Four Tips for Making Meetings with Your Legislator Successful


Reprinted with permission from the Michigan Association of School Boards, Headlines, Feb- ruary 4, 2014 issue


Face-to-face meetings with your State Senator or Representative can sometimes seem intimidating, but they don’t need to be. Remember, they work for you, so they and their office staff are there to listen to their constituents and be of assistance when possible. Following are a few suggestions for organizing and holding a successful meeting.


1. Scheduling Your Meeting


A typical constituent/legislator meeting lasts 15- 30 minutes and can be held in the legislator’s Cap- itol office in Lansing or a location in their district. When calling to schedule your meeting, be flexible in the times you are requesting and always identify yourself as a school board member of [insert your district name here] schools/district.


Give the scheduler a brief idea of why you are requesting the meeting and what you’d like to discuss. This will help to maximize your meeting time because your legislator will have advanced knowledge of what you want to talk about.


2. Prep Time


Know the bill or issue that is of concern to you/ your district. Come up with examples of how the issue would affect your school district and com- munity, including substantive reasons for making changes to it and factual information to justify your position. If applicable, develop alternatives for the legislator to consider.


It would also be advantageous and helpful to pre- pare a one-page, bulleted list of your most impor- tant points, along with your/your group’s contact information, to leave with the legislator.


If you


are meeting with a group, ensure that you are all on the same page and designate one or two people to do the talking. This will help keep the meeting organized and on track.


3. During the Meeting


All meeting attendees should introduce them- selves. A good way to start is by sharing your ap- preciation for an issue your legislator supported that you believe had a positive impact on your


4. Follow-up


As with any relationship, building a quality one with your legislator takes time and effort, so it is important to stay in communication. Use MASB’s e-Vocate system to keep track of the bill/issue’s status and to respond to any legislative alerts.


With so many education issues on their plates, it’s imperative that they hear the facts from you. Fol- lowing up on occasion with a call or email will help to keep them aware of the impact the bill/ issue could have on their community and con- stituents. MASB’s Government Relations team is available to assist you in any way we can. Simply contact us with your request at masbgov@masb. org or 517.327.5900.


You can have a great impact on the legislative process if you show legislators how important education is by being here in Lansing and letting them know you hold them accountable for funding Michigan public schools.


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community. It is not often that they hear “thank you,” so it will make your interaction memorable. Keep it short and sweet, limiting any additional “small talk” so you can maximize the time you have remaining to discuss the bill/issue.


Briefly identify your concern and share its impact on your school district and community, including the reasons for making changes and the factual in- formation you have prepared to justify your posi- tion.


Maintain a calm and reasonable attitude; allow your legislator to express doubts, questions or opinions without interruption. Address his/her concerns with the alternatives you have developed and/or continue emphasizing your position’s well- prepared reasons for change.


At the end of the meeting, leave your one-page bulleted list and contact information with your legislator. This provides an excellent reference point for them to refer to, makes it easy for them to follow up if there are any questions and helps to establish a relationship. However, if you feel your legislator was not responsive, communicate your disappointment.


Policy / Advocacy


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