By Sydney Hake, JONAH Intern
This week’s newsletter article might look a little different. Although I will be providing ways to advocate, I would first like to speak on what I have learned over the past few weeks about organizing and hosting a community event for the first time.
When I first got the idea of doing a community forum, I found myself pushing away the idea. It felt too big. Too out of reach for a college student with very few ties to the Eau Claire community around her. I have always been passionate about the complexities of the criminal justice system and so that was an easy place to start. This passion is all I had to go off of for a while. I didn’t have connections to people who might be able to help, I was juggling many different tasks as well as a completely separate internship and it just felt out of my reach. This next part is what changed everything. Lynn got me in contact with a few different people who have had lived experience or professional experience with the system and I had to sit down and verbalize my idea. I had to explain, in detail, what I wanted to do to complete strangers who didn’t know who I was. And the most amazing thing happened; it started to grow. This little idea in the back of my head began to creep into the forefront of my mind. Ideas came faster and plans actually started to make sense. When I was creating my flyer, I found myself stalling, that maybe I shouldn’t do it, that it was a lot of work and what if no one cared?
The night of the event there was a very real worry whether anyone would show up. People had said they might or that they were thinking about it, but with life being so busy, it can be hard to nail down concrete yesses or noes. But, people came. People showed up and willingly jumped into these hard, convoluted conversations around an incredibly complex system. At the end, I tried my best to hold back the emotions that flooded me as attendees said things like, “I wish we had this more often,” and “wow, it’s so nice to be able to learn from others.” Unprompted, people said they wanted more of my event and I was beside myself with joy (and exhaustion).
What I really hope you all take away from this is this: Say that idea out loud. Say it to the wall, to your cat, to a neighbor asking about your week, or your friend over coffee. Let the idea that’s been rolling around in the back of your brain be heard, because you never know who might need exactly what your idea brings to the table.
If you would like to urge your legislators to act (or not act) on a bill, but don’t know what words to say, here are two sample scripts, one for emails and one for calling. Please take a look! Your legislators work for you, let them know how to do it better!
Before writing your email:
- Identify what bill you are concerned about or the issue you want to address.
- Make note of the bill number a what is in the bill.
- Go to https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/My-Elected-Officials and enter your address to find your elected officials.
- Determine which official is most appropriate to contact.
- Locate the email address of your elected official.
Email Template:
Dear Senator/Representative [Legislator’s Last Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I am a constituent from [Your City or District]. I am writing to express my strong support for/opposition to [Bill Name/Number], which concerns [brief description of the issue].
As a [Your Profession/Role], I have witnessed firsthand the impact that [specific aspect of the issue] has on [specific group or community]. For example, [provide a personal anecdote or a statistic that illustrates the importance of the issue]. This issue is of great importance to me and my community, and I believe that [Bill Name/Number] will [positive outcome if supported/negative outcome if opposed].
I urge you to [support/oppose] this bill, as it will [specific impact on constituents]. Your leadership on this issue is crucial, and I hope you will consider the perspectives of your constituents, including my own, as you make your decision.
I would appreciate it if you could share your position on this matter and any actions you plan to take. Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
Reminders:
Your legislator works for you; your community has elected your official to represent your concerns. Legislators like to hear from their constituents (you)!
Don’t worry about sounding “scripted” – legislators are used to and expect this!
Your voice matters; you are making a big difference by sharing concerns that affect your community!
Call Template
Preparing for the call:
- Identify what bill you are concerned about or the issue you want to address. a. Make note of the bill number and write it down for reference during the call.
- Locate the phone number of your legislator.
- Plan what you want to say (Optional script below).
During the Call:
- Introduce yourself. (Example below) ”Hello! My name is____ and I am a resident of (state your city/district.) I am calling to share my concern with (the name of the legislature you’re trying to reach) regarding (state the house/senate bill number OR issue).”
- Your call will either be connected to the legislature or a member of their staff.
- Once you are connected to the legislature/member of their staff, introduce yourself again and ask for a minute of their time.
- Share your concern by reading your prepared script. (Example below)
- “I am calling because I am concerned with (state the house/senate bill number OR the issue). This bill OR issue is important to me because (share your reasoning, which could include a personal story, and relate your concern to the specific action of the bill or what you want to be done/changed).
- To end the call, thank the legislature/member of their staff. (Example below)
- “Thank you for your time (and if applicable, continue with: “…and for passing this message along to (state the legislator’s name). Have a great day.”
- If you reach voicemail, leave a message and make sure to provide your contact information.
Reminders:
Your legislator works for you; your community has elected your official to represent your concerns. Legislators like to hear from their constituents (you)!
Don’t worry about sounding “scripted” – legislators are used to and expect this!
Your voice matters; you are making a big difference by sharing concerns that affect your community!