|
How to Lobby Your Legislator
After you've identified your
representative or a committee member to talk to
about Real Reform New York, you are ready to conduct
a lobby visit. You should bring all information
that is pertinent to real reform, and ask them
to support real reform legislation. (See Real
Reform New York Fact Sheets.) You should also
be prepared to present key points that affect
the importance and impact of the reform legislation.
(See Campaign Talking
Points and Fact Sheets
on Real Reform New York and the Rockefeller
Drug Laws).
If you are part of a group making
a visit, you should: choose one person to facilitate
the meeting to keep track of time (no more than
5-10 minutes); make sure the key points are made;
ask the representatives to act on real reform
legislation; and leave informative materials for
the legislator's review.
7 Steps
for an Effective Lobby Visit
- Introduction
- Introduce who you
are. Make sure to give your full address
if you are a constituent. You may also want
to give a very brief description of what
your job is or what organizations you work
with that give you special knowledge on
the issue.
- Identify yourself
with Real Reform New York.
- Explain that you
are there to talk about real reform
of the Rockefeller era drug laws. Real
reform is defined as: Reducing Sentences,
Restoring Judicial Discretion, Delivering
Retroactive Sentencing Relief, and Expanding
Drug Treatment Programs and other alternatives
to incarceration for low level offenders.
- Support your argument
with the examples from the Real Reform New York
Fact Sheets.
- Connect the legislation
either directly or indirectly to the representative's
constituents.
- Ask him or her to ACT
by voting in support of real reform legislation
in the committee and getting others to support
it also. Once the bill is out of committee,
request their support for real reform
when the bill is voted on by the New York Legislature.
- Distribute relevant
materials, including the Real Reform Fact
Sheets, before you leave.
- Use the Record Sheet
to make notes.
- Follow up with the
representative, especially those who were undecided
or needed more information.
|
