Legislator Contact Checklist - A Grassroots Guide

Attachment: 3350/legislator_contact_checklist_(8).pdf

Legislator Contact Checklist

A Grassroots Guide

Purpose: To guide COS volunteers in appropriate, impactful, systematic outreach to their
state legislators.

Step 1 - Sign the COSA Petition

This is the most basic form of outreach. It’s important, because it helps to build the number of

petition signers in the district. This number will frequently be reported to the legislators, so don’t skip
this step! However, this contact is highly impersonal, so the following contacts are de nitely still
needed.

Step 2 - Contact your state’s Legislative Liaison to determine your legislators’ positions on COS.

It’s helpful to know what your team already knows about your legislators’ position on COS.

While it is possible that you will be the  rst constituent to ever make contact and discuss COS, it is also
quite possible that they have been hearing from constituents for years, and that we already know where
they stand. In this case, your contact is still vital, but you want to go in armed with all the information
we have. If the legislator is a sponsor or co-sponsor, for instance, he/she could be insulted if you
approached the conversation as if he or she had never heard of COS.

Step 3 - Call to schedule an appointment for an in-person or phone conversation.

Face-to-face meetings and phone calls are by far the most e ective at establishing a connection

with your legislators. Here are some Do’s and Don'ts for the meeting:

●

Do

dress appropriately (business casual or professional attire). Remember that you are

representing the entire COS organization, and that legislators will naturally consider you more
credible if you look professional.  This doesn’t mean you need a suit or a fancy dress.  Just dress
your best, and know that whether we like it or not, people get  rst impressions based on how
we appear.

●

Do

remember that your legislators are people. Before you launch into a discussion of COS, ask

a question about him/her, or establish some connection. Look around the o ce, or on the

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legislator’s bio page online, to  nd clues about his/her interests. One question that always
works well is, “What made you decide to run for o ce?”

●

Do

transition from pleasantries to the reason for your meeting. A good transition is something

like, “I wanted to meet with you to let you know that I am one of many of your constituents
who supports Convention of States Action, and I was hoping to tell you about it brie y and
ask for your support.”

●

Do

prepare yourself to explain what COS is about in your own words, very brie y. You should

be able to summarize what it’s all about in under 2 minutes. You can  nd resources for this
purpose here:

https://conventionofstates.com/resources

.

●

Do

know the current status of the COS resolution in your state. You can gather this

information from your state’s Legislative Liaison or State Director, or from your District
Captain. Be prepared to give your legislator the resolution number (if it has been introduced),
the committee(s) to which it has been assigned, and its current status (no hearing yet, gathering
co-sponsors, etc.).

●

Do

ask whether the legislator will support the resolution. If he or she is non-committal, ask

what it would take to get a commitment, and ask for permission to call back at a later time for
an answer.  If they say they will commit to supporting (and this is new), make sure you let your
Legislative Liaison know immediately.

●

Do not

, under any circumstances, give a lecture or history lesson to your legislators! No one

likes to be “schooled”–especially by someone they are meeting for the  rst time!

●

Do not

become hostile or unfriendly if the legislator expresses opposition. Simply ask if you

might continue the conversation down the road, provide some reading materials, etc.  Leave
the door open if you can.

●

Do not

wear out your welcome. Your legislators will probably remain friendly and pleasant the

entire time you are there (they are politicians!). Don’t mistake this friendliness for a desire to
extend the meeting. Do your business, and then kindly take your leave.  Legislators are busy
and they appreciate appropriate brevity.

●

Do

remember to thank your legislators for taking time to meet with you. While we believe they

should, they don’t have to, and sometimes they won’t.  Appreciation goes a long way to
building a relationship.

●

Do

leave behind some piece of information (one of our online resources, a pocket guide, etc.)

that includes the website address, and point that out to the legislator as a source of additional
information.

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●

Do

be scrupulously kind and polite to all sta  members you encounter. Thank them, as well,

when you leave.  Remember, they are often the gatekeepers to further contact with the
legislator.

●

Do

get in touch with your state’s Legislative Liaison after the meeting to let him/her know

how it went!

Step 4 - Send a thank-you note.

This is a great opportunity to make a big impact. Most constituents don’t do this, so doing it

can set you apart! Take 10 minutes to send a very short note thanking your legislator and his/her sta
for the meeting. A sample note is: “Thank you so much for meeting with me yesterday. I am grateful
for your service to our district. If you have any additional thoughts or questions about Convention of
States, please reach out to: [Your name and phone number or that of one of your state leaders]. I hope
we can count on your support.”  (Remember if they’ve already agreed to support, thank them for their
support.)

Step 5 - Follow your legislators on social media.

Make sure any comments or posts you make are positive and polite.

Step 6 - Show up at your legislators’ events.

By now, you will have been added to your legislators’ e-mail and mailing lists. Pay attention to

these, and show up at the various public events they attend. Wear your COS buttons, shirts, etc., and
take the time to go shake their hands. Remind them of your name and that you are a COS activist. If
possible, give an update about what your team has been doing, what is happening with COS
nationally, etc.  Bring folks with you.  There is strength in numbers, especially in politics.

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Created:	2023-01-13 21:42 GMT
Updated:	2025-01-14 00:00 GMT
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