member profile and select “advocacy” as an interest to get on the mailing list.

Annual Legislative Recap—And that’s not all! The first Annual Legislative Recap will be published at the end of the legislative session. This resource will include updates on important issues and legislation relevant to the profession.

Get Involved

Hill Day—In January, WSCPA members will meet with their legislators in Olympia to discuss important issues regarding the profession. This will be the first Hill Day that WSCPA has ever held, and we are excited to have more of our members participate in this important event in the future.

Key Contact Program—Whether you already know your legislator or want to become more involved, the Key Contact Program is a great way to build relationships with elected officials and communicate the potential impact of state and federal legislation.

CPAPAC—The CPA Political Action Committee is an important aspect of advocacy strategy that allows the WSCPA to have a strong presence and voice in Olympia. Members also have the opportunity to deliver checks in person to candidates, increasing the profession’s visibility.

So whether you contribute to the CPAPAC, write for All Things Advocacy, or become a Key Contact, your participation is needed and valued. Relationships need to be cultivated and your voice for the profession needs to be heard at both the state and federal level.

Ashley Kittrell is the WSCPA Government Relations Coordinator. You can contact her at akittrell@wscpa.org or (425) 586-1150.

This article appeared in the winter 2018 issue of theWashingtonCPA Magazine. Read more here.