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Communicating
Effectively with Legislators
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A How-To
Guide
Provided
by the Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association
6533
Margaret Court
Indianapolis, IN 46237
Phone: (317)889-2382
 How
to write a letter to your
U.S. Congressperson or Indiana Legislator
Elected officials
often learn the views of their constituents and of industry through letters,
phone calls, faxes, or e-mail. Personal face-to-face meetings are typically
left to the hired association lobbyist.
Today, more than ever, your elected officials want and need to receive
written communications from their constituents. Writing effective letters
to elected officials is not difficult. Properly done, your letter can
help leverage the broader effort.
Letter
writing guidelines…
- Use your
company's letterhead or personal stationary.
- Include
your return address on your letter, not just on the envelope. This will
help to ensure a response-most envelopes are discarded right away.
- Be accurate.
Spell names correctly, and verify information.
- Be brief.
Tell why you are writing, and get right to the point. If you know the
name or number of the bill that is of interest to you, include it. If
not, give as much information as possible about the bill.
- Use INLA
sample letters as guidelines when they are available. These will give
you specific information such as bill numbers and titles. Look for them
on the INLA website at www.inla1.org under "Legislative."
- Relate
your reason for writing to a personal experience-this is the best supporting
evidence for your opinion. Explain how the legislation would affect
your business, your fellow employees, and the community in which you
live.
- Ask for
a response or for the member to explain his or her position on the issue
in the reply so you can avoid receiving a typical "form letter"
response. As a constituent, you are entitled to know how and why your
representatives feel and how they may vote on a particular issue.
- Contact
officials within Indiana and your congressional district-see the INLA
Legislative Directory to find your Senators and Representatives.
 E-mail
Notes: If you choose to communicate via e-mail, follow the same guidelines
you would use to write a letter (including the correct salutation). It
is also a good idea to send a hard copy of your note or letter to the
member's office when composing a message via e-mail.
Suggested Addresses and Salutations…
House
The Honorable (fill in full name)
United States House of Representatives
(Room # and Building Name) House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative (last name only)
Senate
The Honorable (fill in full name)
United States Senate
(Room # and Building Name) Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (last name only)
Indiana
House
The Honorable (fill in full name)
Indiana House of Representatives
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2786
Dear Representative (last name only)
Indiana
Senate
The Honorable (fill in full name)
Indiana State Senate
200 W. Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2785
Dear Senator (last name only)
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How
to call
your U.S. Congressperson
or Indiana Legislator |
Telephone calls are helpful when an urgent issue has arisen, if a vote
is imminent, or if members are closely divided over a critical issue.
Sometimes, writing letters can be too lengthy a process. Calling a member's
office creates a fast and effective way of communicating your position
(and the association's position) on a particular piece of legislation.
- Use the
Legislative Directory or the INLA website to locate phone numbers for
Washington, DC offices and local district offices for each Congressional
member, and Indianapolis and District numbers for each Indiana Legislator.
- Calling
both offices for your Congressperson or both offices for your Indiana
Legislator can never hurt. Use the direct office number: do not go through
a switchboard.
- You will
almost always speak with a staff member and not the representative.
Treat the staffer as if you were speaking directly to the member.
- Know which
staffer to ask for (example: "Could I speak with the staff member
who handles tax issues?"). You do not want your call to stop at
the reception desk.
- Rehearse
your conversation or work from background notes.
- Be brief,
and stick to one issue. Keep the call between two and three minutes.
Express your position, ask for a follow-up call on how the member will
vote on the issue, and give your thanks. If you have promised to follow
up with any additional information, do so promptly.
After You Receive a Response…
Forward a copy of the response to the INLA so we know where your Indiana
Legislator or Congressperson stands on an issue. Regardless of the type
of response you receive-positive, negative, or non-committal-you should
always write a brief, timely thank-you letter for his or her response
and address the position taken.
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