Effectively Communicating
with Your State Legislator
by Matt Sande
Director of Legislation
Pro-Life Wisconsin
Know them!
• Legislators respond best to people they know
and can rely on who live in their district.
• To find out who your state legislators are,
please go to the PLW website at
www.prolifewisconsin.org and scroll over
the Legislative Affairs menu item at the top of the page. A drop
down menu will appear. Click on the Speak Up icon and then scroll
down the page and click on Who Are My Wisconsin Lawmakers?
• Type in your street address, city and zip code. The names and
contact information (phone/email/address) of your state senator and
state representative will appear.
Build a relationship with them!
• All politics is local!
• Building any relationship (personal
or professional) takes time
• You want to establish a genuine, personal
rapport
• You don’t have to be from the same political
party or agree on every issue
• Your goal is to become a valuable, honest, and
reliable resource on life issues
Build a relationship with them!
(continued)
• Take the initiative and invite them to your affiliate
meeting / PLW will help you
• Meet them at a district event (Chamber of
Commerce event, public hearing, forum, etc.)
• Introduce yourself, tell them you are a pro-life
leader and would like to stay in touch
• Write a short note, restating your brief meeting,
and thanking him or her for their time
Communicate with them!
• Your voice is more influential
than a lobbyist’s voice
• Your legislator represents
YOU!
• You are a committed voter…you have
power!
• Your letter/call/e-mail means more than
you think!
Communication basics
• Write a letter
• Send a fax
• Send a PLW prepared
postcard
• Call their Madison office directly
• Call their District office directly (their
home)
Communication basics
(continued)
• E-mail
• Visit
• Capitol office
• In district office hours
Letter writing
• Short of a personal visit,
written communication to
your legislator is one of the
most effective ways to
deliver your message
• You can deliver the message by mail, by fax or
by sending an e-mail
• Constituent letters that are well written and
briefly explain the issue and its impact will be
noticed and retained in a legislative office
Sample letter
Dear Senator / Representative Johnson:
Introduction
• State the subject
• Use the bill # or title of the bill
• Tell them who you are and the name
of your affiliate
Body
• Explain the issue briefly, factually, and
passionately in a simple and
understandable way
• State your position on the bill or measure;
if you support or oppose
• Be polite and respectful / never criticize
• Give an example of the issue’s local
impact (maybe in your own family)
Conclusion
• Thank the legislator for his or her consideration
of or attention to the issue
• Let them know that you are a pro-life resource
for them and can give them more information if
requested
Tips for effective letter writing
• Limit the length of your letter to no more
than two pages, one if possible
• A single, well-written letter from a wellknown constituent may be more likely to
influence a legislator’s decision than an
avalanche of post cards
• Give your credentials when appropriate
• Express appreciation for past or future
support
Use PLW Speak Up webpage to email
• Scroll over the Legislative Affairs menu item at the top
of the page. A drop down menu will appear. Click on
the Speak Up icon and then scroll down the page to
Email Your Government Officials
• Use the links listed under Email Your Government
Officials to send your email to your state senator and
state representative.
• PLW will receive a copy of your email which will enable
us to monitor the activity of our grassroots advocacy
campaigns.
Phone calling
• When time is short, a
personal phone call to a
legislator or legislative
aide is an effective method
to communicate your views
• Your call is most likely to receive attention
if you have developed a personal
relationship with the legislator or staff
Phone calling
(continued)
• On a hot issue, calls can often be “logged” and
you may not get past the receptionist / that’s OK,
he or she will at least register your support or
opposition to a particular bill
• Making a well-timed call can be very important,
especially in combination with other pro-lifers in
your affiliate / it may tip the balance in your
favor, so DON’T HESITATE TO CALL!
Tips for effective phone calling
• Focus on a single issue, making 2 or 3 key
points in your phone call
• Have notes in front of you to stay focused on the
message you are delivering
• Localize the issue to demonstrate the impact on
the legislator’s own constituents
• Clearly state the action you wish the senator or
representative to take on the issue (vote for,
vote against, offer an amendment, delete a
provision, etc.)
Tips for effective phone calling
(continued)
• Keep your call brief – no more than 3 or 4 minutes
• If asked a question you can’t answer, tell them you’ll get the answer
and get back to them
• Leave your name and telephone # with the staff to whom you’ve
spoken in case they have questions later
• Write down the name of the staff person you spoke with so that next
time you can ask for him or her by name / this will help you build a
relationship with the staff
• Staff are more likely to listen to and return the phone calls of
constituents they know
• If you prefer to leave a message with your state legislator, please
call the toll-free State Legislative Hotline at (800) 362-9472.
Personal visits with legislators
and staff
• Know where your legislator stands
on life issues (PLW staff can
provide information on this)
• Be considerate of your legislators’ time
constraints
• Be prepared, be informed about what you’re
saying
• Know the topic, bill number, main arguments, etc.
• Know your opponents main arguments
• Educate – Don’t preach
Personal visits with legislators
and staff (continued)
• Keep your message simple and
straightforward – don’t confuse the issue
• LISTEN to your legislators views on the
issue
• Answer their questions and acknowledge their
insights
• Understanding their view, whether or not it concurs
with yours, will provide valuable insight into how
you might support or change their view
Personal visits with legislators
and staff (continued)
• Leave a briefing paper after the visit, highlighting
your key points (PLW will provide you written
policy memos) / include your name and contact
information for follow up
• Write a thank you note after the visit / write a
note to the legislator’s staff if they attended the
visit
 ALWAYS be polite and courteous, even when
you disagree
Go the Extra Mile!
• Know the committee your legislator chairs
• Know the committees your legislator
serves on
• Do they impact pro-life issues?
• What time of the year is it?
•
•
•
•
Is the Legislature in session?
Is it a budget year? (odd years)
Is it an election year? (even years)
Who holds the majority in the Senate, Assembly?
Keep PLW “in the loop”
• PLW needs to know what your legislator is telling his/her
constituents
• Send / forward responses from legislators to the PLW
state office (email me at msande@prolifewisconsin.org)
• Use www.prolifewisconsin.org to monitor and research
legislation
• Use the Wisconsin Legislature’s website to access bills
and other legislative info: www.legis.state.wi.us
• PLW will bend over backward to get you the bullet
points, memos, policy papers, and any other material
you need to be an EFFECTIVE PRO-LIFE VOICE and
RESOURCE for your legislators