How to Write, Call or Communicate with your Legislator

[claireokc]

So you get a call to action email - that's an email saying this or that is in the House or Senate and we need to take action - usually call or write email.

So how do you do that?

This advice comes from House Majority Leader Jon Echols so it's from the "horse's mouth!"

He suggests:

1. First, put your address at the top of the body of the email so that it's proof that you are a constituent
2. Second, mention how they campaigned and said things like:
   1. they intend to be responsive to the voter
   2. they are sensitive to the voters' needs
   3. they care about the extra cost that voters have to pay
   4. and anything else that candidates promised while campaigning
3. Therefore HB (House Bill) or SB (Senate Bill) isn't working or needs attention or needs passing, and then continue with your call to action.

The nice thing about this format for communication with your legislators is that it's polite and it hits the legislators where they live. IOW, you are a voter and if this isn't to your satisfaction when this legislator runs again, he/she won't win your vote, and you can go out and walk the precinct with that information.

Another little tidbit that Rep. Echols let go of was that most of the emails he receives start out with, "I know you're Rep. Echols staff member, but tell the Representative,"....and the rest of the email. What he thinks is funny is that he's one of the top dogs in the State House, and he gets a staff member to his own. But she's out making sure the bills are in order, and that they are ready for committee or the floor vote and a number of other things, so he's the one reading those emails. The other regular representatives in the house (who are not the top dogs) have to share an assistant and therefore have less help reading emails than Jon does. So more than likely, and especially if your email is brief, to the point and on the point, it will be read by the legislator and not by a staff person.

Finally, I can't say enough about that great OAEC app (Apple Store or Google Play). This app is wonderful package of information on your Representative or Senator.

The new one at the beginning of the year will be the 59th Oklahoma's Legislative Guide. When you open it up (2nd screen from the left) you can choose from the various branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial. If you choose the House, you will start with a screen (2nd from right), of all the house members in alphabetical order. Then if you do a search, either name, county or district #, you can further filter your choices. When you click on a Senator or Representative, this is where the run starts. You get a map of their district (box on the right with the map icon), their legislative office at the capital, their email address, the name of their assistant, and the list of committees where they serve (you would have to scroll down to get all those committee names).

So the next time you need to contact your legislators, you know how to write it and how to contact them!