
Following last year’s redrawing of the state’s legislative maps, a bevy of new members of both the State Senate and Assembly were sworn into office on January 6. These new lawmakers are probably still learning the ropes of their new jobs, and while they certainly have their legislative priorities, they are still figuring out how best to help the communities they were elected to represent. The new year is a perfect time to reach out to your representatives in state government, whether they are newly elected or long-time legislators, to begin advocating on the issues that matter for you.
First, you need to know who your elected officials are. With the redrawing of the maps, you may find yourself in a different district from in years past. The easiest way to find out who represents your neighborhood is to call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472. They can take your address and tell you who your representatives are in the Senate and Assembly, and can help you find their contact information. You can also use the Who Are My Legislators? tool on the State Legislature website, but be advised that the page can be tricky to navigate for people using screen readers and other adaptive technology, and is not as accessible as it should be.
Once you know who to talk to, it’s important to make a good introduction. Do your homework and learn what issues matter to them. Go through their social media accounts and official website to find out what they are passionate about. You can later use this information as a gateway to connect with them by relating those issues to your own life. This will help turn you from an advocate into a neighbor and to create common ground on which to build a good working relationship.
When you schedule a meeting with your legislator, it’s important to have clear and concise intentions. Don’t go in to talk about every problem you have in your life. Start by telling them the exact issue you want to see addressed and how it affects you in your day-to-day life. This will help show your legislator that you are serious about working with them to bring about change. If you schedule a meeting and end up talking with one of their aides, don’t be discouraged! Legislative aides are trained to talk with constituents and can help distill the important information for the legislator.
Part of your role as an advocate is to educate your legislator. Legislators’ job is to know a little bit about many different issues. It’s not practical for them to know all the details about every issue. When you meet with your representatives, use your lived experience to teach them the finer points of your chosen issue. Showing them some grace and walking them through the issue patiently will help you grow your relationship. If you don’t have the answer to a specific question, be honest and say that you don’t know and promise to follow up with them. Then remember to find the answer and circle back! Always keep in mind that at the end of the day, your legislators are still human and should be treated with kindness even if you strongly disagree with them on important issues.
The most important thing to remember when meeting your legislator for the first time is that you are building a relationship. Change doesn’t come overnight, and you will need to work with them continuously over time to become a successful advocate. “If they only ever see you when you want something, that’s how you will be perceived,” says Executive Director Denise Jess. “But if you go to one of their events and shake their hand or send them a thank you note when they do something good, you’re putting deposits in that emotional bank account that can be useful later.”
After your initial meeting, keep tabs on what they are doing and reach out again when necessary. Many legislators send regular newsletters to their constituents and post them on their legislative homepage. You can use those materials to keep track of what they are doing.
Once you’ve met with your legislator, you’ve gotten the ball rolling and have begun your advocacy journey. To learn more about how to be an effective advocate, consider joining our new Advocacy Discussion Group. This group meets virtually on Zoom every other month for people to share their advocacy experiences and build their skills. You can learn more about the group at WCBlind.org/Council-Events/Advocacy-Discussion-Group.