How to Contact your Legislators

Why Contact your Legislators?

A well-articulated personal letter, email, postcard, or phone call are some of the most effective ways to
communicate with elected officials. They want to know how their constituents feel about issues, especially when those issues involve decisions around potential legislation. There are several reasons why contacting your legislators is valuable, including:

To explain to an official how a particular issue affects you or your group.
To demonstrate that constituents are aware of an issue and have a real interest in the outcome.
To educate an official about an issue or situation, giving background and history that they may not have.

State and National Substance-Use Related Issues

There are a number of state and national level legislative issues relating to substance use and misuse that you can highlight in a letter, email, or phone call to your elected officials, including:

Medical Marijuana Legalization

In recent years there has been a growing effort to legalize medical marijuana. Learn more about the realities of medical marijuana legislation and get
facts to share with your elected officials on the Marijuana Fact Sheets on pgs. 10-13.

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) tracks national legislation. Visit
www.learnaboutsam.org and click on “TAKE ACTION NOW” to find current legislation
and how to get involved.

Kratom

Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. When consumed, the leaves have effects similar to opioids and stimulants and can lead to addiction, negative health outcomes, and overdose. Kratom is currently legal in Idaho, and our state has the highest Kratom exposure rate in the country. Learn more about Kratom, related legislation, and get facts to share with your elected officials on the Idaho Kratom Use Fact Sheet on pg.14.

How do you Contact Legislators?

Here are five steps to effectively contact and communicate with your to your legislator:

https://legislature.idaho.gov/legislators/whosmylegislator/

You can find out who represents you (and their email, phone number, and mailing addresses) by typing your home address into the Who’s My Legislator? tool on the Idaho Legislature website (www.legislature.idaho.gov).

Decide whether you want to contact your legislator via mail, email, or phone. All three methods can effectively communicate your thoughts and concerns as a constituent. Some may feel a handwritten letter is more personal, an email more convenient, or a phone call more immediate. The method of communication can depend on your preference and how quickly you want the message to reach your legislator – with phone calls and emails tending to be faster than mail.

These tips will help increase the effectiveness of your letter or email:

OPEN IN AN OFFICIAL MANNER.
- If you are writing a letter to an elected official, show respect for the position by using the title
  of the office, and the official’s full name. Example:
  - - Date
      Title [Name of Representative or Senator]
      Office Address
      City, State, Zip Code
- If you are writing an email, use their full title. Example:
  Dear Representative [First and Last Name]
KEEP IT BRIEF. Letters/emails shouldn’t be longer than one page and should be limited to one issue.
EXPLAIN WHO YOU ARE AND THE PURPOSE FOR YOUR LETTER/EMAIL UP FRONT. In the first paragraph, tell your legislators that you are a constituent and identify the issue about which you are writing.
PERSONALIZE YOUR CORRESPONDENCE. Describe how this issue impacts you and others. Tell your elected official why this issue matters in their community or state. If you have one, include a personal story that shows how this issue affects you and your family. A constituent’s personal stories can be very persuasive as your legislator shapes his or her position.
WHAT ARE YOUR THREE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS? Choose the three strongest points that will be most effective in educating legislators about the issue and flesh them out. Statistics can be helpful (see Fact Sheets and Talking Points on pg. 9)
REMEMBER – YOU ARE THE EXPERT. Remember that your legislator’s job is to represent you. You
should be courteous and to the point, but don’t be afraid to take a firm position.

Close and Sign your Letter/Email

Thank the official and sign your full name. Make sure your address and phone number are included.

Don’t forget to check for mistakes. It can help to read the letter out loud to yourself, have someone proofread it for you, or use the spelling & grammar tools in Microsoft Word.

Ensure that the names and email or physical addresses are correct. Send the email/put a stamp on the envelope and put the letter in the mail.

Communication Templates

Sample Letter

January 10, 2021
Representative [OR] Senator Jane Doe
PO Box 1234
Idaho City, Idaho, 83000

Dear Representative [OR] Senator ______________,

As a constituent, I am writing to you to let you know how I feel about medical marijuana in the state of Idaho.

