Communicating with your Legislators

Family North Carolina Magazine—Mar/Apr 2007

By John L. Rustin

Most citizens greatly underestimate the ability they have to impact the laws and regulations that govern them—especially on the state and local level. Instead of taking time to become educated on the issues and involved in the public policy process, many citizens live under the assumption that they have little or no ability to impact what their elected officials do. Nothing could be further from the truth!

This article will give you the basic information you need to have an effective voice in North Carolina’s public policy arena. That information falls in three areas: People, Policy, and Process.

People
Legislators are people too. While they have entered the realm of elected politics and now are entitled to be addressed as “The Honorable,” the truth is that they are citizens just like you! They have the same basic needs, wants and desires as anyone else. In fact, as a result of all of the duties and responsibilities that come with their elected position, they are often very reliant upon others for information, help and guidance. They would not have sought the position if they did not have a desire to serve, and they are interested in hearing from and developing relationships with the people whom they represent.

As with any relationship it is important that you treat your elected representatives with courtesy and respect. Treat them as you would want to be treated, and recognize that they are very busy people. The best time to develop a relationship with your elected representatives is right now. Drop them a note and congratulate them on their election and tell them that you look forward to working with them this session. You may be surprised at how few people take the time to actually contact their legislators, and you may also be surprised at how receptive your legislators will be.

Policy
“Policy” simply means the issues in which you have an interest. In addition to knowing your elected officials, it is important that you know the issues. This doesn’t mean that you have to be an expert on every topic that you care about, but it does mean that you should understand the issues and be able to communicate with others about why you feel the way you do.

A primary job of the North Carolina Family Policy Council is to be a resource to lawmakers and the public on policy issues that affect the family. We not only conduct in-depth research on a wide variety of topics, but we also provide timely, daily updates on our website at www.ncfamily.org to keep you fully informed on what is happening on family issues in North Carolina and across the country.

Take the time to learn about the issues you care about and make sure to note helpful resources as you research.

Process
Finally, when you know who represents you and when you have an opinion on a policy issue, take the time to share it. Any time is a good time to contact your elected officials about an issue with which you are concerned. Write them a letter, send them an email, send a fax, give them a phone call—or do all four. When you contact them, be clear and concise.

You can target your communications even more effectively if you know where a bill is in the legislative process. Check the bill status on the North Carolina General Assembly website or contact the North Carolina Family Policy Council to receive our timely Legislative Alerts.

If your representative is on a committee that is considering a bill, give them your input on the issue. If a vote is imminent, use the phone and send an e-mail or a fax. There are many opportunities as bills progress through the General Assembly to have input. If you hear that your legislator’s position may not agree with yours, go see them. Never assume that someone else will do it for you. Realize that legislators get very few calls and letters on most issues and none on many issues.

Your contact can make a difference!

John Rustin is director of government relations for the NCFPC.

Copyright © 2007. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.