The basic requirement of any movement to protect, promote or enhance a public issue is the effort to change legislation. Two essentials required to effectively pass or defeat legislation are: Professional full-time lobbyist assistance and grass-roots public support. 

Professional lobbyists are bill managers, educators and researchers to elected officials. Their job is to promote or defeat the bill, control movement through committees, and inform their clients of bill status and necessary actions. While many professional lobbyists may convince elected officials to introduce new legislation or vote to support or defeat issues, they must also be able to convince legislators there is sufficient public support. Public officials want to be re-elected and voters are the key. The best way to convince legislators that their constituents have strong positions on an issue is for the constituents themselves to communicate with their public officials. Everyone that participates effectively becomes a lobbyist. And, public officials do listen!

Do Your Homework

• Know the issue: Before contacting legislators, make sure you know what you're talking about. Sportsmen are experts in their endeavors based upon participation and required training, but research the current laws to insure you're correct  http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dtsearch_pub_statutes.html  

• Get the facts and figures straight! Erroneous data provided legislators will reduce your credibility and work against the effort. In debate, many legislators will use your data, experiences, and observations as justification for their position. It must be accurate!

• Learn the legislative process: Contact city, state, or agency officials for information on enacting legislation. Ask your lobby group for information or to guide you around the Legislative Office Building. Attend at least one meeting to see how the process works.

• Know your legislators: Call your local office of the League of Women Voters or the town clerk's office for your legislators' names and districts  http://cga.state.ct.us/ . Attend town meetings where legislators meet with voters; attend their fundraisers; make an appointment to meet them at the Legislative Office Building, the local coffee shop, take them to lunch; take them fishing; or invite them to your club to shoot.

• Know the support staff: In communicating with legislators about issues and proposed legislation, you'll also get to talk to aides, staff, and secretaries. They are key elements in the legislative process, are usually more accessible than the legislators, and can provide you with helpful information. During the legislative process, theirs is a pressure job answering hundreds of communications, researching data, reporting to legislators, and at times they may be testy. Establish solid rapport by being polite, understand their function, and keep your contact brief. Many times, these personnel will be tasked to inquire in depth as to your personal opinion, experiences, your perception of failures with current law, agency successes or failures, and other questions relevant to the bill. Keep your comments centered on the bill content.

Set Your Goal

• Stay with the goal of the group. Don't offer compromises. If compromises are necessary, communicate with and allow the lobby group to negotiate, determine critical timing, and to notify you. The bill has a definite purpose. Hundreds of communications with various compromises muddies the water, sows doubt as to the effectiveness of the legislation, and provides amendment or debate options for the opposition.

• Should you get a solid Yes or No commitment to your request, immediately inform the lobby group. This enhances the vote count, allows lobbyists to contact and thank the legislator, demonstrates constituent interest, and integrates the legislator to our team. Questions asked by the legislator that you couldn't answer should also be referred to the lobby group. They provide another reason for legislator contact and bill discussion.

Clubs and Organizations

• Legislators are most responsive to their own constituents and a sportsmen's club in the district has a significant role. A club position statement on a specific bill carries significant impact. Mention the role of the club, number of members, land acreage, club activities, participation in or support to other organizations (Boy Scouts, safety education training, fundraising donations), and most important, how the legislation will affect members and the club activities.

• Club position letters demonstrate you are informed on the subject, participants in the legislative process, are coordinated with other related groups, and concerned about the proposed legislation. Position statements should be sent to each legislator who has a constituent as a member of your club and should be so stated. Organized letter writing to legislators is a required function in many clubs. Many clubs provide paper, pens, envelopes, stamps and designate a meeting portion for legislative communications. Properly organized, this is also a learning experience: it provides information on the bill, insures members know who their legislators are, reinforces letter writing skills, involves members in the legislative process; and enhances our probability of success. Letters should be original, legible, and short. Many clubs collect and mail the letters in delayed batches so that legislative staff is not overwhelmed. Legislator responses to the letters normally promote further member involvement and participation in the legislative process. It is a good citizenship exercise.