For the marijuana industry, medical legalization is the surest way to achieve full legalization. Legalizing medical marijuana brings many of the same consequences as recreational legalization, including increases in experimentation and exposure of youth and young adults. Additionally, while pain is one of the most commonly reported qualifying conditions in “legal” states, scientific evidence suggests that marijuana fails to mitigate pain and that adults with pain are actually increasingly vulnerable to adverse cannabis use outcomes and are more often reported struggling with Cannabis Use Disorder.

Regular marijuana use is increasing across Idaho. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of Idahoans using marijuana within the past 30-days increased by 55% between 2012-2018. Furthermore, the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 17% of Idaho youth (9th-12th graders) reported using marijuana in the past 30 days.

As a [resident, teenager, parent, student] in Idaho, I’m concerned about how increasing marijuana use and potential legalization of medical marijuana could impact the health and wellbeing of fellow Idahoans. [Share a personal experience if able and comfortable].

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and consider my opinion. [Optional – Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this issue further.]

Sincerely,
John Doe
123 Idaho Lane
Idaho City, Idaho, 83000
(208) 123-4567

Sample Email

Message Subject: [What is the issue you are writing the elected official about]

Dear Representative [OR] Senator Jane Doe,

I write to you today to share my concerns about medical marijuana in the state of Idaho.

Today’s high-potency marijuana is addictive, linked to serious mental health illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis, and lowers educational outcomes for those who use it heavily. As a [resident, teenager, parent, student] in Idaho, I’m concerned about how increasing marijuana use and potential legalization of medical marijuana could negatively impact the health and wellbeing of fellow Idahoans. [Share a personal experience if able and comfortable].

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

John Doe
123 Idaho Lane
Idaho City, Idaho, 83000
(208) 123-4567

Sample Phone Call

Here’s how to prepare and what to expect.

Prior to the call

Before making the call, take a few minutes to gather your thoughts and prepare what you want to say.
Review the specific issue page to further familiarize yourself with the issue.

During the call

Expect to speak with a staff member, not your representative, and be prepared to provide your name, hometown and, possibly, your zip code.
Be concise and make your points clearly.
Always be polite in both tone and language.
Explain why you are calling and what concerns you would like your legislators to be aware of.
When possible, discuss the issue from a personal perspective — sharing your own experience or that of a family member or friend is especially powerful.
Thank the staff member for taking the time to talk with you.
Remember: Although you spoke with a staff member, your views will be conveyed to your representative.

Did you reach the office’s voicemail? That is OK: leave a message. Offices check their voice messages and keep track of constituent concerns.

After the call

Consider additional actions you can take on the issue: post on social media and tag your legislators(s) and/or email your legislator(s).
Call back again in a few days to restate your concerns and views.
Encourage family and friends to call their legislators, too.

Printable Postcards

Postcards can be downloaded for free and printed.

Letter & Email Writing Checklist

You have decided who you will write to
The official(s) you have chosen has/have the authority to make a decision about your issue
You have begun the letter in an official manner, including the official’s full name and title
The purpose for which you are writing is clear
You have summarized your understanding of the issue
The general impact that you expect if a particular decision is made is stated
You have explained your position on this issue in detail
The positive and/or negative impacts the issue has on you and others are described
Statistics have been included if available and appropriate
You have thanked the official for their time
The letter is signed with your full name
Your address and phone number are listed under your name at the end of the letter
The letter you have written is free of spelling and grammatical errors
Double checked the name and physical address on the letter or postcard, or the email address
Put a stamp on your letter or postcard
Put the letter in the mail, press send on your email!

Fact Sheets & Talking Points

Statistics can provide valuable, factual support for your comments in your letters, emails, or postcards to elected officials. These Fact Sheets can help provide you with data and information to share in your letters and help build the rapport with your legislators.

Two of these Fact Sheets are from Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), an alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to a health-first approach to marijuana policy. The other three are Idaho-specific Fact Sheets created by the Idaho Office of Drug Policy. All sources are cited within the Fact Sheets.

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