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Communication in Person
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Identify yourself. Tell legislators that you are a constituent and/or if you voted for them. Tell you if you have family, social, business or political ties or if you share their philosophy on certain issues.
Be courteous. The old adage that honey works better than vinegar is very true at the Capitol. Legislators respond to constructive ideas and positive solutions. Even when you strongly disagree with their positions, remember not to lose your temper and alienate a legislator. You may need to work with them on other issues.
Be clear. It is important to say what you want legislators to do. Specify whether you want them to introduce a bill, offer an amendment or vote a certain way on pending legislation. If you want a response, ask for one. Give a deadline if the matter is urgent.
Be firm. Senate districts include more than 600,000 people and House districts include roughly 200,000. The overwhelming number of meeting requests makes it difficult to accommodate everyone. So when you get a face to face meeting, make it count.
Be brief. Making clear, concise points creates a strong impression. Good ideas can get lost in a laundry list.
Be personal. Speak from the heart or personal experience.
Present a one-page summary. Legislators find these to be helpful. A typed guide helps them remember your priorities. It also allows staff to enter your priorities into bill tracking systems. A bill track is often the last item a legislator reads before casting his/her vote.
If you are asked a question that you dont know the answer to, admit it. Offer to get back to them with the information and then do it.
Use a local angle. Legislators respond to information on how a bill will positively or negatively affect the community.
Keep in touch. Communicate when legislators are out of session as well as when they are in session. Often legislators have more time to digest your comments during the interim period.
Offer to be a resource. If you have specific skills or background relating to legislation, let legislators know. They may call for information beyond the talking points presented by Austin-based professional or interest groups.
Recognize effort. So often legislators only hear from constituents when they are angry. When they act in ways you appreciate, send a positive message. It helps reinforce that they made the right decision.
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