Personal Contact

Personal contact with legislators is an important and probably the most effective lobbying tool. Make an appointment with the legislator and coordinate with your lobbying group to get a briefing on current bill status. It's best to go by yourself or, at most, with one other person. If you are going with a group, decide beforehand who will be the spokesperson or what each person will say to avoid repetition. The following guidelines will make your visit effective:

• Dress professionally.

• Be brief and to the point.

• Identify yourself as a constituent, plus as a concerned citizen, parent, or whatever else applies.

• Support your argument with facts, not emotions.

• Be specific and state clearly what you want the legislator to do: Vote yes or no, support an amendment, develop agency support, etc. Ask the legislator to talk frequently with your lobbyist to stay abreast of bill status.

• Provide background information. The legislator is busy and may know little about the issue. If available, leave a short video to illustrate the problem.

• Insure legislators know how the bill will affect their constituents, the environment, or public safety.

• Be positive, direct and upbeat. Be confident in your position.

• Don't be argumentative or hostile, and don't hesitate to admit that you do not know everything (but let them know you will find out). Be sure not to make threats, be overly emotional, or harass legislators with repeated contact.

• Leave an information pack and a brief, one page, clearly written summary of your position.

• Write a personal thank you after every visit or supportive action by the legislator, and thank any aides or secretaries with whom you have contact.

Letter Writing:

Writing letters, whether through the postal system or by e-mail, is a very effective way of influencing legislation, educating others and influencing policy.

One of the best ways to get your point of view to members of Congress, State Legislators, newspapers, magazines, other media and to businesses is through a personal letter. Elected officials, in particular, pay close attention to the mail they receive because every letter represents a certain portion of their constituency. Most decision-makers now have e-mail addresses which provides you faster communication, allows for multiple addressees (both your State Representative and Senator), and for them, an easier method of response.

Whether you use the Internet or the postal system, there are certain basic rules to follow when writing to elected officials, and, in general, apply to other letters. Here are some tips:

• In the first paragraph, state your purpose for writing. Make it short and to the point. If you are writing about a specific bill, specify its number (HB xxx or SB xxx) or its popular name (Sunday Hunting, Smart Guns, etc.). Legislators have thousands of bills before them in the course of a legislative session

• If you are writing in opposition or support to something, state that explicitly. Explain why you believe it is right or wrong. Do not suggest alternatives. Our experience demonstrates many differing ideas are confusing, distracting, and may be used against your interests. Contact your lobbying group with your alternative ideas.

• Next, build your case and explain why you feel as you do. Use facts, not emotional arguments to support your position. Explain the ramifications of the matter in question.

• If you admire your legislator for a particular reason, mention it in your letter.

• Ask your legislator his or her view and a response on the subject. Forward the response information to your lobbying group immediately!

• If possible, keep your letter to one page.

• Be sure to include your name and complete address (even for email correspondence).

Tips for All Letters

Type your letters, if possible. Otherwise, print legibly. If no one can read your letter, you have wasted your time. Use correct grammar and spelling, and proofread your letter before mailing it. If possible, ask someone else to look it over. Before writing, do your homework. Get facts and figures right. Don't use flowery or decorated stationery; Letterhead stationary is good. Letters should be direct; state your purpose early on. Don't include personal anecdotes unless you have a specific reason to do so (for example, when writing about a bill on Sunday Hunting, you could mention your observations on high deer populations in your area). Keep personal grudges and name-calling out of letters; they will destroy your credibility. Opt for a letter over a postcard, but by all means send a postcard rather than nothing at all. Petitions demonstrate little personal involvement/concern, are not usually from within a specific legislative district constituency, and are not normally an effective method of influencing legislation.

Letters to the Editor

When writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine, follow the publication's instructions with regard to length (make the point, but keep it short), personal information that must be included, etc. Newspapers may ask for a telephone number to verify that you're the author of the letter before they print it. Letters in response to articles or other letters to the editor should be written without delay, within a day or two, if possible. Not only is the paper more likely to print your response, but readers will remember the original item better.

