By @Kyle Packham
Your elected representatives WANT to hear from you. Representing the interests of their constituents (that means you and the residents in your district) is the most important part of their job. They need to have a working understanding of what those interests are.
That’s especially important when legislators are asked to vote on bills that can impact how special districts operate and provide essential services.
You have the authority to lobby the State Legislature on matters of interest to your district. Given that you also represent hundreds – if not thousands – of your legislators’ constituents, yours can be a powerful voice in convincing them whether a specific bill is a good or bad idea.
Thousands of bills are introduced and debated every year, and there are often regulatory proposals that must be considered as well. Make sure you spend your valuable time and energy on the policy proposals that are most important to your agency. One of the best ways to do this is to adopt a policy that governs your district’s priorities and your process for engaging in and supporting or opposing matters of interest.
CSDA has provided a helpful sample “Policy for Adopting Positions on State Legislation” on the association’s Take Action Page.
Once your agency has decided to take a position on a bill, you can submit letters of support or opposition directly to your legislator’s office; however, you should also submit them through the Legislature’s Position Letter Portal to ensure your position is part of the public record on the legislation. Many offices will tag these letters from their legislative district and include them in a binder prepared for their legislator to take to committee or floor sessions.
Advocacy Alerts and Take Action Briefs from CSDA can update you on important legislation, and you can access sample letters or use CSDA’s Automated Form Letter system by visiting our Take Action Toolkit, which also includes a checklist for a successful bill position letter.
Want to learn more? Check out these webinars in our CSDA resource library for CSDA members:
Special districts are addressing California’s biggest challenges every day. They are the backbone of California’s economy and infrastructure, and provide highly specialized services to virtually every Californian. Our elected leaders, our media, and our communities need to hear our story.
Your community needs your voice and that voice is stronger when we join together. Don’t forget to join us in Sacramento April 7-8 for Special Districts Legislative Days. Register now before the Early Bird deadline and to secure your room in our conference room block.
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