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How Can I Be a Lobbyist?

Fred Fay and Terry Roth
Justice for All

You don't need to have lots of money or a political action committee behind you to be an effective lobbyist. You have other things that your legislator needs, things like:

• information
• praise and constructive criticism
• a sense of community sentiment
• identification of special community groups
• votes

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOBBY?

All of us lobby every day when we try to influence other people's decisions. Some people are paid to try and influence legislative decisions. But there are lots of others who at one time or another have a need to lobby for or against a bill for themselves or for the groups they represent. Just as not all of those who lobby are paid, so not all lobbying happens in the Offices of Hearing Rooms on Capitol Hill. It happens in local offices, in people's living rooms, through phone calls, letters, and telegrams, at social events and at community meetings.

WHAT ARE THE LOBBYING GROUND RULES?

Paid lobbyists and those who spend money on lobbying must follow specific legal requirements. The rest of us need to use our knowledge and concern about "our" issues, our common sense and our courtesy.

Some basic rules to follow are:

1. Never give bad information. If you lose your credibility, you lose your power. If someone asks a question and you don't know the answer, tell them you'll find out and get back to them by a specific time. (This goes hand in hand with "Don't make promises you can't keep.")
2. Plan in advance and be concise. Legislators are very busy people. Whenever possible, schedule meetings in advance and be on time. Plan in advance to: introduce yourself, describe the group (if any) that you're representing and tell how many members there are, explain very clearly what your issue is and why you think she/he should support you, tell exactly what you want her/him to do. Arrange for a follow up with the legislator or with a specific staff member. Leave your name, address, phone number and any written information that you have on the issue.
3. Do your homework. Remember that legislators review thousands of bills each session. You are more than likely more of an expert on the issue than she/he is. Make sure you've thought about arguments against your position and are prepared to respond to them. Learn more about the legislator (his or her profession, business interests, legislative and community committees, voting record on related issues, etc.)
4. Develop working relationships with staff members including secretaries. Don't make the mistake of ignoring people who can be very helpful.
5. Be positive. Confrontations aren't usually useful, except as a last resort. It's best to find some point of agreement. If she/he won't support your position entirely, would she/he be willing to go part of the way? Think through in advance how far you and your group might be willing to compromise and be prepared to give a little.
6. Get supportive legislators to talk to other legislators for you.
7. Don't always call just when you need something. As often as possible, call just to say hello or say thanks.
8. If you're doing media work or community meetings, offer to include supportive legislators.
9. Develop both quantity and quality of contacts. Some legislators value 100 postcards on the issue. Others prefer one or two well written letters. The key is to generate both.
10. Get involved in the political process. As an individual (or if possible, as a group) work for the re-election of your legislative supporters. If you feel that your interests are unrepresented, get involved in party policy committees and even consider running for office yourself.

WRITING YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Depending on timing and the particular issue, telephone calls, mailgrams, postcards, and petitions are all appropriate methods of communicating with legislators. But in general, the most effective way to get your legislator's attention, convince him/her of you concern and get his/her vote is through timely, thoughtful, well-written letters. You don't need to be an expert on an issue either. Thoughtfully expressing your views as a concerned citizen and constituent can have an impact. Even a handful of letters can win the support of a senator or representative wavering on crucial legislation. Here are a few tips on writing effective letters:

The following forms should be used for communicating with Officials:

If you're not sure who your Senator or Representative is, call the League of Women Voters toll free at (800) 692-7281 or call your County Bureau of Elections. Your voter registration card will tell you your "ward" number and "district" number.

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR LETTER COUNTS

• Write about one issue only. If you're writing about a specific bill try to give the bill number or the name of the bill is know by.
• Write on your own personal stationary, unless you've been asked to write a letter as the spokesperson for your organization. If you are the spokesperson, write on the organization's letterhead and try to give an approximate number of people in the organization.
• Make your letter brief and easy to read. It should almost never be more than two pages. One page is best. Stick to the main points.
• Tell your position on the issue and why you hold that position. Your reasons are very important.
• Share your personal experiences. Tell how the bill or the action will affect you, your relatives, friends or neighbors.
• Ask for the legislator's position on the issue in addition to urging specific action. Ask for a commitment.
• Be as positive as you can. If you disagree, make constructive suggestions on how the bill or problem can be improved or eliminated.
• Write follow-up letters if necessary: to confirm the legislator's position, to ask questions if his/her letter was unclear, etc.
• Always write thank you letters when your legislator has taken the right position or done something you appreciate.

WAYS TO ENSURE YOUR LETTER GETS DELIVERED

In this era of terrorist threat in which Congressional mail has been contaminated with toxic materials, traditional letters sent via the U.S. Post Office are being diverted to other mail centers for irradiation.

To be sure your correspondence reaches your member of Congress in a timely fashion, use LDA’s Legislative Action Center to create your letter in an e-mail format that is guaranteed to be accepted by offices at the Capitol.

Fax copies of your letter to your member’s local district office as well as to the office in Washington, D.C.

If you are sending a regular email to Congress, be sure your hometown (indicating that you are that member’s constituent) is written into the subject line of the email. Non-constituent email is more likely to be deleted without being read.

TIP: Use the LDA Legislative Action Center to send your messages to Congress! Enter your zip code below to quickly identify your officials and begin sending your messages.

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