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Guide to Legislative Advocacy
Our
partners at
CHAIN
(Community Health Action Information Network) have a Guide to
Legislative Advocacy on their website that is quite good.
We
encourage our members who are considering visiting with their
elected officials to
view this document.
Other tips on
Visiting Your Elected Representatives
Message
-
Adapt to
specific audience and their/its focus
-
Format for
occasion (e.g. sound-bites or riveting lengthy story or
discussion/debate)
-
Be honest
AND don’t alienate (unless there’s absolutely NO possible way to
do both - in that case, be honest and tactful and acknowledge a
difference of opinion)
-
Always
assume spies - don’t present a message, even to the friendliest
group, which you would not want to see quoted to “the other
side”
For Legislator
Visits:
-
Speak key
points and be prepared to answer questions, or to retrieve
answers in the very near future.
-
Put
lengthier information in written materials, but also include
easy-to-read short key points. Document sources.
-
Make
“friends” (professional, hobby, religion, geographic link,
etc.) Sources of information: member website, Congressional
bio books
-
Find
something to thank him/her for (even if it is not related to
visit)
Materials
courtesy of the
Secular
Coalition of America |
