LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY * GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE

Tips for Communicating with Legislators

(Text adopted in part from advocacy materials developed by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and the American Library Association (ALA)).  

PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS

• Know Your Legislator:  Know your legislator’s areas of concern, committee assignments, connections to law libraries, knowledge of  and position on your issues, and contact points in the district and at the Capitol.
  
  
• Know Your Legislature:  Identify key committees, their chairs and members, committee contact points, and the legislative calendar.  For California Assembly and Senate, see http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.   For the U.S. Senate, see http://www.senate.gov. For the U.S. House of Representatives, see http://www.house.gov.
  
  
• Know Your Issues:  Be prepared to articulate the problem, defend your position with facts and personal experience, answer the opposing view, and suggest why your proposal fits the legislator’s agenda. Stay informed by visiting AALL Washington Affairs Online and the advocacy pages of your local chapter's web site. Liaison with members of other law library associations (see Webliography).

CONTACTING LEGISLATORS

• Timing Is Everything  Contact legislators early in the session to seek changes in bill language. Contact legislators during the session to support or oppose specific legislation (when committees are meeting and legislators are voting). Contact legislators after the session to thank them for their support.
  
  
• Letter Writing  Be brief: Address one issue; state the issue and your position succinctly; answer the opposing view; make it clear what action you want the legislator to take. Use your own words and speak from personal experience. Suggest how the issue or proposed legislation affects your law library, your patrons, and the community. Include your home address: this identifies you as a constituent and VOTER. Provide your business address: this identifies you as a stakeholder. Use the proper forms of salutation and closing. Send copies of the letter to other key legislators and legislative committee members.

  Legislators do read their mail. A "mail count" may well be a determining factor in how an elected official votes on a bill. You can send your message via a letter, phone call, personal visit, email, telegram, mailgram or form letter. The most effective method of communication, by far, is a thoughtful, individualized letter.

  • A personalized letter has far more impact than a form letter.
  • Identify yourself and your reasons for writing. Use professional title and letterhead if appropriate. Include your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
  • Be concise and to the point. State your position clearly and limit yourself to one subject per letter. Try not to go beyond one page.
  • Be courteous and not combative. Maintain a reasonable tone, not a demanding one. Commend positive actions, if any.
  • If you oppose legislation, state your reasons. Give specific adverse consequences and suggest alternatives. If possible, provide pertinent data to support your position.
  • Do write when you approve of legislation. If your representative votes as you wish, write to express your thanks. Legislators welcome such feedback.
  • Write early in the legislative session if you have ideas that you would like to be incorporated into a bill.
  • Courtesy suggests that you write to your own legislators. Copies of correspondence may be sent to other key legislators.
  
  
  
• Personal Visits  Make an appointment (call or fax request). Identify yourself (leave a business card). Mention that you are a constituent and acknowledge past support on law library issues. State the issue and provide a brief background if the legislator is not knowledgeable. State your position and recommendation, and support these with facts and personal experience. Be prepared to respond to an opposing view. Stay on point. If you can’t answer a question -- say so, and promise to follow up with additional information. Be specific about what you are asking of the legislator, and ask the legislator for suggestions for additional action. Be enthusiastic and courteous. Leave a written position statement that states your expectations and answers the opposition. Include brief additional materials if useful. Include your contact points.

FOLLOW UP

• After a Personal Visit  Write a thank-you note and forward any information you may have promised to provide. Re-state the issue, your position, and your recommendation (one more time). Follow up with a phone call to be sure materials were received. 
  
  
• During a Legislative Session  Stay informed about the issue (see Monitoring Legislation). Maintain contact and keep the legislator and staff informed about new developments. Keep the issue on the legislator’s radar. Be prepared to contact other key legislators and legislative committee members.
  
  
• After an Issue Is Resolved  If the legislator supported you: Say thank you with a call or a letter. If the legislator did not support you: Say thank you for the attention given to your issue and that you look forward to the legislator’s support of law-library issues in the future.

IDENTIFYING YOUR LEGISLATORS / LOCATING ADDRESSES

• California  Search for your representatives using your zip code at the Official California Legislative Information site at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html   Links to addresses of legislators are also provided.
  
  
• Federal  Identify your U.S. Senator at the United States Senate site at  http://www.senate.gov/.   Identify your Representative at the United States House of Representatives site at  http://www.house.gov/.