Lobbying by Letter
Guidelines for writing to legislators
Along with how to contact your Legislators
Effective letter writing campaigns are essential to
successful efforts to push legislative efforts in Congress and in your
state legislature. Letter writing campaigns will be most effective if
they are conducted according to the following guidelines:
- Be Timely – Letters are of little value if they arrive after
an issue has been decided. They are most effective if they are
received before a legislator has committed to an issue.
- Letters Must Be Personal – Letters to legislators can by
typed or handwritten, but should be in your own words. Generally
speaking, a legislator pays more attention to one personal letter than
to a dozen form letters or pre-printed post cards.
- Be Concise – Usually, you letter should be short and to the
point in the first paragraph. Mention the official name (and number,
if applicable) of the bill or amendment you are writing about. Avoid
writing two unrelated issues in one letter.
- Be Respectful- State your views in a firm but courteous tone.
Abusive language or explicit threats ("I will vote against
you") will not convert an unsympathetic legislator.
-
Follow Through – Expect a response to your
letter. If you write to a congressman, the initial response will
often be a vague form letter. Often, such letters merely explain
what the bill does, without expressing the congressman’s position
on the measure. If the response is not satisfactory, write again. Be
sure to refer to the earlier correspondence. - provided by Douglas
Johnson
The
National Right to Life Committee
www.nrlc.org
To contact your legislators...
You can now send letters to your elected representatives with the simple
click of a button. Go the New York State Catholic Conference web
site at www.nyscatholic.org and
click on "Action Center". Follow the instructions for
the action alert on the "Unborn Victims of Violence
Act." The letter is already written for you! It's that
easy. You can e-mail the letter directly to your legislators, or
print it out to fax or mail. You can also find out who your
representatives are, secure background information on them, obtain votes
of interest, even send notes to media outlets in your community.
Be sure to check it out and tell your friends.
Kathleen Gallagher, Director of Pro-Life
Activities for the NYS Catholic Conference is shown with a number of
students from Immaculate Heart Central in Watertown, NY, who attended the
one-day Respect Life conference held at their school recently.
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