Contacting Your Legislator

important Information for Key person contacts

Action Alerts

Your communication with your state legislators is especially needed when a critical vote on a key issue is approaching.  SCACPA may, from time to time, issue an “action alert” urging you to contact your legislators as part of an organized grassroots effort.  The Association issues Legislative Action Alerts to KPCs when a piece of legislation is at a critical decision point in the General Assembly and grassroots action can really make a difference.

Often, only KPCs whose legislators serve on a particular committee addressing the legislation may receive an Action Alert.  Nevertheless, when the legislation is being considered on the House or Senate floor, all KPCs may be asked to take action.
The action alert will include a discussion of the urgency of the issue, talking points and a suggested course of action.

When you receive an action alert, keep the following points in mind:

Meeting with Your Legislator

Personal meetings are the best way to get to know and communicate with your legislator.  Legislators typically have busy schedules and meetings are not always easy to arrange.  Your best course of action is to arrange a meeting when he or she is in the home district either on a weekend or during a holiday. During the legislative session, which is typically January through the first week in June, state legislators are usually in their home district or home office on Monday and Friday.

Planning the Meeting

• Advise SCACPA of your plans to meet with your legislator.  We can be useful in helping you plan.
• Develop an agenda for your meeting.  Legislators are receptive to an opportunity to learn more about the specific concerns of their constituents.
• When arranging a meeting with your legislator, you should always first request an appointment in writing, preferably by e-mail.  Explain who you are and your reason for requesting the meeting.  After sending your correspondence, you should then follow-up your written request by phone.
• Do not overlook the value of an opportunity to meet with a member of your legislator’s staff.  If your legislator is unavailable and your issue is time sensitive, try to schedule a meeting with the staff person who deals with the issue you want to discuss.  Often, staffers know more about the specific issue than the legislator and will best be able to address your concerns.
• Don’t overwhelm your legislators with too many people at the meeting or with too many personal stories.  Go alone to the meeting or bring only one or two people who have something pertinent to contribute to the discussion.
• Know your issue well and be familiar with how it affects your interests, your colleagues and your community.  SCACPA can provide you with helpful information on legislative issues as well as their current status.

During the Meeting

• Concentrate on a specific issue. Be concise and well organized in the meeting.  Plan to state your views in less than 10 minutes and allow sufficient time to hear the legislator’s thoughts on the subject.  Legislators favor meetings of 20 minutes or less.
• The meeting should be an open exchange of ideas.  Be careful not to antagonize or lecture the legislator.  Be straightforward, but courteous in expressing your views and be receptive to the legislator’s questions and comments.
• If you are asked a question that you cannot answer, do not guess at the response! Instead, simply say you will look into the question and give the legislator an answer as soon as possible.  Ask for the name of a staff person to contact with your response and be sure to follow-up on the legislator’s request.
• Be prepared to discuss other issues affecting the profession, should your legislator express an interest.
• Give the legislator a one-page summary of the key points about the issue and your position after the meeting is concluded.  Use your own letterhead.

After the Meeting

• Send an e-mail thanking your legislator and the appropriate staff for the meeting and re-emphasize the points discussed. Provide any additional information you promised to send to the legislator or staff.
• Advise SCACPA of any information you learned at your meeting that might be important to the profession’s lobbying efforts. 

Writing Your Legislator

When it is not possible to schedule a personal meeting prior to votes on legislation that affect the profession, corresponding with your legislators to inform them of your position is the next best thing.  When writing to a legislator, keep the following guidelines in mind regardless of the delivery method you use for your correspondence:

• Whether you are writing on behalf of SCACPA or yourself, be sure to emphasize that you are a constituent, if your firm is located within the legislator’s district, or both. 
• Include a return address on your correspondence – both a street address, as well as an e-mail address.  Most legislators will not answer mail that is not from their district.
• Address the correspondence correctly. In the formal salutation, refer to the elected official as “The Honorable (Name)”.

Address all written correspondence as follows (even e-mail): 

Members of the House of Representatives

The Honorable (Name)                                                                                                      
South Carolina House of Representatives                                                                                               
Columbia, SC

Dear Representative (Name):

Members of the Senate

The Honorable (Name)                                                                                                      
South Carolina Senate                                                                                               
Columbia, SC

Dear Senator (Name):

Correspondence Methods

• You are strongly encouraged to develop your correspondence and send it by e-mail, as this method is widely used by legislative offices and assures that your correspondence will be received and addressed in a timely manner.  Hand- or type-written letters sent through the mail to your legislator’s Columbia/Washington office are discouraged, due to time delaying security measures.
  
• If you prefer to send a personal letter, it is best to deliver it via fax to the legislator’s office or to mail it to the legislator’s district office.  Each office fax number can be found by visiting the websites (federal) http://www.congress.org/, http://www.house.gov/. http://www.senate.gov/, (state) http://www.sc.gov/ or http://www.scstatehouse.net/.  Faxes receive the same attention given to e-mail correspondence and allow constituents the ability to quickly and effectively communicate with their legislators in a more traditional format, without delaying the communication.

Calling Your Legislator

SCACPA may request that you contact your legislator by phone. You will only have a few minutes or less for the conversation and will need to be very concise and exact in expressing your view.  Always be sure to identify yourself as a constituent or business located in his/her district, as well as the specific bill number and status.  If you are unable to speak directly with the legislator, leave your message with a staff person.  Always ask the legislator’s position on the issue. 

Here is a checklist to use when calling your legislator:

Before the Call

• Write down your key points.  Concisely note your position, rationale, and the action you want the legislator to take.
• Plan for a three-minute call.
• Gather the facts.  Know the bill title, number and purpose.

During the Call

• Identify yourself and your constituent connections.  If you live in the district, give your home address.  If you work, but do not live in the district, give your work address or both, if applicable.
• Ask to speak with the legislator.  If he or she is not available, ask to speak with the legislative assistant who advises the legislator on the issue that concerns you.
• If the legislative assistant is also not available, ask the receptionist to take a message for both the legislator and legislative assistant.  Leave your number so you can be easily reached for a return call.
• Briefly state why you are calling – for example, because you support or oppose the bill.  Give the bill title and number and explain the reasons for your position.  Stress the impact the legislation will have on you, your firm or company, and the accounting profession.
• Ask if the legislator supports your position.  If so, be sure to express your thanks and appreciation.
• If the legislator is undecided or opposed to your position, ask why.  Then factually address the legislator’s concerns in a polite, but firm manner.  Do not engage in a heated discussion concerning your disagreement.
• Record the name of the person with whom you spoke.  Be sure to thank the person for taking the call and forwarding your message to the legislator.

After the Call

• Send an e-mail restating your position, expressing appreciation for the assistance of the staff person who took your call and thanking the legislator for considering your views on the issue.
• Contact SCACPA to relay useful information from the call.