Visiting Your Legislators
A face-to-face meeting with your legislators is an excellent opportunity to discuss developmental disabilities issues. The following guidelines may be helpful as you begin visiting your legislators.
- Develop and maintain a good working relationship directly with the legislators in your district.
- You can arrange a meeting at the legislator's office in Raleigh or at the legislator's home office. During short sessions of the General Assembly, schedules are very tight, so it may be easier to meet at the legislator's home office before a short session.
- Always call ahead for an appointment and briefly explain the purpose of the meeting.
- Be on time and neatly dressed.
- Keep your comments to the point and limit your presentation/discussion to the time scheduled, unless the legislator extends the meeting. (Refer to sample letter and phone call for some suggestions on how you might organize your comments.)
- Use bill numbers and titles when possible.
- Tell the legislator why the issue is important to you and to other constituents in his/her district.
- Take your family member with the developmental disability, if appropriate, to the meeting or take pictures of your family so the legislator can put a face to the issue.
- Ask the legislator for his/her position on the issue and how he/she will vote. If supportive, thank him/her for the support. If undecided or against your position, ask if you can provide additional information on the issue.
- Always be courteous, even if the legislator disagrees with your position on the issue.
- Thank the legislator for his/her time.
- Send a short letter thanking the legislator for the meeting.
- Leave the legislator background information on FIFNC
Next: Legislative Background
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