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Advocacy
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Your Efforts Can Make a Big Difference . . . MORE EASILY THAN YOU MAY THINK! Recently, a state legislator remarked to a C4C community member that he had received "a lot of comment" about an issue. When asked what was "a lot," the legislator replied, "six or seven people called about it." (...So less than a dozen contacts about a bill may substantially influence a vote on your issue!) |
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LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS
VIEWING AND/OR DOWNLOADING L.D.’S (LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS)
Start on the Maine Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
When you know the L.D. number:
- Click on "Site Guide"
- Click on "Directory of bills by L.D. number"
- Click on the number range the L.D. falls within
- Scroll down to the L.D. number you want and click on it . . .
View the cover page with the sponsors of the bill and the Committee it has been referenced to.
- Click "View Bill Text" to read the bill
- To download, click on "Download Bill "
If you do not know the L.D. number
- Click on "Site Guide" from the homepage
- Click on "Bill Search"
- Enter words that are in the text of the bill and click "Search"
LOCATING AND E-MAILING YOUR LEGISLATOR FROM THE INTERNET
LOCATING YOUR SENATOR
- Start at the Legislative homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
- Click "The Senate"
- Click "Senator Info" (on side panel)
- Scroll down "Senator Info" and click "Senators listed by...county, town, or district". Use the alphabet at the top of the page and click on the first letter of your town. Scroll down to your town and click on the name.
E-MAILING YOUR SENATOR
- Start at the Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
- Click "The Senate"
- Click "Senator Info" (on the side panel)
- Scroll down "Senator Info" page and click "Email List of Senators"
- Scroll down to your senator's name and click on her/his email address
LOCATING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
- Start at the Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
- Click "The House of Representatives"
- Click "Representatives"
- Scroll down and click "Find out who your Legislator is"
- Click on the first letter of your town
- Scroll to the name of your town
E-MAILING YOUR REPRESENTATIVE
- Start at the Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
- Click on "The House of Representatives"
- Click on "E-mail"
- Use the alphabet at the top of the page to scroll down to locate your Representative
CALLING YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE
TO LEAVE A MESSAGE
All Senators: leave a recorded message with the L.D. # at: 1-800-423-6900, or talk to a staff person at 287-1540
All Representatives: leave a recorded message with the L.D. # at: 1-800-423-2900, or talk to a staff person at 287-1400
TTY: 287-4469
AT THEIR HOME
It is OK to call Legislators at their home, they expect this. Home phone numbers may be obtained through the Legislative Information Office at 287-1692, or through the Legislative Web site at www.state.me.us/legis.
- When you're at the House of Representatives Page or the Senate page, click on the Information button (ie Senate Information or Information on House Members)
SAMPLE FORMAT
"Hello Representative Jones", or "Senator Smith".
"My name is ______, I am a voter in your district and I would like to talk to you about (bill number and title). Is this a good time?"
"I would like to urge you to vote for/against this bill because . . ." (give one or two reasons)
If you know what committee the bill is in, or any action that may have been taken on it thus far, let your Representative/Senator know
Have your facts straight and back them up with references
End with "Thank you"
MEETING WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR
Don’t wait until the public hearing to approach your Legislator! Let him/her know in advance the bill you are supporting/opposing. Chances are the legislator has not even heard of the bill yet.
Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Be sure to address your legislator by his/her name. "Representative____" and "Senator___." This shows respect for him/her.
- Know which party your Legislator is a member of and if the Committee he/she is a member of is hearing your bill.
- Identify yourself as a voter in his/her district if you are.
- Wait and speak with your Legislator at a convenient time when his/her full attention will be yours, if possible.
- Have your facts straight and be able to back them up with references. If the legislator finds out your information is not truthful, not only you, but also your cause will lose integrity. The Legislator may think twice about listening to you next time.
- Avoid confusing him/her. Stick to one issue and keep it short, informative, and factual.
- Do not make any threats or promises. These will only be offensive to him/her and possibly destroy any meaningful communication. Inform your Legislator on the facts of the issue and your opinion to it.
- Be informed of where the bill is in the Legislative process and any action that may have been made upon it thus far.
- If he/she strongly agrees with your position, ask them to take an active role on this issue in the legislature, media, and community.
Be sure to thank them!
PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE
THE PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE CONTAINS:
- L.D. number of the bill, the title of the bill, and sponsor of the bill
- The date of the hearing
- The time and location of the hearing
FROM THE INTERNET:
- Start at the Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.us/legis
- Click on "Site Guide"
- Scroll down and click "Advance Notice of Public Hearings" to view the schedule of hearings. Hearing Schedules are posted weekly by 10 am Thursday mornings. Supplements are posted as needed. If you would like to be notified by e-mail of updates to the schedule, you will see information on the left-hand panel. Simply type in your email in the indicated space.
PRINT COPY AVAILABILITY:
Printed copies are available through the following venues:
- Outside of the Secretary of the Senate’s Office in the State House, Room 327
- Weekend Edition of the Bangor Daily News
- Kennebec Journal
- Maine Sunday Telegram
- Lewiston Sunday Sun
TELEPHONE:
- Bill status information, including the Hearing Schedule, is available from the Legislative Information Office at 287-1692.
TIP: always call to confirm the hearing date on the day of the hearing!
PROVIDING TESTIMONY AT A PUBLIC HEARING
Approach the committee when asked to do so by the Chair. The Chair will ask for all those testifying in support of the Legislative Document/Bill. Once all of those have testified in support, the Chair will then ask for all of those wishing to testify in opposition. Lastly, the Chair will call for all of those who wish to testify neither for nor against.
When you first approach the Committee:
- Address them appropriately, "Senator___, Representative____, and Members of the Committee."
- State who you are, where you are from, and the reason for being there.
- State whether you support, oppose, or are neither for nor against L.D.#___, and explain your reasoning.
EXAMPLE: "I am Jane Doe, from Small City, here as a concerned citizen in support of L.D. # 0000, "Title of Act".
IMPORTANT TIPS to remember…
- Have talking points for you to follow. This will help you to know what to say and be organized during your testimony.
- Bring 16-20 photocopies of any written testimony you wish to hand out to the Committee members. Hand these to the Clerk for distribution before your testimony. Include your name, address, and phone number and try to keep it under a page. Written testimony helps the legislators follow what you are saying, stays on file, and allows legislators who are not present when you testify to review your comments.
- Keep it short! Five minutes is long enough.
- Be prepared for questions from the Committee. Remember, its okay to say, "I don’t know", but state that you will follow up with the correct information. Bring it to the Clerk’s office for distribution.
- Try not to be redundant, do not repeat what someone has already said.
- Allow yourself plenty of time to attend the hearing. It will help you to get a sense of what is going on and you can familiarize yourself with the process.
Remember that the best witnesses are not professional witnesses, they are citizens committed to public health with specific expertise or experience!
Note: A Guide to Participating in Public Hearings is available on-line. Visit the Documents link at the Senate homepage: www.state.me.us/legis/senate/homepage.htm
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
A Glossary of Terms is available on-line at the Maine Legislature Internet Web Site.
- Start on the Maine Legislative Homepage: www.state.me.legis
- Click on "Site Guide"
- Scroll down and click on ‘Legislator’s Handbook" listed under the "General Information" heading
- Scroll down and click on "Glossary of Terms"
- Click on "Part V. Glossary of Terms"