Network Resources: Peer Mentoring Network: Advocacy: Meeting with Legislators

Peer Mentoring Network

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• Mentors
• Guiding Questions
• Additional Resources

Mentors

Wendi Clifton
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
1720 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 600
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-870-6565
404-870-6541 fax
Email: wendic@preventchildabusega.org

Gaylord Gieseke
Voices of Illinois Children
208 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1490
Chicago, IL 60604-1103
312-516-5565
312-465-0088
Email: ggieseke@voices4kids.org

Guiding Questions

1) Do you know what your legislator's key issues are?

2) Are you educated around how the state legislative process works?

3) Are you comfortable being bi-partisan?

4) Have you prepared:

• Brief, concise materials
• An "ask" - what your position is and what you want the legislator to do
• Relevant constituent information - how this directly impact the voters in his/her district
• Real world stories not just facts and figures

5) Do you have grassroots support on call to contact the legislator after your meeting?

6) Have you developed ways for your legislator to have a more substantial role, by being involved in your planning, fundraising, media activities, if he/she is particularly committed to the issue of child abuse prevention?

Additional Resources

The following groups offer guidelines for meeting with legislators:

• www.floridakids.org/site/article.php?52.255
• www.badbills.com/lobbying_201.htm
• www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/10186.html
• Parents United for Public Schools offers advice on how to meet with your legislators: http://www.parentsunited.org/Meet.html
• www.democracyctr.org/resources/lobbying.html
• www.mainechildrensalliance.org/am/publish/article_21.shtml
• http://www.ounceofprevention.org/downloads/policy/Dos_and_Donts.pdf

See also "Advocacy Technical Assistance."