Meeting with your Elected Officials

The Action Plan in support of ArtsGeorgia’s Budget Proposal recommends meeting with your Senators and Representatives. Advocacy is all about ongoing relationships. One of the best ways to make your case is through personal visits to your legislator’s capitol office or during the fall to meet with them in their home district. This is an effective way for the arts community to build support with legislators to support an increase in arts funding.

Setting up a Meeting

• Check here phone numbers and addresses for Representatives. http://1.usa.gov/xQe5kw
• Check here for phone numbers and addresses for Senators. http://1.usa.gov/fPSKPF
• The best approach is to make a direct call to your legislator’s office, and send a follow-up email with the information afterwards.
• When you call, ask to speak to the aide in charge of scheduling appointments.
• Tell the aide that you are a constituent and would like to meet with your representative, and that you are calling for the following reason:

– to set up a 15-minute appointment (preferably between 10 am – 1 pm) to speak to the legislator directly about what’s happening with the arts, arts education and creative economy in his/her district.

• If more than one person is attending with you, let the aide know who to expect.
• If the legislator is not able to meet with you, ask if it is okay to drop off a packet of information about your concerns related to state funding of the arts.

Visiting Your Legislator – Know your issue

• Have 3 or 4 key points clear in your mind. Writing them out beforehand will help. (ArtsGeorgia will post a sequel to this post with talking points about the importance of the arts, arts education and the creative economy to Georgia’s future. A copy of the ArtsGeorgia Budget Proposal can be found on the website.)
• Research your legislator’s positions on your issues. If you know how s/he stands on the issue, it will be easier to frame your arguments.
• If available, bring along information (i.e. fact sheets or charts) that will help you make your points. Take advantage of the short time you have to spend with a legislator. (ArtsGeorgia has charts and talking points about the arts on the ArtsGeorgia website that you can print to take with you to legislators’ offices.)

Logistics

• Be on time. Legislators have tight schedules. If you cannot avoid being late, call the office to alert them.
• Dress appropriately. Treat this meeting as any other that requires a professional appearance.
• Have an agenda prepared. In most cases, the legislator has agreed to the meeting to hear your views. Use the time wisely and follow a clear agenda.
• Be brief. You can expect 15-20 minutes. Usually, the legislator’s schedule does not allow for more time—so be concise.
• Be sure to get your concerns on the table before engaging in small talk.
• Send a follow up letter. Briefly restate your messages and thank the legislator for their time.

October 17, 2013 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Restore Arts Funding