communicating with legislators & grassroots lobbying florida sons of the american legion college...
TRANSCRIPT
Communicating with Legislators & Grassroots Lobbying
Florida Sons of The American Legion
College System – Course 5
Course Instructors
Jim Roberts – Detachment Assistant AdjutantSquadron 4 Lakeland34 Years of ServicePast Detachment CommanderPast National Vice Commander
Florida SAL College System Objective
The objective and purpose of the Florida SAL College System is to increase, improve and
enhance the administrative and managerial skills of current and future leaders of the Florida Sons of The American Legion through education and
direct skill development.
Introductions
Name
Squadron Number and Location
Current Position or Title
Years of Membership in the SAL
What has been your best experience in the SAL?
What is Grassroots Lobbying?
Communicating with your elected officials
“Petition the Government for a redress of grievances
The critical skill that determines success
Developing “Real Grassroots”
Sway a legislator to your position on an issueBuilding an on-going relationship with a legislatorJob #1: Consistent and on-going communicationsEach squadron should develop grassrootsEach squadron should have a legislative committeeEach squadron should have a legislative chairman
How close should you be to an elected official?
When you call, who do you talk to - the lawmaker or just the staff
When you write, who answers - the lawmaker or the auto pen
When you go to visit, who do you see - the lawmaker or the staff
The Legislative Committee and Chairman
Promoting public support for the Legion’s programs through:
PublicityStudying American Legion legislative proposalsProviding information to The American Legion
FamilyCommunicating with lawmakers
10 critical elements to effective grassroots advocacy
Know the issueEducate the grassroots activistsK.I.S.S. - Keep it Short and SimpleOutline the issue in simple termsProvide a simple messageBuild contacts over timeFollow up, Follow up, and then Follow up!Always thank your activistsPublicly thank those who excelFocus your resources
Effective tactics for communicating with Members of Congress
Letter writing Telephone calls Office visits E-Mails Faxes Mailgrams Telegrams Town Hall Meetings Telephone trees Petition drives Memorial resolution
Letter Writing
ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATORS
YOU SHOULD IDENTIFLY YOURSELF AS A CONSTITUENT KEEP THE LETTER BRIEF (ONE SUBJECT AND ONE PAGE) ASK FOR A RESPONSE WITH THE LEGISLATOR’S POSITION ON
THE ISSUE KISS: Keep It Short and Simple Letter killers:
Long, rambling, disorganized letter Complaints without solutions I told you so!! Do it my way or else! Inaccurate or outdated information Lies, rumors or exaggerations
Writing a Letter To a Senator
ADDRESS:
The Honorable ______________ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510SALUTATION:
Dear Senator _________________COMMPLIMENTARY CLOSE:
Sincerely Yours,
Writing a Letter To a Representative
ADDRESS: The Honorable _________________U.S. House of RepresentativesWashington, D.C. 20515
SALUTATION:Dear Representative ______________
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE:
Sincerely Yours,
Telephone Calls
Effective way to get our message across Identify yourself as a constituent Identify the subject or bill numberBe brief but specificGive your name and addressGet official’s position in writing
Office Visits
The most effective way to have an impactRequires the most planningAlways schedule an appointmentMeet with Legislator’s staff if he/she is unavailableBe polite and courteous It’s expensive to bring a group of Sons of The
American Legion to Washington, DC.Take advantage of visits to local (District)
congressional offices!Don’t forget to say thank you!
E-Mails
Can be as effective as lettersSame basic rules and guidelines as a letter Include your name and address
www.senate.govwww.house.gov thomas.loc.gov
Faxes
Similar to written letter or E-Mail
Quicker and costs the same as a phone call
Include your fax number if you wish a response
Mailgrams
Can be effective if you have neither a fax machine nor E-Mail access (check with your local library for access)
Contact nearest Western Union office
Takes one to three days for delivery
Telegrams
Similar to mailgrams
More expensive than mailgrams
Usually delivered in less than five hours
Town Hall Meetings
An effective tool for Members of Congress to meet their constituents, discuss legislation and their accomplishments.
Prepare questions in advanceMake sure you get an answer to your questionFollow up the meeting with a letter
Telephone Trees
Useful for individual squadrons to contact members with time sensitive information
Assign reliable squadron members the task of contacting 6-7 fellow squadron members
Have the squadron members report back with responses from lawmakers
Petition Drives
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law abridging…the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances.Need not be elegantly phrasedDeclaration of a problem accompanied with a
solutionDemonstrates support for a cause
Memorial Resolutions
Predates the creation of the U.S.Do not quote the weight of lawUsually have one, specific purposeBroad based and bipartisan in natureMost memorial resolutions are non-
binding
Roundtable Discussion
Question and Answer Session
For More Information
David Lee, National Legislative Commission Chairman - [email protected]
Kirk Miller, Detachment Legislative Commission Chairman – [email protected]
Internet - http://www.legion.org/legislative
Let the us know what you thought of this program. We need your feedback to make this successful. Please take the time to complete your surveys as this will help us to develop and update our college courses.
Jim Roberts – [email protected]
Ed Sheubrooks – [email protected]
John Jennings – [email protected]
Feedback
Course Certificates
Florida Sons of The American Legion College System
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING