Citizen Advocacy 101

Talking to Elected Officials

CALLING
Call your legislators at their Indianapolis Office during the session and at their home offices during the interim. Be sure to state that you are a constituent, possibly include your address. Do not give up and call again if you do not hear back from them! They are busy and many times if you leave a message you will need to follow-up with them if you don’t hear back.

MEETING
Meeting face-to-face, or introducing yourself at a public forum is very effective. Identify yourself as a constituent or a leader/volunteer of group, organization or business. If you have the time, the first meeting can simply be a getting-to-know-you type of meeting. That way you have a personal report when there is something you have an opinion about.

If you don’t have a great deal of time it is best to be straightforward with what you would like them to do. Be consise with your “ask” of a vote or funding for a certain item. If you do have something specific you are advocating for a personal story is always memorable. They do not expect you to be an expert on the legislative process nor be well-versed on the details of a bill. You can always follow-up with them if there is something that you don’t have the answer to. When asking questions, try to keep them short and to-the-point. You can ask your legislator what their position on an issue is, as their constituent you are entitled to know. Simply ask them their reasoning and then follow up by asking what you can do to help them more fully understand the issue.

Overall Tips:

Be Poignant- Correspondence should be personal, brief, concise and it should address only one issue.

Be Direct- State your purpose upfront. If you are a voter in their district, state this as well. Support Your Position- Include personal information about how this bill/policy effects you, your community or your family. Use factual data or examples when necessary to support your view. Be Timely- Make sure you are up-to-date on an issue and be timely in your response.

Be Open- Be sure to include contact information and feel free to ask for a written response. You can offer to talk more about the issue by phone or in-person. Ask them to state their position on the issue; you are entitled to know. State your appreciation- Thank them for their time, consideration or support.

Be Proactive- get involved early on an issue, rather than waiting until the last minute.

Addressing Representatives Properly:

For written correspondence:
The Honorable (Full Name)
Street Address
City, State and Zip

For Senators………………….Dear Senator (Last Name)
For Representatives………….Dear Representative (Last Name):
Chairperson of a Committee…Dear Mr. Chairman or Ms. Chairwoman:
Speaker of the House………...Dear Speaker

RESOURCES

Web Sites

I-CAN website: www.icansaveland.com (Enter your address and find out who your legislators are.)

Indiana General Assembly: http://www.in.gov/legislative/

Ways to Contact Your Legislators

Indiana State Senate
Phone: 1-800-382-9467
E-mail: S(district#)@ai.gov

Indiana House of Representatives
Phone: 1-800-382-9841
E-mail: H(district#)@ai.gov

Mailing Address for Both Chamber
200 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Visiting the Indiana Statehouse

If you are in the Statehouse, there is a Legislative Information Center on the main Floor (second floor) of the Statehouse. The public can have access to file copies of bills, amendments and floor action. If you want a copy made, you will have to pay. There are also computers available outside the Information Center from which you can access bills and print copies of bills and fiscal impact statements at no charge.

The House and Senate chambers are on the third floor, with public viewing galleries accessed on the fourth floor for both chambers. If you want to meet with you legislator, you can ask the receptionists/doormen where your legislator’s office is located.

During the legislative session, public parking is not available in the state parking garages, but there is private parking garages across from the Statehouse of Capital and Washington Streets. Additionally, there are parking meters on Washington Street.

Thanks to the Nature Conservancy for these great tips!

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