Delivering messages
about lakes to your legislator
You can effectively communicate with
your legislator in many ways, including:
The tips outlined below are adapted from a handout
produced by 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.
In person
Face-to-face meetings in a legislator’s district
office or at the Capitol are a great way to contact your legislators.
You can telephone their offices to schedule a meeting at your preferred
location. Many legislators will even meet with constituents outside their
offices at restaurants and other locations in their district.
Sometimes last minute schedule changes mean a legislator isn’t able
to attend a scheduled face-to-face meeting and you will meet with their
staff instead. Don’t be offended—staff members are often knowledgeable
about the bills and other proposals you will want to discuss. At the very
least, they will carry your message to the legislator and you can ask
for a follow-up phone call from the legislator if you would like.
Tips for personal meetings
with legislators
General communication
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Handwritten letters
In the age of internet communications, legislators are
swamped with emails. If you can take a little extra time to write and
mail a hand written note with your personalized comments, it will catch
their eye.
- Be clear—if it’s a bill or rule you are
writing about, give the bill or rule number and the subject matter and
your position on it
- Tell them where in the district you live
Letter writing tips
General communication
tips
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Phone calls
A phone call is generally a personal but brief way to
make contact with your legislator. It is likely that you will speak with
the legislator’s staff, who will relay the message to the legislator.
- Be clear—if it’s a bill or rule you are
calling about, give the bill or rule number and the subject matter and
your position on it
- Tell them from where in the district you are calling
- Make sure to get the staff member’s name in
case you need to follow-up with them later
General communication
tips
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Attending public hearings
Show up early—-particularly if the hearing
is expected to be well-attended--because if you intend to speak at the
hearing, you must fill out a slip that will then be passed to the legislative
committee holding the hearing
In consideration of other citizens wishing to speak (and
because you might be given a time limit), try to make your spoken comments
brief. Most hearings take speakers on a first-come, first-served basis.
You can bring copies of a letter or a longer version of your testimony
to submit to the committee for them to read after the hearing.
If you are asked a question to which you don’t know
the answer, be honest. Don’t make up an answer. Tell them you don’t
know the answer; or if you know where to get the information, tell them
you’d be happy to provide them with the information at a later date.
Tips for personal meetings
with legislators
General communication
tips
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E-mail messages
To give your email a fighting chance of getting
attention, make sure the subject line is as detailed as possible, i.e.,
“Message from [Your City, Village or Town] in support of Senate
Bill X”
Make sure you include your full address and phone number
in the body of the email. If the legislative staff cannot easily identify
whether you are a constituent, your message may not get the attention
it deserves.
Letter writing tips
General communication
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