Northern Kentucky Education Action Team

Tips for Communicating with Your Legislator

NKY Education Action Team is asking you to call and/or send letters to your legislators to express support for education.  As the session progresses we will request that you take positions on an issue or bill that directly affects Northern Kentucky school districts and post secondary education.

In doing so, it is important that your communications be brief, be correct, be persistent, and be cordial.  This page is designed to offer you a few tips to remember when contacting members of the NKY Caucus. 

Be brief: Legislators receive hundreds of messages in any given week, and they deal with a broad range of issues. While legislators do want to hear from their constituents, it is important that messages are constructed so that they make a positive impression in a succinct way.

Do not ever address more than one topic.  If you want to talk about two or three issues, write or call several different times.

Be correct:  Have your facts checked and make sure you correctly address and communicate with members of the Legislature.  Most legislators respond well to a positive and on-point contact that expresses a clear point of view. Phone messages and in person conversations carry the most weight followed by a traditional letter. 

Unfortunately, emails tend to be forms of mass communication and do not receive a lot of attention from most Legislators.

Be persistent: Do not be shy about writing your legislator again, particularly if the response was not satisfactory the first time: Your persistence could pay off. When you do write again, refer to your original letter.   Remember, these are your paid representatives, so do not hesitate to reach out to them.            

Be gracious:  Always be courteous and respectful to the legislator and his/her staff.  Never bad mouth one legislator to another.  This will make your legislator wonder what you could be saying about him or her.  Also, if your legislator has been helpful in anyway, be sure to send him a thank you note.  It is always nice to be appreciated. 

What do I say when I call?

Calling your legislator is easy with the Toll-free Legislative Message Line at 1-800-372-7181.  When you call and leave a message for your legislator, you should ask to leave a message for them by name, then immediately identify yourself and indicate that you are a resident of their district.

Then, you might want to say something like:

[State Message such as:]

“Please support the Governors budget or something strong in regards to funding for education because”

[Specifiy specifics such as:]

• State funding for education has been reduced by X% over the last ten years.

• In the last ten years, NKY has produced more jobs for the Commonwealth than Lexington and Louisville combined.  We must have a strong workforce and that depends on a strong education system.  

• Student support services such as tutoring and mentoring will be eliminated, which will increase failure and dropout rates.

• Cuts will lead to reductions in teaching positions and increased class sizes that will result in less individualized student attention and drops in student achievement levels.

• Programs in areas such as Art, Music, and Practical Living/Vocational Studies will be significantly reduced or eliminated without full funding.

• The inability to purchase student resources such as textbooks, computers, and technology will have a negative impact on student learning and the ability for our students to compete nationally and internationally.

• Our region and state will be less attractive for economic development if the quality of education is reduced.  

Remember to have your "talking points" ready, and then clearly state your points and show appreciation for the legislator's time.  If they do get back with you, be sure to thank them.

What do I say when I write?

Here are some tips on writing an effective, yet succinct, letter to your legislator: 

1. Address the legislator in the proper way. Use The Honorable before his/her name in the letter’s inside address, then use Dear Senator or Representative with the person’s last name in the salutation.

2. The first paragraph should give background on your identity, position, and reason for interest in the issue and/or bill. Avoid any inflammatory language or “finger pointing, etc.”

3. The second paragraph should express how you and your family/colleagues will be affected by the issue and/or bill. Most legislators seem be more favorably affected by the individual and personalized communication as opposed to the high-volume, “form-letter” type of mass mailing.

4. Finally, your concluding paragraph should simply thank the legislator for considering your position on the issue and leave them with an invitation to respond. Always give them your phone number and make sure to thank them if they do get back in touch with you.