How to Contact your Kentucky State Legislator
(The best way - write a letter!)
Believe it or not, legislators receive very little feedback from their constituents on a given issue! One of the best ways to make an impression with your legislator is to write him or her a letter about your concerns. Use the tips below to help make your impression a good one!
Be Specific
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Mention your issue (i.e., Family Friendly Jury Duty Legislation) and ask your legislator to support a specific bill that addresses this issue.
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Do not ever address more than one topic. If you want to talk about two or three issues, write or call several different times.
Be Correct
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Address your correspondence properly.
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The salutation of your letter should always include the appropriate title: "Senator"' or "Representative" before his last name. However, in the address, "The Honorable..."' should precede his name.
(Click here to find your Kentucky legislator’s mailing address, email, and phone number).
Be Personal
Do not send form letters, as they annoy legislators.
Petitions are useless! Most legislators say 5 personal notes outweigh 100 or more pages of a petition!
Type or handwrite a letter on personal stationery, if possible.
Be sure to include your return address as well as your phone number in your letter so he knows you are in his district. (Legislators want to verify that you are indeed their constituent and merely indicating that you are “in his district” will not suffice).
Including your phone number makes it easier and more convenient for him to reply.Some technically savvy legislators prefer to be contacted via E-mail, as it is a fast and effective way to provide timely responses to constituents. As with written correspondence, be sure to include your return address and phone number so the legislator knows you are in his district. (There is no way a legislator can tell where you are from just by looking at your e-mail address!)
Keep in mind, there are legislators who aren’t comfortable using computers and would rather be contacted via a phone call or letter
Although telephone calls are not a substitute for personal contact and letter writing, they are sometimes necessary when time is short..
Be Persistent
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You need not hesitate about reaching him/her at home or work.
Remember, these are your paid representatives! -
Do not be shy about writing your legislator again, particularly if the response was not satisfactory the first time.
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Your persistence could pay off. When you do write again, refer to your original letter.
Be Gracious
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If your legislator has been helpful in anyway, be sure to send him/her a thank you note. It is always nice to be appreciated.
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Also, never bad mouth one legislator to another. This will make your legislator wonder what you could be saying about him or her.
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Always be courteous and respectful to the legislator’s staff.
Be Concise
Write intelligently and keep your comments to one page if possible.
Use facts and logical reasoning rather than emotional rhetoric.
Do not use too many facts... two or three key ones will do just fine.
You may also attach additional resources, such as newspaper or magazine clippings... but don’t over do it.
Be Respectful
Always be courteous.
Threats or insults will do much more harm than good, possibly motivating him to work against you.
Never say things like, "I'm a veteran, and I vote!" or "As a citizen and a taxpayer..." Let other people alienate legislators with abusive language and threats.
Click here To find
who your Kentucky representatives are and how to contact them
Click here to view a sample letter to a Kentucky legislator
Afterwards, please
e-mail me to let me know the legislator’s response to your letter.
Click here to find out what NOT to do when contacting your legislator
The above information was adapted from the Kentucky Citizen Digest
Click here to view a sample letter to a Kentucky legislator.
Click here To find who your Kentucky representatives are and how to contact them.
Click here to find out what NOT to do when contacting your legislator
Afterwards, please e-mail me to let me know the legislator’s response to your letter.
Last updated Thursday August 09, 2007
