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for calling your legislator
The best time to call your legislator about a bill that you are interested in is when there is action pending on the legislation in the near or very near future. Of course, you should feel free to talk or write your legislator about your interest at any time.
When you call, what should you do?
Try to speak directly with your legislator or ask to speak with a legislative aide, preferably one who is familiar with the issue and the bill.
You can call your legislator at his/her State House office or sometimes through a district office. Call the House of Representatives' main number (617-722-2000) if you do not know your Representatives' direct phone number or the Senate Clerk’s office (617-722-1276) if you do not know your Senator’s direct number. If you are unable to speak to either your legislator, always leave a specific message with your name, number, where you are from, why you are calling, and ask to be called back.
Identify who you are, where you are calling from and in what capacity.
For example, “I am Chris Smith, from (name of community represented by legislator) and I am a (constituent, agency director, board member or other relevant role). Be sure to mention if you are a part of a larger network of people in the district or throughout the state. And don’t forget to give your name, address and phone number at the beginning and/or end of the conversation.
State clearly what you are calling about.
Be specific when you call. Mention the number of the specific bill or budget line item and be clear about the issue you are calling about. To support, or oppose, bills, know the bill number, the title, where it is in the legislative process and what action is pending (i.e. currently in the health care committee or coming up for a vote on the floor of the house tomorrow). Remember, there are thousands of bills filed in each session and this information helps you to orient your legislator and/or aide to that particular bill and whether action is a clear priority.
Request that your legislator take a specific action (for example, move a bill out of committee, or vote for or against a bill). Be sure to thank your legislator if they are a sponsor or co-sponsor of a bill you are calling for — but still ask them to take the specific action you want!
Tell your legislator why you want what you want.
Speak from your own experience, beliefs and convictions! Use a compelling statistic to bolster your case. Share a real life story about how the issue will – or has – affected you or others you know. Tell how the proposed bill or budget change could help or hurt real people. The more personal you can be, the more impact you will have. If possible, make your case from the local point of view and be as specific as you can about how the issue affects people in your legislator’s district.
Ask them about their stand or opinion on the issue.
Give your legislator/aide an opportunity to tell you where they stand. Perhaps you will get some information from them that will give you a different view of the bill – not to change your mind, but to better understand how those who differ with you see the bill. This could help you learn about other arguments that you could make about your position as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.
Thank them for their time and express your appreciation if they are supporting your position.
If your legislator’s position does not agree with yours, or if they are undecided, you may want to politely inquire about their concerns – but always ask if there is any additional information you could provide them with. If the decision will affect an organization or group you work with or belong to, you may want to invite your legislator to visit. This is often an opportunity to create a more powerful impact. After the visit, be sure to thank them and ask them to let you know when they expect to make a decision on how they will vote.
Try to keep the phone call short and
courteous unless they are keeping you on the phone with questions!
This article is used by permission from the Massachusetts Association of Older Americans, Inc. and first appeared in their newspaper, “The Older American.”