Here are some tools to help you better communicate with your legislator.
by Sue Rafferty

Sue Rafferty is a legislative assistant to Delegate Al Eisenberg of the 47th House District in Arlington. Sue has served as a legislative assistant for 13 sessions, first for Del. James F. Almand of the 47th House District and now for his successor. Sue retired in July 2004 from Arlington County Public Schools, where she taught Government and Economics for 30 years. You can reach her at rsuerafferty@aol.com.

According to the Center for Civic Education, a representative democracy is a system of government in which power is held by the people and exercised indirectly through elected representatives. We sometimes forget that in order for a representative democracy to work the people must continuously communicate with their elected representatives. This task can be successfully accomplished by following a few simple tips.

"Our children should learn the general framework of their government and then they should know where they come in contact with the government, where it touches their daily lives and where their influence is exerted on the government. It must not be a distant thing, someone else’s business, but they must see how every cog in the wheel of a democracy is important and bears its share of responsibility for the smooth running of the entire machine."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Legislators and other elected officials look to their constituents for support and direction. You are the very individuals who placed them in elected office in the first place and you are the ones who will either return them to office or vote to elect their opponents. Keeping in touch is also important because elected officials need direction from the voters. They need to know what is on your mind and what is important to you. Many times it is the individual citizen that alerts her legislator to a problem or an issue. Sometimes this needs to be addressed by proposing new legislation. Jefferson's concept of the citizen-legislator demands frequent interaction with the public.

In a time of mass communication and instant messaging, contacting your legislator would seem a simple task - you can write a letter, e-mail or phone. Legislators are constantly in the public eye both in Richmond during the legislative session and at local farmers' markets, civic associations and other public gatherings. So, how can you best communicate with your legislator?

Tips for effective communications

• Be sure you are contacting the legislator that represents you. Check the legislature's website house.state.va.us and click on "Who is my legislator?" to find out who represents you in the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate.
• Be sure to plan out the letter or e-mail you are sending. Resist the temptation to give a laundry list of problems or issues that concern you. Discuss only one issue or problem per letter or e-mail.
• Be sure to limit your discussion to one bill per letter or e-mail. If you want to discuss more than one bill be sure these bills all concern the same issue or problem. If you know the number of the bill please include it (e.g., HB1500). In any given Session more than 3,000 bills may be introduced. Having the bill number helps identify the exact text. Tell the legislator why you support, or don’t support a particular bill. Be specific, tell her how the bill would affect you, your family or your community.
• Be sure to identify yourself as a constituent immediately. "As your constituent I am writing you to share my views on HB1500." Or, "Having lived in Abingdon for more than 10 years, I feel . . ." This alerts the reader to your status as a constituent. Especially during the rush of business during the legislative session, it is important to single out constituents as a priority. During the "long session" in even numbered years (i.e., 2006) the entire two-year state budget is under consideration. In a typical day during a long session, a legislator may receive more than 200 e-mails and many letters. It is important for the legislative staff to prioritize.
• Be sure to include your name, address and telephone number in your e-mail or letter. Print your name and address clearly. Every year we are not able to respond to dozens of letters because the return address is missing or the name cannot be read. We even try to use the phone book and reverse directories to find the correct addresses of some constituents. Because we may receive so many e-mails every day, we do not regularly respond to e-mails where we cannot be sure that the writer is a constituent.
• Be sure to send the letter to the correct address. Again, go to the website (house.state.va.us) and find the address listed. During the legislative session (January, February and the first two weeks of March — in even years) letters should be sent to the Richmond address. When the legislature is not in session, send letters to the legislator’s home office address. E-mails can be sent to the same address year-round. Again, check the website for e-mail addresses (e.g., del_eisenberg@house.state.va.us).
• Be sure to call ahead if you plan to visit your delegate or senator during session in Richmond. You may have to settle for the delegate's legislative assistant because the delegate may be in committee meetings or on the House Floor for most of the day. You can call Richmond and make an appointment.
• Be sure to visit your legislator while she (or he) is in the home district. Again, you may find legislators’ district office phone numbers on the legislative website. Visiting during the time that the legislator is not in session is frequently much easier and more relaxed.
• Be sure to call your legislator and tell him about your concerns or about your views on particular legislation. During the session you may call the Constituent Viewpoint Hotline — a toll free number (1-804-889-0229) — and share your views with your delegate or senator.
• Be sure to contact your legislator if you have a problem dealing with a state agency or department (e.g., Department of Taxation or Department of Motor Vehicles). Sometimes the legislator or her staff can help you resolve a problem or answer a question.
• Be sure to remember that it is your right to voice your opinion and share your thoughts with your legislator.

NOTE: The Virginia General Assembly meets in Richmond. Session begins on the second Wednesday in January. While the Capitol Building is undergoing restoration the House of Delegates will meet in the east wing of the Old State Library (now called the Patrick Henry Building) just north of the Capitol. The Senate will meet in the west wing of the Patrick Henry Building. "Short sessions" are in odd-numbered years and usually last 46 days. "Long sessions" meet in even years (such as 2006) and usually last 60 days. The Constitution of Virginia allows the Legislature to extend any session by no more than 30 days.

Resources and Brief Facts:

• Legislative Website: house.state.va.us
• Constituent Viewpoint Toll Free Hotline (during Session only) 1-800-889-0229
• Phone numbers and addresses of legislators — see legislative website
• Who is my Legislator? — see homepage of legislative website
• Bill tracking — see homepage of legislative website