Iowa Grassroots Lobbying
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IMPORTANT! Before you begin,
please take a minute to study the issue by visiting our main Legislative
page and its links. If there is a legislative alert,
links to information pages will appear there. |
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STEP 1 - Identify your legislators.
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Click here to identify your state senator and representative
by address or ZIP code. If you are still
unsure, call the IPTA office for this information, 800/925-3064. |
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Your local government offices and your library will also
help you identify your legislators. |
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| STEP 2 - Call your
legislators about the issue.
| SENATE: 515/281-3371 |
| HOUSE: 515/281-3221 |
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Call Monday-Thursday. The Legislature does not
usually meet on
Fridays. On Fridays and weekends, call them at home. |
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Plan what
you are going to say. |
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Make sure at the outset that the legislator knows you are a
constituent. |
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Keep your message as brief as possible, emphasizing the
problem and how your bill will solve that problem. |
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Conclude your conversation with a call for action (...please
vote yes...), and advise that you will provide additional information
in a follow-up letter. |
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IMPORTANT: Before you finish, ask the legislator if you can
count on his/her support. Immediately pass that
response to IPTA by phone, fax or e-mail so we can keep a vote tally and
organize necessary follow-up.
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Click
here for E-mail feedback |
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Fax 515/222-9839 |
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Phone 800/925-3064, leave message |
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If you cannot speak directly with the legislator, ask to
speak to an assistant or ask for a call back. |
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Always thank them for taking the time to speak with you.
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STEP 3 - Write and e-mail your legislators about the issue.
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Address: |
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Honorable (Name)
Iowa (Senate) (House of Representatives)
State Capitol Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
Salutation: Dear (Senator) (Representative ) (Name),
Point out that you are a constituent. Expand on the same
points you made in your phone call and provide local details and facts to
support your points plus pages 3-8 of the newsletter. Conclude with a call to
action. Thank them for their consideration.
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STEP 4 - Continue to follow up in phone calls, letters
and E-mail as the legislation progresses.
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STEP 5 - Enlist the help of patients and other
health-care providers.
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This should occur in conjunction with your initial
organizing efforts because legislators often find the testimony of
patients to be most credible. |
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Help your patients contribute to the effort by making
it as easy as possible for them to communicate with their legislators.
Provide fact sheets and sample letters. |
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Colleagues in other health-care disciplines can be
valuable allies. Enlist their support in the same way you would your
patients. |
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