Capital Watch is a weekly update from the Florida Wildlife Federation
containing the latest news on legislation affecting Florida's environment
and fish and wildlife resources.
Communicating With Your Representatives
http://myflorida.com/portal/Government is an excellent resource for all things legislative in Florida. You can learn about the political process, follow bills, learn about and contact your legislators and more.
As a Floridian, one of your greatest responsibilities is to help elect the legislators who represent you and the state's more than 14 million other residents. But your role in the democratic process of government does not end at the polls. By sharing your opinions and ideas with your representatives and senators in Tallahassee, you help them decide what to do about the issues and pending legislation that affect us all. They value your suggestions and encourage you to express them.
Your legislators receive a huge amount of phone calls and mail from their constituents. Unfortunately, their full agendas limit their ability to personally read and respond to it all. How then, can you be sure your voice is heard? Here are some tips to help you get the most impact out of your communications with your legislators in Tallahassee.
Know who your legislators are and how to contact them.
You can find your Senate and House Districts on your voter registration card, in the front of your local phone book, or you can find out online at www.myflorida.com under Government/Legislative Branch. A full directory of contact information is available online.
Make sure you understand the legislative process.
Even the most basic understanding of the process will help you effectively express your ideas. Information about the lawmaking process can also be found at www.myflorida.com under Government/About Florida Government.
Contact your legislator about a particular issue before the Legislature takes action on it.
Most matters coming before the Legislature are well publicized before session. Issues that are of particular concern to the Florida Wildlife Federation will be posted in this section of our website, as well as weekly summaries of what has happened in the legislature.
Use a variety of communication methods.
You might choose to telephone, write, e-mail, fax, or visit your legislator. You might also choose to give testimony at public hearings held by the Legislature. (To give testimony, you would need to contact the appropriate committee secretary before the hearing to sign up.)
Tell your legislator what effect you think a particular bill, if it becomes law, will have on you, your children, business, or community. Be concise, but specific.
Be polite, even if you disagree strongly with the legislator you are addressing.
Lawmakers cannot please everyone. Your communication will be more effective if you are reasonable in your approach.
Suggest a course of action and offer assistance. Don't make promises or threats.
Contact the Governor
Governor Charlie Crist
PL 05 The Capitol
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Telephone: 850/488-7146
charlie.crist@myflorida.com
Address letters to Members of the House of Representatives as follows:
The Honorable John Doe
Florida House of Representatives
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300.
Address letters to Senators this way:
Senator Jane Doe
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100.
Be absolutely certain you spell your legislator's name correctly and use the correct address. If you don't, you could lose your audience.
Type or print legibly. Sign your name neatly and give your address correctly so they can respond to your letter.
Keep letters, e-mails, and faxes brief. Never write more than one page. Concise written correspondence is more likely to grab and keep the reader's attention.
Identify your issue or opinion at the beginning of the letter, don't bury your main point under trivial text.
Cover only one issue per letter. If you have another issue to address, write another letter.
Back up your opinions with supporting facts. Your letter should inform the reader.
Avoid abbreviations or acronyms, and don't use technical jargon. Rather than impressing your reader, such terms will only frustrate him or her.
Don't send the same letter to more than one legislator. Personalized letters have more impact.
Calling or Visiting Your Legislator
Plan your call or visit carefully. Keep to the point and discuss only one issue. Organize your thoughts ahead of time and make notes to help you stay on track.
When planning to visit your legislator, make an appointment. Don't just drop by your legislator's office and expect him or her to drop everything to see you. Call or write for an appointment as soon as you know when you are going to be at the Capitol.
Prepare a one-page fact sheet concerning your issue to give to your legislator. This will help him or her better retain what you present.
House Members can be e-mailed through www.myfloridahouse.gov
Senator's e-mail addresses can be found at www.flsenate.gov on the Senator Member's Pages and are generally LastName.FirstName.web@flsenate.gov.
Contacting Congress
US Congressmen can be contacted online through web-forms at www.congress.org.
When writing Members of Congress, use the same guidelines as for contacting State Legislators and address your letters as follows:
The Honorable [Name of Senator]
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable [Name of Representative]
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Capital Watch 2006
Legislative Preview - 2006
Capital Watch - Week One - March 13, 2006
Capital Watch - Week Two - March 21, 2006
Capital Watch - Week Three - March 24, 2006
Capital Watch - Week Four - April 3, 2006
Capital Watch - Week Five - April 7, 2006
(no week six, Legislature on break)
Capital Watch - Week Seven - April 24, 2006
Capital Watch - Week Eight - May 1, 2006
Capital Watch - Final Report - May 8, 2006
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