Make your voice heard among lawmakers

By Ted Villaire

Each time Gail Morales makes contact with one of her elected state officials, she sees it as an opportunity to build a relationship. Guided by this approach, she’s gotten to know her state lawmakers quite well over the years.

“Developing a relationship with legislators takes time, but it’s worth it,” said Morales, a former Active Trans board member. “It creates trust and allows you to be a better advocate for issues you care about.”

Elizabeth Adamczyk is another Active Trans member who regularly shares her views with legislators in her community on specific bills. For her, contacting legislators was a natural outgrowth of her passion for cycling and active transportation issues.

“Elected officials need to hear our voices. I contact them to make sure they are representing my best interests,” said Adamczyk, who received Active Trans’ Under the Radar Volunteer Award for 2009. “It really doesn’t take very much time.”

And that is exactly why we rely on our members; they are the movement’s eyes, ears and voice when it comes to local issues. Legislators won’t know what their constituents’’ concerns if you don’t tell them.

Morales and Adamczyk shared some tips that will help give your advocacy a boost.

Do your homework

The first step of the process, of course, is identifying your lawmakers. The Illinois State Board of Elections of Elections website offers a search page for finding this information.

Before talking on the phone, meeting in-person, or writing a letter, Morales said it’s important to cultivate a solid understanding of the issue. “Know your subject matter,” she said. “Get to know each side of the argument and know how to respond when objections are raised against the points you are making.” Always know the title, number, and current status of the bill, she said.

Another important detail is getting to know your political representative’s positions, priorities, and voting record—particularly as they relate to matters you want to discuss. Does he or she serve on committees? Has he or she supported or voted against similar legislation? Knowing all this will build your credibility and demonstrate that you have a serious interest in the issue.

Initiate contact

So what’s the best way to contact an elected official? Should you write a letter, send a fax or an e-mail, make a phone call, or drop in for a visit? Contact could be as quick as calling his or her office and leaving a message that urges the lawmaker’s support (or opposition) to a bill. In some cases, lawmakers may prefer certain forms of communication. Your job is to keep your ears open to discover how he or she likes to be contacted.

Morales, who’s quick to point out that her relationships with local lawmakers were helped along by working in local government, recommends a face-to-face meeting if your goal is to develop a more significant relationship. After a face-to-face meeting, she said, a lawmaker will likely pay more attention to your correspondence. “Meeting in-person for the first time makes it easier for a relationship to develop,” she said.

When sending a letter or e-mail, Adamczyk suggests using your own words as much as possible. The more personalized the letter, the more likely it will garner the attention of the lawmaker, she said.

Talking in-person or on the phone

Over the years Morales has learned that elected officials – like everyone – are busy people. “There are many pieces of legislation they haven’t looked at and this may be one of them,” she said. “If the legislator says they don’t know much about the subject, be prepared to give an overview. Leave a fact sheet behind with information that would you like them to know.”

Adamczyk suggests using a set of talking points when having a conversation with a lawmaker. You will soon be able to find talking points on our bills here.

If you have local statistics, facts, brief anecdotes, and success stories to back your point, be sure to share those. Provide details on how his or her constituents are affected by the issue. Listen carefully to what your policymaker has to say. If he or she does not agree with your position, don’t argue. Simply identify issues of concern or differences of opinion, and remember that your goal is building a relationship.

Say goodbye…until next time

Once you’ve covered the topics you want to address, be sure not to overstay your visit. When finished, thank the legislator for speaking with you and let him or her know you’re looking forward to the next meeting. Adamczyk said she likes to give them follow up phone calls and e-mails, particularly if they supported the legislation she favors. “They love to get thank-you letters,” she said.