In rebuttals, focus on one or two points and bring them out clearly. Try to tell readers something they may not know (hunting license fees support non-game wildlife, many sportsmen's organizations fund wildlife habitat management, the CT "Right to bear arms" clause is clearer than the Second Amendment, sportsmen's contributions to the economy).

Letters don't have to be rebuttals; you can express concern about any issue.

You can also write, call or e-mail television and radio stations to clarify or protest broadcasts or to compliment them on programs that support your views.

Legislative Letters

Letters to legislators should be brief and to the point. Normally, discuss only one bill per letter. Don't ask the legislator to support/oppose broad issues (hunting bills, "animal rights," pro-gun). Different issues are at stake with each bill. It is our obligation through communication and documentation to convince them of the validity and benefits of our position, and they want to hear from you. Never be threatening or insulting - the probability is it will negate many positive letters and sportsmen will lose that legislative vote.

DO's

• Your legislators want positions, observations and opinions from their district, and they want and appreciate intelligent, well-thought-out letters that informs them your desires and concerns.

• Even more important and valuable to them is a concrete statement of the reasons for your position--particularly if you are writing about a field in which you have specialized knowledge (As a sportsman, YOU are the expert in our interests). Legislators have to vote on many subjects with which they have had little or no first-hand experience. Much of the most valuable information they receive comes from facts presented in letters from people who have knowledge in the field.

• Short letters are always best. Legislators receive many letters each day; long letters may not get as prompt a reading as a brief statement. Letters are read, counted, and emphasis placed on your position and new information. Form letters do not get much attention.

• Attach and highlight news articles that provide documentation and substantiates your position. Extract from studies and provide references, web sites, etc. to which legislators can refer.

• Letters should be timely. It is never too early to write. Bills as they move through the process may change dramatically. Changes in a bill requires another letter, since the change may negate your original position. A volume of mail just prior to decision points (Committee deadlines, Floor votes) is critical. Write often - legislators appreciate your views.

• If you don't receive a response within 10-14 days, follow up with a request and add more information.
  When a response is received, always follow through with a thank-you letter and add more information.

DON'Ts

• Demand votes for or against a certain bill without giving any reasoning or documentation.

• Threats of defeat at the next election are not effective or reasoned.

• Boast of your influence or overstate your knowledge - be humble and helpful.

• Demand a vote commitment on a particular bill. Some legislators will provide their position immediately, while others will prefer to hear all testimony. Some, without adequate information, will not commit until a floor vote.

• Attach cartoons or literature that MAY be criticized as improper.

• Form letters are not as influential as a simple letter drawing on your own experience.

• Do not engage in letter writing overkill. Quality, not quantity.
   

Sample Legislative Letter:

The Honorable John Q. Public
Room Legislative Office Building, Room XXXX
Hartford, Connecticut 06106-1591

Dear Representative Public:

I am writing to express my concern about the possible passage of House Bill ###, An Act Concerning Firearms Recognition Technology, "Smart Guns," which would impose more restrictions on firearms ownership.

I urge you to vote no on this legislation. "Smart Gun" technology has not been perfected, is probably years away from retail sales, and would impact self-protection. I am particularly concerned that this item would be mandated for use on all handguns, and reasonably question how any item not yet developed can be forced upon the public. All handgun permit holders are trained in proper safety procedures and accidents are rare. If enacted, I also have concerns that HB ### would not improve firearms safety, but "Smart Gun" devices, being unproven technology, may actually cause more accidents. When properly developed and proven, this item may be a valuable addition to firearms safety. I would, however, strongly suggest that any application apply only to new firearms and be an option to the user.

Please give me a call at your earliest convenience so we can discuss this issue further. It is of concern to many gunowners that continued restrictions on firearms ownership is becoming extreme. Your reasoned participation on previous firearms legislative issues has been appreciated. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Name
Home address
Telephone