Writing your elected representatives

By State Journal staff

With hours spent in committee meetings, floor sessions and commuting to and from Madison and Washington, state and federal lawmakers may not always have time to meet or talk with the people in their districts.

But lawmakers do want to know what's happening back home and how their constituents feel about issues. The best way to tell a lawmaker your opinion is to write him or her a letter.

Lawmakers say they prefer to have things in writing. They find it easier to respond to letters than to try to sort out details of a telephone call.

Some lawmakers also are skeptical of E-mail messages they receive. Often such messages don't identify who a person is or where they live.

When writing a letter, identify your subject clearly and, if possible, indicate the piece of legislation by bill number.

State your reason for writing, and how an issue would affect you, your family, business, community and the state.

Avoid stereotyped phrases and sentences that give the appearance of form letters or threats. After you have told the lawmaker of your position, ask for a response.

One paragraph, stating why you are for or against an issue, is often enough. You don't need to go overboard.

The timing of a letter is important. Write when legislation is pending in committee, not when the bill is brought to the floor for action.

Include your full name and address on the letter.

The fact that a lawmaker may belong to a political party other than the one you choose should not deter you from writing.

Many lawmakers don't like pressure calls at their office. Many also frown on telephone calls at home.

If you are an expert in a particular field, don't be afraid to share that knowledge with a legislator.

Here's how to write your legislator or the governor to comment on state issues:

• Letter: Write to your state senator at P.O. Box 7882, Madison, Wis., 53707. For representatives with last names beginning A through L, write to P.O. Box 8952, Madison, Wis., 53708; for representatives with last names beginning M through Z, mail to P.O. Box 8953, Madison, Wis., 53708.
• E-mail: If you choose to send an e-mail message instead of a letter, you can find members' e-mail addresses in this directory along with the lawmakers' biographies. Or log into the state's World Wide Web page for the Legislature:www.legis.state.wi.us/leginfo/inetmail.html.Most members also have web pages with mail boxes.
• Help: If you don't know your legislator, or want to register an opinion by phone, call the legislative hotline, which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; call (800) 362-9472 or 266-9960. The TDD number is (800) 228-2115. Individual legislators' office phone numbers are listed in this directory along with their biographies.
• Write to Gov. James Doyle at Room 115 East, Capitol, Madison, Wis., 53702; or call 266-1212; or e-mail to wisgov@gov.state.wi.us.
• Congress: Information on how to contact Wisconsin's members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is included with their biographies in this directory.

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