Effectively Communicating Your Position to Lawmakers

Transcription

1 1 Effectively Communicating Your Position to Lawmakers At the core of grassroots lobbying are three essential communication techniques: letters (hard-copies or s), telephone calls, and personal visits. Consistent and constructive use of these three techniques is the most effective means for building your position on the issues. Here are a few guidelines for establishing and maintaining effective communications with lawmakers: Keep it local. The local constituency is, obviously, most important to the member of the General Assembly. In establishing priorities in communications, local relevance is more decisive than any other argument. Keep it personal. Personal messages communicate deep investment, heightened gravity, and greater effort on the part of the communicator. Personal messages are received more seriously than blanket or form messages. Keep it concise. Given the busy nature of State House offices, the more concise the communication, the more likely it is to receive attention. Put it in writing. Hard copies provide a readily available reference in the office that can be used whenever a staff member addresses the issue. However, sometimes when a key vote comes up, a hand written note is not feasible. communications have also become accepted norms. A Two-Way Street It is important to keep the South Carolina Chamber informed of the responses you receive from members of the General Assembly. The information gathered through grassroots contacts is important to the Chamber s efforts to lobby effectively on behalf of members and the business community. Keeping the Chamber appraised of your communications also provides reinforcement to your message as well as a heads-up should the lawmaker later contact the Chamber to follow up. On a given legislative issue, members of the General Assembly can be classified into one of three categories: supporters, opponents, and undecideds. The Chamber s lobbying efforts primarily target undecided members. Our job is to convert, to the fullest extent possible, undecided members to the Chamber s position. As a legislative issue heats up, or as a committee or floor vote nears, information you collect about your legislator s position is critical and should be communicated to the Chamber immediately. Non-urgent information can be sent at your leisure to the Chamber for review and filing. Action Steps 1. Communicate. Write letters. Make visits. Call targeted legislators. Develop relationships with legislators who support our position. The Chamber helps provide direction to grassroots initiatives through its weekly Competitiveness Update and electronic Calls to Action.

2 2 These relationships are best initially forged and nurtured when the legislator is home in his or her district. There are a number of ways to meet these people: over lunch, in civic groups, in their offices or yours, by inviting them to speak to constituent groups, etc. Remember: It is also important to contact legislators and thank them for their positions. Often, legislators only hear from constituents when they disagree, so it is vital that the business community respond favorably when legislators take positive business-friendly positions on issues. 2. Develop positions on issues. On most legislation, the Chamber develops a position statement and subsequent materials to serve as a focus of its legislative efforts. Grassroots meetings in the fall, member surveys, Chamber committees, and one-on-one visits throughout the year help us gauge what is important to the business community. 3. Time it right. An understanding of the legislative process helps guide action steps. A couple of specific points in the process provide the best opportunities for influence. Bill Introduction: If a bill will have an impact on the business community, it is important to begin communicating with your legislators right away. Your focus should be identifying your interest in the issue and presenting yourself and other Chamber members as resources for the legislator during consideration of the measure. Committee Consideration: At this point in the process, your efforts should focus on members of the committee(s) reviewing the legislation. The Chamber works to seek opportunities for its members to present testimony to legislative committees. If you are in a position to give testimony on a specific issue, be sure to contact the Chamber. 4. Follow Up. After any legislative action, it is important to let your representatives in the General Assembly know you are still there as a resource for them. Again, don t forget to thank supporters and to diplomatically let opponents know you are disappointed in their vote. Keep in mind that, while you may not agree with your legislator on one issue, he or she may prove to be an important ally on the next one. Relationships First You have an opportunity, both as a representative of the business community and as a citizen, to establish continuous, effective communications with your legislators. Through your contacts, you can impact the outcome of certain bills important to the business community and to you personally. However, these contacts will have a much greater impact if a personal relationship already exists between you and your elected officials and their staffs. Most legislators want to know as many of their constituents as possible. You should have little trouble getting acquainted with them if you take advantage of, or even create your own, opportunities to meet them. The Chamber offers events throughout the year designed as networking opportunities for business people and legislators. If you do not know who your current legislators are, simply click here and find out.

