You can . . .

• Invite legislators to tour your facility and meet residents and staff.
• Contact your legislators by mail, email, phone, or a personal meeting to discuss issues that are critical to your business and the people you serve.
• Testify at a legislative hearing or a town hall meeting to give a real-life perspective on an issue that is important to you and the people you serve.

Things to keep in mind when contacting your legislators . . .

Email or Mail: Letters should be brief and limited to one topic. In the first paragraph make sure to introduce yourself by telling your legislator that you are a constituent and indentify the topic you are writing about. Include several main points and a real-life example through a personal story. Make sure you include your contact information, including your home address. Remember that you are the expert, but always be courteous and to the point and refrain from making personal attacks.

Telephone: Prepare your talking points in advance. Ask to speak to the legislator, or the staff person handing the issue you are interested in. Keep your message simple. Make sure to state your name and that you are a constituent. For example, "Hello, my name is John Smith and I am a constituent calling to ask that you support AB 100." Then say way by stating a few key points. Make sure to leave your contact information and follow-up with a letter or email if you have time.

Meeting: You do not need to travel to Madison to meet with your legislator. In fact, many legislators prefer "in-district" meetings. Simply contact your legislators' offices and request a meeting in Madison or "in the district." Again, always state your name and that you are a constituent concerned about a specific issue. Sometimes you will be asked to meet with staff. That is okay! Educating staff is very important as legislators rely heavily on staff to manage the enormous about of issues they must tackle. Always be on time and be prepared to wait in the event that your legislator is running late, which is often the case given their hectic schedules. Prepare a one-page document stating your issues and position to leave with the legislator. Be brief and state your main points within the first five minutes. Be prepared, but if you don't know the answer to a question simply let your legislator know you’ll need to follow-up with the answer. End by asking the legislator to support your position and always follow-up with a short thank you letter.

Advocacy Resources

Wisconsin 2011-12 Blue Book

Wisconsin State Legislature

Wisconsin State Legislature Committee Schedule

Handicap Access to the Wisconsin Capitol

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Glossary of Legislative Terms

WisconsinEye