way to communicate with legislators
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8/13/2019 Way to Communicate With Legislators
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PO Box 07463Fort Myers, FL 33919
850.590.2186800.603.8034 facsimie
EFFECTIVE WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH LEGISLATORS
!o"r e#isators recei$e a% e%ormo"s amo"%t of mai, e&mais a%' ()o%e ca from t)eir co%stit"e%ts
o% a 'ay&to&'ay *asis. +"e to t)eir f"time sc)e'"es, a%' sometimes f"time o*s o"tsi'e t)eLe#isat"re, t)ey )a$e a imite' a*iity to (erso%ay rea' a%' res(o%' to a of t)eir corres(o%'e%ce.
-% a''itio%, t)e t)o"sa%'s of *is a%' *"'#et items a e#isator m"st co%si'er a%%"ay maes it
%ear im(ossi*e to foc"s o% e$ery iss"e.
/o, it) a of t)e corres(o%'e%ce, *is a%' committees tai%# "( a e#isators time, )o ca% yo"e%s"re t)at yo"r $oice is )ear' e )a$e (ro$i'e' some ti(s o% )o to effecti$ey comm"%icate to
yo"r e#isators.
GENERAL TIPS
%o )o yo"r e#isators are a%' )o to co%tact t)em. )e Fori'a Le#isat"res e*
site, )tt(.e#.state.f."secome, i )e( yo" access amost a%y i%formatio% yo"
%ee' re#ar'i%# t)e Le#isat"re. -t is recomme%'e' t)at yo" *ecome famiiar it) t)e e*site if yo" a%t to foo e#isatio% t)ro"#) t)e (rocess.
Foc"s o% ays yo" ca% assist yo"r e#isator, rat)er t)a% )o t)ey ca% )e( yo". )e% ae#isator ca% co"%t o% yo" as a reso"rce or ex(ert, yo"r i%("t a%' a'$ice i )a$e #reater
$a"e.
Mae s"re yo" "%'ersta%' t)e e#isati$e (rocess. $e% t)e most *asic "%'ersta%'i%# of t)e
(rocess i )e( yo" effecti$ey ex(ress yo"r i'eas a%' o(i%io%s. %'ersta%' t)at s"*te
c)a%#es occ"r i% t)e (rocess from time to time, so )a$i%# a #oo' ra((ort it) yo"re#isator ca% *e esse%tia to ee(i%# o% to( of e#isati$e %"a%ces.
Pa%ti%# a see' it) yo"r e#isator eary is t)e most effecti$e ay to comm"%icate.
-f yo" ca%%ot say it i% a% ee$ator ri'e, yo" are tai%# a c)a%ce of *ei%# mis"%'erstoo'.
:ays attac) yo"r *"si%ess car' to a%y (acets of i%formatio% or materias yo" ea$e for ae#isator a%' (ro$i'e a *"si%ess car' to eac) staffer yo" meet.
+O ;O "%'erestimate staff. )e e#isators ai'e is t)e #ateee(er to t)e mem*er. )estaff is a% exte%sio% of t)e mem*er, so if a mem*er is "%a*e to meet it) yo" '"e to time
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/ -
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co%strai%ts, a%' yo" meet it) t)e staff, ta to t)em as if yo" ere s(eai%# it) t)e
e#isator.
Foc"s o% o%e staff (erso%, (refera*y a e#isati$e ai'e, i% eac) office to *e yo"r ey co%tact
for t)at e#isators office.
+O ;O i%c"'e yo"r e#isators i% mass maii%#s a%' e&mais to m"ti(e (arties.
Le#isators a%' #o$er%me%t officias are ri#)tf"y s"s(icio"s of t)ese mass comm"%icatio%sa%' ofte% times 'o %ot res(o%'.
+O ;O comm"%icate it) yo"r e#isator a%' t)eir staff too ofte%. Be t)eir frie%' a%'ay, *"t a$oi' *ei%# a (est. a$e a ?:; +O, (ositi$e attit"'e. se tact at a times, res(ect ors o%'ers.
