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Our founding fathers had YOU in mind when they crafted the first amendment:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
PETITIONING THE GOVERNMENT
 Lobbying often gets a bad rap, and it’s understandable. There are highly-paid industry lobbyists camping out behind velvet ropes, as well as lobbyists advocating on behalf of a good cause.
But there is another, even more powerful, set of lobbyists—regular people with busy lives who want healthy land, air, and water…YOU.
At CFE/Save the Sound, we connect people like you with public officials because it works. Many environmental laws are only possible with your help.
This is citizen activism at its finest—lobbying, or petitioning the government for a redress of your grievances. It’s actually a two-way street: you want your officials to hear you, and elected officials rely on active, knowledgeable citizens like you to hear hometown priorities and get all sides of a story.
HOW TO LOBBY
Each legislator is extremely busy and each has their favorite way of connecting with constituents—phone calls, Twitter or Facebook, and email. The best way to get your message across is to use multiple methods.
 In person: Set up a meeting with your senator or representative. You can also go with a small group (3-4 people, not a mob). Practice what you will say to get your key points across in a few minutes, and aim for a straightforward, respectful, collaborative approach. Leave a one-pager with the key information and your contact info, and thank them for their time.
Phone: Make a call to your legislator’s office. You will most likely get an aide or voicemail—identify your name and town, concisely state your reason for calling or your position on a particular bill, and ask for their support.
Pen and Paper Letter: Be personal but concise. Busy legislators often skim letters, so put the important information, like bill numbers, in the first sentence or two. Ask for a response with his/her position. Extra credit: If applicable, ask your kids to draw a picture for their legislator.
Email: Include your name and contact information. Write your issue/position with bill number in the subject line so they get the message even when skimming their inbox. If you have a couple links or attachments to support your position, include them.
Social Media: Facebook and Twitter are great ways to connect with your lawmakers in a public forum. The key is to be respectful, truthful, and factual. Warning: Ignore the trolls. Don’t get into arguments with others on your legislators’ social media accounts. This will only weaken your position and irritates legislators.
TIPS ON LOBBYING
Legislators have information thrown at them all day long. Here’s how to be a sharp, effective, and remembered advocate.
- Be informed: We’ll let you know of critical legislation as it happens and walk you through the process of writing testimony or a letter to the editor. Click here to update your preferences so you’re getting info on the topics you care about most.
- Aides: In Connecticut, legislators share aides, so cultivating a respectful relationship with them means you might reach more than one legislator with your advocacy. Aides can be powerful advocates and do a lot of work behind the scenes.
- Follow up: After your initial contact, make sure you follow up with a thank-you or a friendly reminder about the issue.
- Give thanks: We all love to feel validated and helpful. When your legislators do the right thing, send them a note, write a letter to the editor, or give a social media shout out.
Start today: Click here to find your legislators and get their contact information. Or, take five minutes and jump into lobbying right away with the first action alert of the session. It tells Governor Lamont and your legislators to protect the energy efficiency funds that save you money and clean the air you breathe.
To learn more, check out our full Demystifying Lobbying blog post here, and our Legislation 101 blog post here.
Share this page with a friend or on social media via the links below and become citizen lobbyists together!
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