GET YOUR VOICE HEARD
HAVE YOU EVER VISITED WASHINGTON, DC, OR YOUR STATE CAPITOL AND WITNESSED THE LEGISTLATIVE PROCESS? DO YOU READ OR HEAR NEWS REPORTS ABOUT LAWS THAT HAVE PASSED AND WONDERED 'HOW DID THEY COME UP WITH THIS'?

By Kirby Thompson

Our elected representatives are well intended, but do not always understand the effect a new law may have or how it could actually be harmful to a community or business. You can help them shape better laws by becoming engaged in the process and making your voice heard. We would like to offer 5 simple ways you can make a difference in how laws are made:

1. LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE LOCAL
   This is an old phrase turned often by politicians at every level, but it really does ring true when legislative issues are being debated. Elected officials that stay close to the voters who put them in office, enjoy long political careers and broad margins of support. Your job is to know the Members of Congress (US House and US Senate) as well as your state legislative delegations. You should know the officials where you live and where you work, especially if you have a large number of co-workers. No matter how far elected officials travel, they always come home to meet with local people who actually vote for them in the next election. Make a point to always identify yourself as part of a community or business that they recognize as being inside their voting district.
2. ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH LIKE-MINDED VOTERS
   There is power in numbers as these add up to more votes for an elected official. If there is an issue that is important to your community or business, find others who share your concern. The more people who tell the legislator that this issue affects them, the louder your voices will be heard. These can be neighborhood or homeowner groups, trade associations, or professional organizations that help coordinate a unified message around a single issue. Always remember to remind them where you live and vote and that this issue is important to you and your friends in this associated group.
3. CHOOSE YOUR ISSUES CAREFULLY
   Elected officials often have broad geographic and demographic diversity inside the boundaries of their respective districts. These may be rural and urban, black and white, labor and business, or many other conflicting constituencies. A good politician will listen to both sides and work towards a compromise that makes everyone happy. However, there will be times when one side loses and no politician wants to face this crowd back home. You must choose your issues carefully and be selective or prioritize the ones you are passionate enough about. But if you pick your battles carefully, your elected official will help you win more often than you lose.
4. OFFER SOLUTIONS NOT JUST OBJECTIONS
   Compromise is the fluid that moves the legislative process. You can tell your elected official that this pending piece of legislation will harm your community or business, but also offer how it could be changed, amended, or re-written to benefit all concerned. Remember that politicians want to make each group happy, and declare everyone a winner. Often this is exactly how bills are passed, by giving each constituency a piece of what they were asking for. While tactically it may be easier to block bad laws than pass good laws, our elected officials want to be successful at some level and appreciate collaborative constituents that work with them throughout to further their ideas into workable laws.
5. BECOME A TRUSTED RESOURCE
   If you follow steps one through four above, you will know your elected official, they in turn know that you belong to a group or community that is important to their re-election, they know that you will not bother them before every legislative vote is cast and they know you will work to help them craft practical legislative solutions. You are now well on your way to becoming a trusted resource for elected officials. This is where you can have the most impact on how laws are made. When legislators seek your help before a bill becomes law, you have become a vital part of the process. You want to be offered a seat at the table long before a vote is taken or debate has begun. When the bill finally becomes law, you have been instrumental in making it something all parties can be proud of.

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