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Suggestions for Action

Contact Your Legislators

Contact (write, phone, meet with, or e-mail*) your state representative and senator asking for their support for the bill or bills you favor. If they are authors or co-authors, thank them. If they are not, ask them to co-author. If they indicate that they cannot or will not support this legislation, ask them why and go from there.

(If you don't know who your legislator is or what district you live in, you can call the House information office at 651-296-2146 or outstate at 1-800-657-3550.)

*We have received a variety of suggestions concerning how to use e-mail to legislators. So far the best advice seems to be, if you are going to try to use e-mail with your legislators, identify yourself as a constituent in the subject line.

Or if you are just quickly e-mailing the list of authors of a bill to thank them, putting, "Thank you for SF649 / HF1058" in the subject line might be an effective way to communicate with those legislators who do not represent your legislative district.

Written Communications

In any written communication, (letters or e-mail) include your name, address, phone number, and, if you wish, e-mail address. It helps legislators determine if you are a constituent or just an "interested citizen". There's nothing wrong with the "interested citizen" designation, but most legislators try very hard to respond in writing to or by contacting constituents during the Session. They may or may not try to respond to "interested citizens" after the Session is over. It definitely does NOT mean that they won't read your communication.

Calling and/or Making An Appointment

When calling a legislator's office, their LA (Legislative Assistant) will more than likely answer the phone (although sometimes you get the legislator themselves, if they're in). You can ask to speak to the legislator, and if they're not available, leave your name and number and what you are calling about. If you are calling about a specific bill, mention the number.

To make an appointment you will need to call their office. (It's better to do it that way than requesting it through e-mail.) You probably will be asked how much time you need. If you are going alone, try to take only 15 to 20 minutes. If you are going in a group, it's OK to ask for a half hour. That should do it. No letter needs to go out in advance. And again, let the LA know what the issue is and the bill number, if you have it. Then the legislator can be ready for you.

If you are meeting with a Republican Senator, you will need to check in with the receptionist, Diane, in Room 155 of the State Office Building (SOB). She will let the Senator you are meeting with know you are there.

Contact Other Legislators

If you wish, send a copy of your letter or e-mail it to the members of the various education committees in the House and/or Senate. The education committees in the House are the Education Policy committee and the K-12 Education Finance committee. Some representatives are on both. The education committees in the Senate are the Education Committee (policy) and the E-12 Budget Division (funding). Again, some senators are on both.

(You can find out who the members of those committees are on the Legislature's website at http://www.leg.state.mn.us You will also find legislator's addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses there.)

Let the Governor Know What You Think

Send a copy on to the Governor's office, and/or the Department of Children Families and Learning to let them know of your support. Or call the Governor's comment line at 651-296-3391 or 1-800-657-3717.

Governor Tim Pawlenty- governor@state.mn.us

State Capitol Room 130

St. Paul, MN 55155

Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau- lt.governor@state.mn.us

State Capitol Room 130

St. Paul, MN 55155

Commissioner Christine Jax - christine.jax@state.mn.us

1500 Hwy. 36 W

Roseville, MN 55113

Tell Legislators and the Governor Where You Think the Money Should Come From

In your contact to both your legislators and the Governor's office you may wish to talk about where the money for this should come from. If it is your opinion that you'd rather have part or all of the state surplus invested in E-12 education rather than refunded or if/whether you'd prefer not to have the income tax rates cut or not cut as much, say so. If that is not your opinion, that is fine, too.

Include Personal Stories, But Keep It Short

In your contact include personal stories illustrating the impact of the current lack of state support for gifted and talented programs on your children's and family's lives, and your school - particularly if you homeschool, Charter School, private school, or Open Enroll to meet needs, etc. The personal stories you tell are what sell legislators on the need for legislation. (Try to keep letters to one page)

The key language we need to focus on is "identifying gifted"; "offering challenging coursework commensurate with the needs of gifted kids"; "provide teachers with training so they are able to deliver gifted services".

Ask Your Employer to Get Behind This Issue

Look into whether your company participates in the Minnesota Business Partnership or is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. See if they would be interested in promoting education funding and programs (E-12, gifted and talented) that help ensure a competent workforce for Minnesota's future. Ask them to speak out on the issues.

Get the Word Out!

Share this e-mail with your local Chapter, other parents in your district, your district's teachers and administrators. Encourage them to also contact their Legislators and the Governor.

Help Us Lobby for You

If you are willing, please mail or e-mail your letter, e-mail, etc. to the address below to be used in personalizing the issue in testimony. I need you to state that I have your permission to make copies of your letter or e-mail, and you need to include your name, address, phone number, and, if you wish, e-mail address. (If you use Word, please attach your letter in Word as it makes it easier
to reproduce nicely. Unfortunately, I cannot open Word Perfect.)

Finally, check back to this website to look for hearing dates. (Or contact the address below to be put on a Legislative Action E-mail List) We would encourage you to come to the Capitol on the days hearings are scheduled, if you can. We know it is not always possible. We will try to have buttons for you to wear identifying you with MCGT and as someone who cares about gifted children. We would like to make a couple nice "shows" in hearing rooms.

On hearing days we would encourage you to also make appointments to visit your legislators by yourself or with your Chapter or other groups about the legislation. That way we're not asking you - parents, teachers and students - to make several trips to the Capitol.

Because hearings frequently come up quickly with little notice and it is sometimes difficult to make an appointment before the hearing, you can pull your legislator out of session if you can't get an appointment. The House meets at 12:30 and the Senate at 2:30. Just ask the Sergeant at Arms at the door to the chamber to ask a page to contact your legislator.

"Two letters gets their attention. Five letters, they can't ignore."

Let's go for five contacts per legislator!

Sheila Ehrich, Legislative Liaison

6565 Lower 169th Street West
Farmington, MN 55024
952-953-0806

[Last revision 24 November 2006]

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