Legislator’s Tips on How to Better Reach Them

Two recently retired legislators give their opinions on how best to contact elected officials and to make your points more effectively. This was taken from the Wisconsin State Journal.

By Former State Rep. Shirley Krug

Here are five keys to writing an effective letter, based on my experience:

1. Be targeted: Write to the right people. Target local officials such as your county supervisor with local issues; target state officials such as Assembly members or the governor with state issues; target federal officials such as your senators and congressional representatives with federal issues. You want to reach the people who are most likely to act on the issue that concerns you.
2. Be factual: Know your issue. A calm, clear presentation about the basic facts of the issue is much more effective than threats or angry, emotional rhetoric. Resist the urge to use your letter to vent your frustrations. You won’t change anyone’s mind, no matter how forceful you are. Use the same courtesy that you would expect to receive yourself.
3. Be able to demonstrate a vested interest: Why are you writing? Try to make individual, personal connections to the issue in question. Has it affected your family? Your business? Your neighborhood? Use facts and be specific. It will give your letter credibility.
4. Be original: Form letters are less effective than a unique letter you take the time to write yourself. Writing an original letter demonstrates a deeper level of commitment and interest in your subject.
5. Be concise: Remember that your elected officials get dozens of letters each day (a number that increases as you go from local to state to federal). For that reason, your letter should be as concise and direct as possible. In a busy office, longer letters tend to get read less thoroughly, so make your point clearly and quickly.

Following these guidelines won’t guarantee you get the result you want, but it will give you the best chance to get your point across effectively.

By Former State Sen. Bob Welch

Citizens who want to speak out on legislation, or seek assistance from their elected officials, will also do well by these five points:

1. Get to know your elected legislators: Attend their town hall meetings, talk to them when you see them around town or when they’re on the campaign trail, and understand their background and motivation.
2. Call to express your concerns: Nothing can better express your concerns than your own voice. A personal call to your legislator carries a lot of weight. Almost every office has a toll-free number, and most legislators publish their home phone numbers in the Wisconsin Blue Book.
3. Send a personal letter: Form letters are not very effective. If you’re writing about a specific bill or proposal, your message carries more weight if you can explain why or how this would affect you or your family. We do read your letters.
4. Any contact is better than none: As a last resort, you can use form letters, mass faxes or e-mails. Every contact is received, and I understand you may not have the time to always write personal letters about the legislation that you’re concerned with
5. If you can’t do steps one through four, don’t expect to get the same results as those who do: The power is yours. You have the opportunity, if you choose to exercise it. Often, the “special interests” other citizens complain about are simply groups of highly motivated, very organized individuals with a common goal who effectively utilize steps one through four.

You don’t need a computer system, fax machine or lobbyist to be heard. Use the tools that you have and you’ll do fine.