We had a standing-room-only turnout at the September hearing in Lansing. Many AMTA members pitched in to make that day possible! Whether you came to Lansing that day or helped alert others about the hearing, thank you all. We weren't able to get our Bill passed this year, but we have a lot of momentum and want to keep that energy going and growing in 2007. We are closer than ever!

Our biggest strengths include a higher level of awareness in the membership than when we started. We also have a steadfast ally, Kathy Gauthier of Irene's School of Myomassology. Input from AMTA members has improved the licensure Bill from its first draft. Many more people and organizations are supporting it now. There have been recent contacts from ABMP to offer support. We are now starting dialog with them and look forward to working with this strong organization.

You may already know that nine of 33 Community Colleges in Michigan offer certificates or degrees in therapeutic massage. Those nine already support licensure. Now their association has offered formal support, too. This state-wide Community College support for licensure is very important to show the Legislators in Lansing the importance of this Bill.

Many tasks were finished in 2005-2006, notably including face-to-face appointments with key Legislators and their staff, and the lengthy document submitted to the executive branch to justify the need for licensure of therapeutic massage. We also educated many Legislators and their staff, many of whom are returning to office in 2007. Increasing numbers of our members got involved, by directly contacting their Representatives and Senators. Until now, these critical tasks were done by a relative few, but the scope is larger now, and requires more volunteers.

Recently several of us were invited to meet with Legislature staff, who gave suggestions to continue our work as we move onward in 2007. We were assured by the staff members that our legislative process is going just as it should. We have a Substitute Bill drafted and have included the items that AMTA members identified as needing changes which include: exemptions of movement and energy-based modalities, making grandfather licenses renewable, and to require the minimum 500 hours of education be supervised by a qualified faculty member.

Just this week, the chapter Board of Directors thoroughly reviewed all these recent developments. They voted to continue the legislative effort with vigor. This includes financial contribution for lobbying and expanding the volunteer effort. The Michigan Chapter is staying involved in licensure on behalf of our members and our profession.

To take this effort to the next level, we need volunteers. It would be helpful to have people from the districts of incoming members of the House and Senate Health Policy Committees. Politicians pay attention to their voting constituents. We plan to offer training, specific information and guidance at our 2007 Annual Chapter Meeting, to be held on April 20- 22, 2007.

To get this Bill passed in 2007, we need more members to help! You can start by registering on the Members-Only Forum at www.Mihands.org. Registering is easy and only requires an e-mail address (which remains confidential and will never be sold to anyone). You can also sign up for e-newsletter updates by sending an e-mail to enewsletter@Mihands.org. For members without computer access, our Delegates will be contacting members by phone to survey what you can do to help. Tell us what you can do!

We need people that can help in a variety of ways. You do not have to know a lot about the political process. If you would like to join the team in a bigger way than just by being a member, please contact us. The list below includes many of the small, but important ways you can contribute:

Here are some of the ways members who volunteer can help:

• Contacting your own Representative and Senator to express support for licensure
• Contacting members of the Health Policy Committee in the House and the Senate
• Visiting your Representative and Senator in person at their local office or in Lansing
• Asking your friends and clients to do the same
• Going to Lansing when there are public hearings scheduled (like last September!)
• Contacting both AMTA members and other massage therapists in your area
• Contacting practitioners of exempt modalities, like Feldenkreis, Polarity, Reiki, Rolfing, and Trager, to educate them about the specific exemption and urge them to express support for the Licensure Bill
• Fund raising or donating: for example, the recent support from Creative Wellness in Lansing and several individual donations that have been made!
• Hosting chair-massage events to promote Licensure
• Volunteer to be a member of the Government Relations Committee for AMTA-MI.

AMTA-MI Board members and volunteers can give you the information you need for any of these tasks. If you are willing to help in these ways, or you think of other suggestions, please contact us. If you have specific questions, please post them to the website or send us a letter, so we can keep you informed.

And as Margaret Mead said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

This is YOUR Bill - help make it a reality!