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About this module
In this module, you will learn a few tools that will help you effectively communicate with your legislator, either on the phone, by email, or in person! We'll help you guide the conversation so that you can express to them the issues that you're passionate about, with a guided practice at the end.
The goals and lessons for this episode are detailed below. Click on a box to expand and learn more about each section.
Featuring
Evan Murray
Civic Engagement Director for Democracy Maine
Evan is committed to building equity and inclusion and working to ensure that everyone has equal access to our government. They first learned what civic engagement means when they volunteered for Maine Citizens for Clean Elections over 20 years ago, and now they're delighted to be a part of the team.
Anyone can call up their legislator, but if you want to be effective and clearly communicate about any issue, you'll want to plan in advance. Decide what issues that you're passionate about and your position on those issues.
Key Links
Who's my legislator? Sometimes we forget the names of our elected officials. No shame there. Use the Maine Voter Lookup Service to find all the names and contact information for your people.
Legislators can also be reached at the general toll-free numbers for both chambers:
Representatives: 1-800-423-2900
Senators: 1-800-423-6900
Questions to ask yourself:
- What issue are you going to speak about?
- What action are you asking for?
- Who is your legislator? Do they have a record on this issue? What committees do they sit on?
- What information and resources should you have on hand before you call?
You've decided what issues you want to communicate to your legislator and you've researched and decided your positions. Before you contact your legislators, let's first consider how to frame the conversation. Here are a few tips to help you communicate effectively.
General Tips:
- Use a positive frame — don’t attack the opposition.
- Draw on personal experience & conviction.
- Aim to be concise and clear about your perspective.
- Make sure what you’re asking for is clear.
During the conversation:
- Always introduce yourself and say what town you’re from.
- Remember that many legislators genuinely want to build relationships with constituents.
- Be mindful of their time but be prepared to be friendly.
- Always say thank you.
It's important that you have a gameplan for when you approach your legislator. At this point, you'll know which issue you want to speak to them about, but let's make sure you put an action behind it. As an example, you can urge them to support or oppose the issue in an upcoming chamber vote. It's also a good idea to do some research beforehand — does your legislator already care about this issue and has supported it in the past? Or are they against it?
General Tips:
- It’s fine to take notes during the conversation!
- You don’t need to know everything about the issue, but be prepared for some questions.
- If you’ve met your legislator in the past, you can bring that up.
Other helpful links:
Tips for Talking to a Legislator: A list of tips put together by Maine Equal Justice.
10 Informal Rules for Lobbying: The Maine Women's Lobby put together a one-pager with tips for lobbying your legislator.
We've mentioned several ways to prepare for a future conversation with your legislator, so now let's practice. We've put together a few sample topics of real bills that were introduced in the 130th Legislature (2021-22).Choose a topic from the list, do some research, develop your position, and use the template to build your conversation. Practice the conversation until you feel comfortable and confident!
Sample Conversation:
Introduction: Hello, I’m _____ [name] from _____ [town], and I was hoping to talk to you about an issue that’s important to me.
Issue: I support ____ [issue] because ____ [personal connection]. There’s a bill coming up this session, sponsored by ____ [sponsor], and I want to ask you to support it. I think this bill will _____ [argument for why it’s a good idea].
Conversation: [answer questions, offer to send more information]
Conclusion: Thank you for your time.
Follow-up: [Send an email, if it feels appropriate]
Further Reading
There are several other ways that you can communicate with your legislator, including through direct lobbying and submitting testimony on bills. It's critical for legislators to hear from their constituents — like you! — on the issues that matter most.-
The Maine Women's Lobby put together a one-pager with tips for lobbying your legislator. Check out the 10 Informal Rules for Lobbying.
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Public hearings are the time for everyone to offer their opinion on legislation through testimony. It's an important step in the legislative process. But how do you write and submit testimony? Click here to learn how you can use your voice to take action.
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