Contact your elected representatives by:
Phone - 406-444-4800 (You can leave a message for three legislators at a time.) Email - check back soon!         (Your messages will be printed out and placed on the legislator's desk.) Fax - (Specify your legislator's name on the cover sheet.)         Montana House of Representatives - 406-444-4825         Montana Senate - 406-444-4875 Mail - (put your legislator's name first)         Montana House of Representatives; PO Box 200400; Helena, MT 59620         Montana Senate; PO Box 200500; Helena, MT 59620
Lobbying your Legislators: Personal Visit: A face-to-face visit is the most effective way to communicate with legislators. Personal contact provides the best opportunity to clearly explain your position on an issue. Positive encounters with constituents are very important to legislators. To help your visit go smoothly: Make an appointment and be on time. Always be courteous, never argumentative. Provide your legislator with a brief, written summary of your issue. Don't let your legislator evade the issue with small talk; politely get to the point as quickly as possible. Follow up the visit with a thank-you note. Letter: Every letter you write is extremely important. many legislators believe that one letter represents the sentiments of at least 100 constituents. When writing legislators, remember to: Keep your letter brief. Write legibly or type. Give concrete examples of how you, your family and your community are affected by a particular issue. Include your address and request a response. Telephone, Fax, Email: Prior to a committee vote or a Senate or House floor vote, communicating by telephone, fax or e-mail in favor or in opposition to pending legislation can be effective in influencing a legislator's vote. When you contact your legislator (or possibly his or her aide), be sure to: Provide your name and address. Provide the name and bill number of the legislation. Clearly state your position. Ask how your legislator expects to vote on the issue. We can influence the legislators about four times for every bill. (Click here for a more detailed explanation of this process.) First, a bill will be heard in a committee in the chamber of the bill's sponsor (House or Senate). At that time, anybody can attend the hearing and speak up to support or oppose the bill. Keep your testimony under three minutes. State your name, your hometown, whether you support or oppose the bill, and give two or three solid reasons or examples. This is also a good time to e-mail all the members of the committee with your views. If the bill passes out of the first committee, it will be heard on the floor of that chamber (House or Senate). This is a good time to contact your own representative, telling them you are a constituent, that you are asking them to support or oppose a particular bill (give the bill number and the short title) and give two or three short reasons. If the bill passes the first chamber, it then goes to the second chamber committee (if it started in the House, it will now be heard in a Senate committee). Again, anybody can speak to the committee during that hearing. Once again, this is a good time to call or e-mail all the members on this committee with your views. If the bill passes this second committee hearing, the bill will be heard on the floor of that chamber. Again, this is the time to contact your personal legislator with your view. General Lobbying Tips: Whether visiting, writing or calling your elected officials, be sure to: Identify yourself: If you are a voter in the legislator's district, say so. Be specific. State the issue clearly. If possible, refer to a bill number and the bill's title. Be timely and brief: Try to respond as quickly as possible when you are made aware of an urgent issue (such as via MCC's legislative alerts). Contact your legislators before they vote on an issue. Also, be considerate of your legislator's busy schedule. Keep your visits, letters and phone calls as brief as possible. Be personal and polite: Tell your legislator how the bill or issue affects you, your family and your community. Your own experience will be of great value. Never be threatening, demanding or abusive. The legislator will not be attentive to your needs if you are. Ask for a response: After you have stated your views, ask for your legislator's position. Be sure to than the legislator for their time. Express your appreciation: Thank those legislators who have supported your position in the past. Since so much constituent mail is negative, a letter complimenting a legislator will be remembered favorably the next time you communicate.