Transcript FSCS-07 Communicating with Legislators & Grassroots Lobbying

Communicating with Legislators
& Grassroots Lobbying
Florida Sons of The
American Legion
College System – Course 5
Course Instructors
 Jim Roberts – Detachment Assistant Adjutant
Squadron 4 Lakeland
34 Years of Service
Past Detachment Commander
Past National Vice Commander
Florida SAL College System
Objective
The objective and purpose of the Florida SAL
College System is to increase, improve and
enhance the administrative and managerial skills
of current and future leaders of the Florida Sons
of The American Legion through education and
direct skill development.
Introductions
 Name
 Squadron Number and Location
 Current Position or Title
 Years of Membership in the SAL
 What has been your best experience in the SAL?
What is Grassroots Lobbying?
Communicating with your elected officials
“Petition the Government for a redress of
grievances
The critical skill that determines success
Developing
“Real Grassroots”
Sway a legislator to your position on an issue
Building an on-going relationship with a legislator
Job #1: Consistent and on-going communications
Each squadron should develop grassroots
Each squadron should have a legislative committee
Each squadron should have a legislative chairman
How close should you be to an
elected official?
When you call, who do you talk to - the lawmaker or
just the staff
When you write, who answers - the lawmaker or
the auto pen
When you go to visit, who do you see - the
lawmaker or the staff
The Legislative Committee and
Chairman
Promoting public support for the Legion’s
programs through:
Publicity
Studying American Legion legislative proposals
Providing information to The American Legion
Family
Communicating with lawmakers
10 critical elements to effective
grassroots advocacy
Know the issue
Educate the grassroots activists
K.I.S.S. - Keep it Short and Simple
Outline the issue in simple terms
Provide a simple message
Build contacts over time
Follow up, Follow up, and then Follow up!
Always thank your activists
Publicly thank those who excel
Focus your resources
Effective tactics for communicating
with Members of Congress
 Letter writing
 Telephone calls
 Office visits
 E-Mails
 Faxes
 Mailgrams
 Telegrams
 Town Hall Meetings
 Telephone trees
 Petition drives
 Memorial resolution
Letter Writing
 ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO INFLUENCE
LEGISLATORS
 YOU SHOULD IDENTIFLY YOURSELF AS A CONSTITUENT
 KEEP THE LETTER BRIEF (ONE SUBJECT AND ONE PAGE)
 ASK FOR A RESPONSE WITH THE LEGISLATOR’S POSITION ON
THE ISSUE
 KISS: Keep It Short and Simple
 Letter killers:
Long, rambling, disorganized letter
Complaints without solutions
I told you so!!
Do it my way or else!
Inaccurate or outdated information
Lies, rumors or exaggerations
Writing a Letter To a Senator
ADDRESS:
The Honorable ______________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
SALUTATION:
Dear Senator _________________
COMMPLIMENTARY CLOSE:
Sincerely Yours,
Writing a Letter To a
Representative
ADDRESS:
The Honorable _________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
SALUTATION:
Dear Representative ______________
COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE:
Sincerely Yours,
Telephone Calls
Effective way to get our message across
Identify yourself as a constituent
Identify the subject or bill number
Be brief but specific
Give your name and address
Get official’s position in writing
Office Visits
The most effective way to have an impact
Requires the most planning
Always schedule an appointment
Meet with Legislator’s staff if he/she is unavailable
Be polite and courteous
It’s expensive to bring a group of Sons of The
American Legion to Washington, DC.
Take advantage of visits to local (District)
congressional offices!
Don’t forget to say thank you!
E-Mails
Can be as effective as letters
Same basic rules and guidelines as a letter
Include your name and address
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov
thomas.loc.gov
Faxes
Similar to written letter or E-Mail
Quicker and costs the same as a phone call
Include your fax number if you wish a response
Mailgrams
Can be effective if you have neither a fax machine
nor E-Mail access (check with your local library for
access)
Contact nearest Western Union office
Takes one to three days for delivery
Telegrams
Similar to mailgrams
More expensive than mailgrams
Usually delivered in less than five hours
Town Hall Meetings
An effective tool for Members of Congress to meet
their constituents, discuss legislation and their
accomplishments.
Prepare questions in advance
Make sure you get an answer to your question
Follow up the meeting with a letter
Telephone Trees
Useful for individual squadrons to contact members
with time sensitive information
Assign reliable squadron members the task of
contacting 6-7 fellow squadron members
Have the squadron members report back with
responses from lawmakers
Petition Drives
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
Congress shall make no law abridging…the
right of the people to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.
Need not be elegantly phrased
Declaration of a problem accompanied with a
solution
Demonstrates support for a cause
Memorial Resolutions
Predates the creation of the U.S.
Do not quote the weight of law
Usually have one, specific purpose
Broad based and bipartisan in nature
Most memorial resolutions are nonbinding
Roundtable Discussion
Question and Answer Session
For More Information
David Lee, National Legislative Commission
Chairman - [email protected]
Kirk Miller, Detachment Legislative Commission
Chairman – [email protected]
Internet - http://www.legion.org/legislative
Feedback
Let the us know what you thought of this program.
We need your feedback to make this successful.
Please take the time to complete your surveys as this
will help us to develop and update our college
courses.
Jim Roberts – [email protected]
Ed Sheubrooks – [email protected]
John Jennings – [email protected]
Course Certificates
Florida Sons of The American
Legion College System
THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING