Pat Davis Guest Blog: Tips for Contacting Your Legislator

This is a guest blog by Pat Davis, an active Albuquerque Democrat and former candidate for Bernalillo County Sheriff.

The 2011 New Mexico Legislature is full of bills and discussions on a variety of issues.  To have your voice heard, your message needs to stand out. Ms. Manners hasn't written a column on this yet, so we put together our own. Use these tips to make your phone calls, emails and letters count:

TIPS FOR CALLING YOUR LEGISLATOR

1. Do your homework. Research your legislator and the committees he or she sits on.  Do they sit on committees hearing legislation you care about?  If they have a public website, visit it to see if they have publicly taken a stance on the issue you will discuss.  Also, read the bill (or at least the summary - usually found in the Fiscal Impact Report on the legislature's webpage for the proposed bill) and understand both the pros and cons being presented.


2. Call during normal office hours, usually 9:00 AM-6:00 PM, Monday-Friday (though, sometimes they wrap up early on Friday). Getting a live person is better than an email or leaving a voice mail (though any contact is better than none!) TIP: Some people like to make a note in their calendar (or a reminder in their smart phone) to call on the day before or morning of important votes. 
   


3. Identify yourself. Whether writing an email or making a call, always let them know your name and that you are a constituent.


4. Be polite. Tell the staffer that you are a constituent and are calling to express your support or opposition to a bill. TIP: Remember, your legislator is likely in meetings or on the floor of the chamber, so you are not likely to speak to them personally during the session.
    
5. Be Brief. Know the Bill Number and give a short statement (2 or 3 sentences is plenty) about your position. If it is relevant, briefly tell them about your family ("I am calling on behalf of my partner and I.  We have been together in a loving and supportive relationship for seven years and we have two children. Our family is important to us, and that is why I am calling...") The call taker can always ask follow up questions if they have any.


6. Be Clear.  Start with "I support/oppose bill XX because..."


7. Offer to Leave Your Contact Information. Offer to leave your name and contact information, either by phone, email or mail. This helps members know that their constituents are calling, not some out-of-state phonebank.


8. Follow up. Follow up with an email, if appropriate. 


9. Finally, be sure to call back to express your thanks or disappointment (politely) with the legislator's vote.  This helps them know that you are keeping track of their votes and will remember on election day.

 

IF YOU WOULD RATHER WRITE A LETTER OR EMAIL

1. Again, Do your homework. Research your legislator and the committees he or she sits on.  Do they sit on committees hearing legislation you care about?  If they have a public website, visit it to see if they have publicly taken a stance on the issue you will discuss.  Also, read the bill (or at least the summary -- usually found in the Fiscal Impact Report on the legislature's webpage for the proposed bill) and understand both the pros and cons being presented.


2. Show your class. When beginning, address the legislator as Representative XXX or Senator XXX.  If you are writing a person in a leadership position, it is appropriate to address them as Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman, Mr. Speaker, etc. If you don't know, Representative or Senator is fine. 
    
3. Identify yourself. Whether writing an email or making a call, always let them know your name and that you are a constituent. 
    
4. State your purpose up front.The purpose for your letter or email should be in the first paragraph. "I am writing in support/opposition of House/Senate bill xxx..."   
    
5. Be brief. Legislators receive lots of letters. They are more likely to read all of yours if it is short and to the point. Let them know why you care about this bill ("My family matters to me and this bill affects us because..."). One or two paragraphs is usually enough room to accomplish this. 
    
6. Make it personal. Form letters can make an impact, but personal stories put a face and name to an issue. Plus, when you take the time to write a personal message, it shows you are passionate. 
    
7. End with your contact information. Provide your contact information, especially your name and address. Legislators give more credence to letters from their constituents, so be sure to include your address so they know that you live in their district. TIP: Most legislators do not have time to respond to all correspondence personally, but many try to acknowledge your letter.  If you have a question about whether they received your message, a brief phone call to follow up is not inappropriate. 


8. Finally, be sure to call back to express your thanks or disappointment (politely) with the legislator's vote.  This helps them know that you are keeping track of their votes and will remember on election day.

Find your legislator's contact information online at http://www.nmlegis.gov/.

This is a guest blog by Pat Davis. If you'd like to submit a piece for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link at the upper left-hand corner of the page.

To see our previous posts on the 2011 New Mexico Legislative Session, visit our archive.