Meeting With Your Elected Officials

Before the meeting

• Identify who your legislators are.
• Get the legislator's aides' names and contact information.
• Call for an appointment. Do this from your home district for your local delegation even if you will be meeting at the Capitol. Let the legislator know you will be in the Capitol even if you are not sure when you can meet with him/her. Ask when might be a good time to stop by.
• Have a fact sheet(s) for each topic(s) you need to discuss. Contact the MAP public policy department to obtain the appropriate HIV fact sheets.
• If you are to discuss a bill, know the names of all sponsors and cosponsors. Contact the MAP public policy department for assistance.
• Before the meeting, custom highlight your fact sheet and staple a note with your name and home address to the corner of the sheet. Leave this with your legislator.
• Rehearse a brief one or two sentence description of why you are there as a way to begin the meeting.
• Obtain relevant background on your state legislator(s). Contact the MAP public policy department for assistance
  

  Directions to the Capitol

During the meeting

• Keep in mind that you are their constituents and they are there to serve you. Try not to be intimidated.
• Start the meeting with the one or two sentence description you rehearsed of why you meeting.
• Try to relate at least one quick real life example of the need for the action you are advocating.
• Have your notebook or calendar handy in case the legislator asks for a follow-up meeting or for additional information.
• Be aware of the legislator's busy schedule and do not stay longer than 10 minute unless she/he asks you to stay.
• If the legislator cannot meet with your for some reason, meet with staff and leave a personal note summarizing your mission.

After the meeting

• Write a follow-up letter thanking the legislator and/or staff for time spent on your issue and include a brief summary of action to be taken.
• Keep the legislator informed of the progress or problems concerning the issue discussed.

Click here for a PDF

Want an opportunity to meet with your legislator?

Attend AIDS Action Day! Be a lobbyist for a day and let your voice be heard in support of honest HIV prevention and other effective policies to stop HIV in Minnesota.

 

Last Updated: Monday, July 20, 2009
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