Navigating the Capital
Effective Communication With a Legislator or Legislative Aide
As a NARPM member, sharing your opinions and ideas with our Representatives and Senators in Tallahassee helps them decide what to do about the issues and pending legislation. 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 respond to them all. Here are some tips on how NARPM’s Day on the Hill can benefit your profession.
Know who your legislators are
Know who your legislators are and where their offices are.
If you aren’t sure who represents your area, you can find out by using the Find Your Legislator tool. Your Senator’s flsenate.gov page will give you his or her mailing addresses, phone numbers, social media links, and email address.
Be concise, yet specific
When visiting the legislator, or most often their aides, as they are extremely busy, be concise, yet specific. Tell your legislator:
- Where you are from
- Your business
- How many rental properties are in your area
- How many you manage
- What effect you think a particular issue or bill if it becomes law, will have on you, your business or the community.
Also, suggest a course of action and always offer assistance. If there is no specific bill, the meeting is more to let the legislator or aide know who you are and what you do.
How an idea becomes a law
Review how the legislative process works. Understanding how an idea becomes law will help you effectively express your own ideas. If you are unsure where an issue is in the process, you can visit http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bills to find a Bill’s next stop.
Advocacy training
Since 2014 the Congressional Management Foundation has trained more than 98,000 citizens through more than 1,610 presentations, webinars, and videos on effectively communicating with Congress.