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Tips and Comments to Assist Citizens 

Research:
Know who your legislators are so you can better decide who might sponsor your Bill. 
​
1. Create a profile on each Legislator who will be voting on your issue
     Include what Committees they serve on and if they are the Chair of a Committee
     Look at what they have written or co-sponsored in the past
     Look at their past votes on similar issues
     Find out who their top campaign contributors have been
     Note their professional path and that of their spouse
     What organizations have asked them to speak
     What organizations do they belong to and have memberships
     Party affiliation and length of time in office
     Update this every year
2. Create a profile on each Standing Committee
     
Note who are the members and the Chair
     Look at who donates to each of them
     See if there is a dominate Party affiliation
​     What Bills have they passed in the past
​     See if they have any personal experiences that would make them more interested
     Know who your opponents might be and what their message is to the public
     Beware of "Fakeouts" where the title of the Bill or Ordinance is actually opposite - don't just go by the name, actually read the wording of a proposed piece of legislation since they may want to get votes from people who actually oppose it
3. Current Ordinances or Laws
     Often legislators don't want to be the first to do something
     Find similar laws in other cities or states to show a trend
     This also gives legal research on the issue a jump start
     Doing this shows you are serious about change
4. Path for a New Piece of Legislation or How to Modify Existing Laws
     Each governing body may have a slightly different process for researching, reading and voting
     Create a Timeline so you know the deadlines and cutoff dates
     Know what dates the Committee is meeting and when minutes from that Committee are available for review
     Get on the notification lists to receive packets and notifications (APRA/FOIA)

     Be mindful how many "readings" there are and if they can do them all at once and if they can be modified along the way
     Plan your PR campaigns to match the process of when they will be reviewing and voting
5. Plan Your Media and Advocacy Presence
    Once an Ordinance or Bill is out of Committee and starting to make it's way through the process, plan your phone, email and personal appearances
     Requesting a group meeting with the Committee and speaking at public open mic times is key since they pay attention to energized Citizens
     Find like minded groups who may want to join in (For example a gardening or plant group might join in for a clean water push)
     Know your media and give them a full copy of your initiative and highlight in yellow any "sound bytes" for them to emphasize. Give the "human story" for it and be sure to have contact information for a spokesperson prominently on it. Also be sure to send it to the Newsroom/Producer of print, radio and TV.
     Start your social media campaign from DAY ONE so you start to build SEO and have a # you use across all platforms consistently
  
6. Show Gratitude to Those Who Assist
     Never underestimate both public and private gratitude
     Publically thank them on social media and tag those who have supported your cause
     Send them handwritten Thank You notes (This is still appreciated even in a day of electronic media)
     Know that often things don't get out of a Committee or pass the first, second or third time so continue to show your gratitude each step of the way
7. Advocacy Frustrations and Joys
     The change process is often slow and frustrating so be PERSISTANT! It's a marathon!
     Your Passion will need to fuel your Persistance
     Remember the laws are to benefit the lives of the AVERAGE CITIZEN
     This site was created to "Inform and Empower"
     Know that even small ripples can make a difference--Thank you for being an Advocate!
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