CONTACTINGYOURLEGISLATORTakeAc3onNowandGetInvolved

www.cigarrights.org

TopTipsForLeCngYourVoiceBeHeard

•  Iden%fyYourself– Letthemknowyournameandwhereyoulive.

•  BeHonestandOpen– Maintaincredibilitywithlegislatorsbybeingsincere.

•  BeRespecBul– Speakcourteouslyandavoidbeingconfronta%onal.

WhyIt’sImportantLegislatorsareelectedtoservetheircons%tuents’interests,andtheyneedtohearfromyou.By

contac%ngthem,youwillholdthemaccountablefortheirposi%onsandletthemknowtheywon’tgetyour

voteiftheyaren’trepresen%ngyourinterests.

MAKINGAPHONECALL&WRITINGALETTER

•  Stateyourpurposeforcalling– Iden%fywhyyouarecallingandasktospeaktothelegislatororanaidethathandlesthatissue.

•  Leaveamessage– Telltheaideyouwouldliketoleaveabriefmessageandrepeatyourposi%onontheissueorlegisla%oninyourmessage.

•  Requestaresponse– Leaveyounameandaddresssothatyourlegislatorcanrespondtoyou.

•  Bepersistent,butrespecBul– Considersendingafollow-upnotetothelegislatororstaffmemberwithwhomyouspoke,emphasizingyourposi%onandyourapprecia%onforhis/heraNen%ontothemaNer.

•  KeepyourleNershortandtothepoint– AddressonlyoneissueinyourleNerore-mailandtrytokeepyourleNertoonepage.

•  GettheiraNen%on– Stateyourpurposeforwri%nginthefirstparagraph.IfyourleNerisaboutaspecificpieceoflegisla%on,iden%fyitbythebillnumberorthecommonnameforthelegisla%on.

•  Makeitpersonal– Describehowtheissueaffectsyoupersonallyandincludefacts.DoingsowillmakeyourleNerstronger.

•  Askwheretheystand– Arequestforaresponsefromyourlegislatorunderscoresyourongoinginterestintheissue.

•  Requestaresponse– Includedyournameandcompleteaddress,eveninyoure-mail,soyourlegislatorcanrespond.

SAMPLELETTERYourLegislator’sName(seechart)YourLegislator’sStreetAddressYourLegislator’sCity,State,ZipDear(insertTitle,usingchartforguidance):Iamwri%ngto(insertsupportoroppose)theproposalto(insertissue).Thisproposedlegisla%onwould(insertinforma%ononwhyyousupportoropposethemeasure.RemembertobecourteousandrespecBul,notconfronta%onal.Describehowtheissueaffectsyouand,wheneverpossible,includedfactsandexamplestosupportyourposi%on.Personalexperiencecanstrengthenyourposi%onontheissueandencouragethelegislatortolistenmorecloselytoyourposi%on.)Iurgeyouto(insertopposeorsupport)thismeasure,andtoletmeknowhowyouplantovoteonit.Sincerely,(insertyoursignature)YourFirstandLastName