WRITING EFFECTIVE LETTERS
:''ress etters to mem*ers of t)e >o"se of =e(rese%tati$es as foos
)e >o%ora*e @o)% +oe
Fori'a >o"se of =e(rese%tati$es
/treet :''ress, ?a(ito /"ite Aaa)assee, FL i( ?o'e
:''ress etters to se%ators as foos
)e >o%ora*e @a%e +oe
)e Fori'a /e%ate
/treet :''ress, ?a(ito /"ite Aaa)assee, FL i( ?o'e
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Be a*so"tey certai% yo" s(e yo"r e#isators %ame correcty, a%' "se t)e correct a''ress.
-f yo" 'o %ot, yo" co"' oose yo"r a"'ie%ce. :so, mae s"re yo" %o t)e e#isators#e%'erCt)is so"%'s o*$io"sD )oe$er, if yo" a''ress a e#isator *y E)e i%stea' of Es)e
or $ice $ersa, yo" mi#)t oose t)e e#isators atte%tio%.
/ometimes it is *est to co%tact t)e e#isators staff (rior to se%'i%# t)e etter a%' as if it is
a((ro(riate to rite Eatte%tio% to a (artic"ar staff (erso% o% t)e e%$eo(e. )is is a #reat
ay to e%s"re t)e staff is aare of yo"r corres(o%'e%ce *efore it is e$er recei$e', a%' it is areati$ey i%%oce%t ay to i%tro'"ce yo"rsef to t)e staff.
ee( yo"r etter or e&mai s)ort a%' seetGO; P:
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yo"r a((oi%tme%t may "( mo$e' "( or 'o% '"ri%# t)e 'ay 'e(e%'i%# o% t)e e#isators
sc)e'"es. Most ai'es i ca yo" a*o"t t)e c)a%#e i% time.
-f yo" are $isiti%# yo"r e#isator i% aa)assee, e$e% t)o"#) )e or s)e is "s"ay
accommo'ati%# to co%stit"e%ts, 'o %ot *e s"r(rise' if t)at mea%s yo" )a$e to mi%"tes toa t)em to a committee meeti%#.
Pre(are a o%e&(a#e or ess fact s)eet co%cer%i%# yo"r iss"e to #i$e to yo"r e#isator, ao%#it) yo"r co%tact i%formatio%. )is i )e( )im or )er *etter retai% )at yo"r (rese%t.
+O ;O E'ro( *y yo"r e#isators aa)assee office a%' ex(ect to *e see%. /c)e'"i%#a% a((oi%tme%t is *estGfor yo" a%' t)e e#isator. /ometimes yo" may *e a*e to 'ro( *y
a%' see staffC"st as it) a smie.
Be fexi*e it) yo"r sc)e'"e. ?)a%ces are t)at t)e time i c)a%#e '"ri%# t)e 'ay.
UNDERSTANDING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
it)er c)am*er may ori#i%ate a%y ty(e of e#isatio%D )oe$er, t)e (rocesses 'iffer si#)ty
*etee% c)am*ers.
: e#isator s(o%sors a *i, )ic) is referre' to o%e or more committees reate' to t)e *is
s"*ect matter. )e committee mem*ers st"'y t)e *i a%' 'eci'e if it s)o"' *e ame%'e',
(ass or fai. -f t)e *i (asses, t)e *i mo$es to ot)er committees of refere%ce or to t)e f"c)am*er if it )as (asse' t)ro"#) a of its committee assi#%me%ts. )e f" c)am*er t)e%
$otes o% t)e *i.
-f t)e *i (asses i% o%e c)am*er, it is se%t to t)e ot)er c)am*er for re$ie. : *i #oest)ro"#) t)e same (rocess i% t)e seco%' c)am*er as it 'i' i% t)e first. : *i ca% #o *ac a%'
fort) *etee% c)am*ers "%ti a co%se%s"s is reac)e'. Of co"rse, t)e *i ca% fai at a%y (oi%ti% t)e (rocess.
>oe$er, %o iss"e, *i or *"'#et item is tr"y 'ea' "%ti /i%e +ie.
Fi%ay, if a *i (asses *ot) c)am*ers, it #oes to t)e