Legislative Visit

The following are thirteen easy steps for an effective visit with your legislator.

• Dress nicely.
• Introduce yourself. Tell the legislator or staff person the organization you represent, where the group is located and the size of its membership. Tell them if you are a constituent and if you have any family, social, business or political ties to the legislator.
• Start with a compliment.
• Be concise and clear. State what issue you want to discuss and your position on it and what you want the legislator to do.
• tress how the issue will affect your legislator's district or state.
• Present a short fact sheet. Give a 1 to 2 page paper outlining your position, explaining what the bill does and why it should be supported.
• Tell the legislator that other organizations, government officials, legislators, and important individuals support your position.
• Be a good listener. After you talk, allow the legislator to respond. However, try not to get off the topic of your issue.
• Be honest. Answer questions to the best of your ability, but if you don't know the answer, admit it. Try to provide the information promptly in a follow-up letter.
• Ask a direct question. Politely press for a commitment, unless your position is clearly opposed to or the legislator is being non-committal.
• Say thank you. At the end of the meeting say thank you for the legislator's time and patience.
• Take notes. Write down any information you learned about the legislator's position or concerns, so you can share it with others and use it to develop your legislative strategy.
• Follow up with a prompt thank you letter. In the letter, reiterate your key points and include any follow up information you promised to provide.