TTools for Legislative Action
Calling Your Representative
• Prepare - plan what you want to say, and have the bill number and name at hand.
• Always identify yourself by name and as a constituent.
• You may reach the legislator directly, or you may reach a secretary or aide (be nice! These people can be very helpful!). When you speak with an aide, you have two options: You can ask your legislator to return your call, or tell the aide what you want the legislator to do.
• Always say thank you!• Always identify yourself as a constituent.
• Address the legislator as "Senator", "Representative", "Congressman", or "Congresswoman".
• Be friendly, positive, courteous and respectful in all your interactions with legislators, aides and staff.
• Do not get emotional, impatient or angry, and never threaten or attack. These approaches push people away: you want to persuade.
Keep your message simple and brief.
• If possible, relate the issue to local impact (in your district) and to other issues of particular interest or concern to you this legislator.
• Refer to a bill by its name and call number (i.e.,: "State Midwifery Act" HB 315).
Many thanks to Citizens for Midwifery for material adapted from their web site. Click here to go there for a lot of other great information and contact to others in your community who are interested in birth issues.
Permission to reproduce these materials is hereby granted
with appropriate credit, and notification.