3 3 Patience and persistence are essential in the development of a working relationship with legislators. Legislators represent their entire constituency. You need not be a member of your legislator s political party nor wait for problems to arise before approaching your legislator. If you have a working relationship with legislators, it is important that you notify the South Carolina Chamber, so that we can promptly notify you when your legislator will be affecting key legislation. To create a profile in the Chamber s Grassroots System or to update your current information, click here. Get the Facts Before communicating anything, do your homework. A listing of public officials, legislative committees, and other pertinent information is included on this CD. Once a lawmaker s background is familiar, it is also important to stay abreast of his or her positions on issues. Information gleaned from public statements, votes, and demonstrated support will be invaluable. All of this information can be found through the Chamber s weekly Competitiveness Updates and Grassroots System. Face to Face Events for You Take advantage of every opportunity to meet and become better acquainted with your state legislators. The South Carolina Chamber s annual Business Speaks at the State House event is a prime example. Our four regional Membership and Legislative receptions are another. Relationships initiated through such meetings can evolve quickly into relationships that permit discussion of business concerns. Working with Legislative Staff Due to the pressures of daily legislative business, it is often difficult to reach a legislator. Therefore, it advisable to develop working relationships with members of the legislator s staff. Legislative aides often hold positions of trust and influence that can be very useful. They also, in some cases, may be the gatekeepers with regard to accessing a legislator. In contacting a legislative aide, try to work with the individual who is responsible to the legislator for the area you want to discuss. If you want to talk about a tax matter, for example, discuss it with the aide who handles tax legislation for the legislator. This can help ensure that your problem is brought to the legislator s attention and handled expeditiously. Keeping Communication Alive Keep in mind that your goal is to develop an ongoing personal relationship with your elected representatives in order to facilitate communications on your legislative concerns. Once acquaintances are made, you should: Keep abreast of your legislator s activities and the votes he/she casts on issues affecting you. Let legislators and their staffs know when you are pleased with a vote or position taken. Just like everyone else, they like to know their efforts are appreciated. Alternately, if you disagree with a vote or position taken, don t hesitate to respectfully and diplomatically communicate your position.

4 4 Invite legislators to dinner parties or social gatherings with other business professionals and their spouses or friends and neighbors. Invite legislators to speak to local business groups or other organizations to which you belong. Invite legislators to lunch. Be prepared to discuss the legislator s activities, the political landscape or specific bills of mutual concern. Attend political functions and fundraisers. Introduce your legislators to as many people as possible. Once lawmakers or their staff members begin to seek advice from you on legislative matters, you will know that a productive relationship has been established.

5 5 SAMPLE LETTER TO ARRANGE A MEETING <Date> The Honorable John Smith South Carolina House of Representatives 1234 Blatt Building Columbia, SC Dear Representative Smith: I am writing to you not only as a private constituent, but also as vice president of human resources at XYZ Company in Greenville, and as a member of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. As you may know, XYZ employs nearly 800 people, most who reside in your district. Our employees have expressed appreciation for our company s ability and willingness to offer flexible benefits packages. I am deeply concerned about the proposed mandate requiring employers to provide parental and family leave to employees. The bill, H. 1234, which was introduced by Representative Jones, would have a significant impact on XYZ s continued ability to offer employees a variety of benefits. I would appreciate an opportunity to meet and discuss this matter when you make your next visit home. I will telephone your local office for an appointment. Sincerely, C.U. Soon <Title>

6 6 SAMPLE POSITION LETTER <Date> Senator John Smith South Carolina Senate 123 Gressette Building Columbia, SC Dear Senator Smith: As plant manager for ABC Corporation in Charleston, I am writing to urge you to oppose the Family and Medical Leave Act (S. 51/H.2233). The benefits that our employees prefer and the reasons that they need temporary time off from work are as individual as our employees themselves. ABC Corporation provides short term and long-term disability insurance for all employees, with no employee contribution required for premiums. As states begin to enact family and medical leave laws, a patchwork of conflicting policies has emerged for multi-state employers. Currently, S.51/H.2233 does not establish a national uniform standard but adds another layer of government regulation to those with which many employers already must comply. Our business employs nearly 800 people, and 30 to 40 will request leaves of absence throughout the year. In the history of our company, we have never failed to re-employ an individual for the first equivalent position that became available. We do not need a law to recognize and value the work performance and training of prior employees. What we do need is flexibility as we operate in an increasingly global economy not to have to guarantee the exact job to an employee who has been absent for a long time. We operate in a very tight labor market, where good talent is hard to find, especially when pressed with tight budgets. Employers will respond to labor market demands by offering improved leave benefits to attract and retain the best workers. Don t let good intentions be wasted on poor legislation. Please don t hesitate to contact me at if I may provide additional information to you or your staff. Sincerely, Seeit Myway <Title>

7 7 SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER <Date> The Honorable John Smith South Carolina House of Representatives 1234 Blatt Building Columbia, SC Dear Representative Smith: I want you to know how much I appreciated your vote to oppose H.4512 last Thursday. Your vote to preserve the ability of employers to offer flexible benefits programs to their employees is welcomed by Acme Entertainment Company, as well as many businesses that depend on that flexibility to increase competitiveness. As you and I have discussed, the Family and Medical Leave Act does not reflect the needs of today s workforce. I would be happy to work with you on any future legislation that you think might accomplish this goal and to provide you with any expertise or assistance that may be helpful. Thank you for your dedicated work on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina Sincerely, U.R. Great <Title>