Regardless of the method you choose to contact a legislator, it is important you keep some basic thoughts in mind during your communication.

Civility – First and foremost – be polite. Our elected officials are there to respond to our needs and wishes, but they will be more inclined to do so if our requests are civil and polite.

Salutation – Unless the legislator is a personal friend, address them by the title of their office. For most legislators, this will be either “Rep. Lastname” or “Sen. Lastname”. The two exceptions to this are the Lt. Governor and the Speaker of the House. They should be referred to as “Lt. Gov. Lastname” and “Speaker Lastname” respectively.

Brevity – Letters to elected officials are like resumes. They each receive so many it is important to quickly make your point and leave. As a rule, don’t go past one page. Explain why you are writing, ask for the legislator’s support and thank them for their help. Always make specific reference to the bill, (by house or senate bill numbers, about which you are writing. It is appropriate to ask for a written response regarding their position(s).

Telephone contact – As with letters, telephone calls should be brief – it is important to quickly make your point. Although it is appropriate to ask to speak to your legislator, generally you will only be able to talk with their secretary or an assistant. Give them the bill numbers that you are interested in, ask the status and whether they are supporting the bill(s). If they are not supporting a bill on which you are wanting their support, it is okay to ask for an explanation of their position. It is also appropriate to follow your telephone contacts with brief written correspondence.

Civility – Finally – be polite. We enjoy a good relationship with many legislators, and others disagree with our positions, but we will never win our goals without a dedicated, polite effort. Contact them often, but remain polite.