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Contact legislators now

Easy ways to connect

Technology makes contacting legislators quick and easy, but some tried-and-true approaches are often the best. In fact, research tells us the best methods (in order of effectiveness) are
• Face-to-face interaction
• Live phone calls
• Original letters—mailed, e-mailed, or faxed
• Voice mail messages
• Form letters (Customizing form letters as much as possible with information specific to your company makes them more effective.)

Once you develop a relationship with a legislator, you’ll learn how he or she prefers to be reached. “I like face-to-face,” says Sen. Harris. But he acknowledges that the best way to contact him depends on the circumstances.

Right now, one good way to introduce yourself and your business to legislators would be to send a brief note congratulating them on winning the election in November. Mention what your company does and how many people you employ. Also note what your biggest challenges are—such as keeping costs down or finding an affordable way to continue offering health benefits. Finally, suggest that legislators feel free to contact you whenever they have a question about a bill’s impact on businesses such as yours. Give them your phone number, e-mail, and Web address, and consider inviting them to visit your company.

Throughout the legislative session, stay informed about business-related bills. You’ll find the latest developments at www.cbia.com/gov. Our site’s search engine makes it easy to look up your legislators’ names and contact information, and you can e-mail them directly from the site.

CBIA helps you connect with legislators in other ways, too—for instance, by arranging small, informal meetings between legislators and businesspeople in districts around the state. (Check www.cbia.com/gov for a schedule of meetings.)

CBIA staff can also answer your questions about a particular bill and advise you on how to contact a legislator about it. “Members should feel free to call us for advice or suggestions on how to word something,” says CBIA’s Stewart. “We can send them a sample letter or a sample script for a phone call.”

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get an answer to a letter, e-mail, or voice mail message. Aides reliably relay messages to the legislators they work for. The simple fact that you sent a message is critical. “Many legislators say they only have to hear from four or five constituents about something before they realize the issue is important in their district,” says CBIA’s McGuire.

You make a difference

One business executive who has found it worthwhile to contact legislators is CBIA Vice Chair Sam Bergami, CEO of Alinabal Inc. in Milford. “Most legislators want to do the right thing. They want to promote a strong economy and the creation of good jobs,” he says.

Bergami, who will be up for election next month as CBIA’s chair for 2009, tells members, “Get involved. Become educated. Know what bills are being proposed. Be proactive: Write or e-mail your legislators. It makes a difference, I can tell you that.”

“I’m extremely busy,” he adds. “But I get involved to attempt to control my own destiny.”

Encourage employees to get involved too

Legislators appreciate hearing from business leaders, but they also care about what your employees think—especially those who live in their districts. “Educate employees about how legislative proposals or business problems might affect their jobs, and encourage them to contact legislators,” says Brennan. “Our surveys show that your employees trust you as one of the best sources of information on public policy issues.”

According to Stewart, “Businesspeople sometimes hesitate to talk to their employees about political issues, but when they do, they’re usually pleased with the outcome. People are really worried about their jobs.”

“At Alinabal, we talk about politics with our employees in a generic sense,” says Bergami. “We post pertinent information on TV screens in our plants. I print out all relevant bills that come out (I get that from CBIA) and make that information available to employees. We ask them to write or e-mail their legislators to tell them what they think about those bills. We don’t tell employees what to say or how to vote,” he says.

“I do tell employees, ‘If you want job security, watch what legislators are doing. The legislators who support business-friendly bills are your friends.’”

For help finding information about a legislative or regulatory issue, call CBIA at 860-244-1900 and ask for the Public Affairs Department. You can also e-mail Lisa McGuire at lisa.mcguire@cbia.com.

Diane Friend Edwards is a freelance writer in Thomaston.

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