Meet with Your Legislator
Meet with Your Legislator
Meeting with your legislator face-to-face provides a valuable opportunity to educate them about issues and concerns that are important to you and the lives of others in the disability community. Visits also serve to keep you in mind as a source of information on disability topics, once your legislators can put a specific issue together with your name and face.
Contacting Your Legislator:
Call or email your legislator in advance to let them know that you would like to meet with them on a particular date (for example, March 29th, Disability Awareness Day).
Identify your legislator by district and find your legislator’s phone number and email address online at: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm
If you need help identifying your legislator or do not have access to the Internet, call the VCDR office: 802 223-6140.
Phone:
You can phone your legislator during the day at the State House and leave a message at the Sergeant at Arms office: 1-800-322-5616 or 1-802-828-2228 V/TDD. Have the person who answers the phone take your name and number, and request that the legislator return your call. If that doesn't happen in a couple of days, try again or call the legislator at home.
If you call your legislator at home, be considerate. Do not phone at dinnertime, early in the morning, or late at night. If the legislator is not at home or is busy, ask when is a good time to call back.
Email:
Most legislators now have e-mail. Some check their email more frequently than others, so make certain to write well in advance. Legislators receive a lot of email and may only scan their messages when busy. Use the subject line to identify the purpose of your message such as: “Constituent Requests Meeting on (fill in the date).”
Requesting a Meeting:
- Be prompt for your meeting, introduce yourself and confirm how long they have to spend with you.
- Let them know what you wish to speak to them about and offer them two or three alternative times when you will be available.
- If you communicate by email or leave a phone message, request a response and indicate how (and when) you can best be reached. If you do not receive a response in a couple of days, the message may not have reached your legislator; try again.
- Be prompt for your meeting, introduce yourself and confirm how long they have to spend with you.
- Address legislators as "Representative" or "Senator".
- Have a clear focus to your visit. What is the message you most want to leave with your legislator? Why is this issue important to you and why should it be important to them?
- Legislators are often between votes and your time with them is limited. Get to the point or you may miss your opportunity.
- Be prepared when you arrive. Do your homework in advance so you can speak clearly and concisely on the issue.
- Consider preparing something in writing to leave behind with the legislator; limit this to one-page on your issue and position.
- Always thank legislators for their time and express interest in keeping in touch, even if they disagree with your position on an issue or are unable to immediately help you.
- A short follow-up thank-you note is a good idea and provides an additional chance to briefly remind your legislator of your discussion.
VCDR receives support from the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council, dues from its member organizations, and individual contributions.