Special districts provide essential services to millions of Californians every day. It’s time for you to tell your story. The Capitol, the media, and most importantly, the community you serve should understand the difference your special district makes. Join us this month as we take action together!
Even in this age of instant virtual communication, legislators and their staff pay special attention to the mail (or email) they receive from their constituents. Not only are you a constituent yourself, but you and your district serve and represent hundreds or thousands of your legislator’s constituents. This means you, and by extension your district’s letterhead, hold enormous influence and a high-level of credibility to speak on behalf of your community and the many voters who live there.
Submitting a letter of support or opposition for a specific piece of legislation is an easy and effective way to take action for your district. It is also the primary way you can participate in a CSDA Call-to-Action. Many offices will tag these letters and include them in the binder prepared for the legislator to take to committee or floor sessions.
You have the authority to lobby the State Legislature, Congress, other agencies, and individual decision makers on legislation and other matters of interest to your district. With a letter from your district, you can encourage your legislators to support your district’s position.
To be able to effectively submit position letters in the fast-moving legislative environment, your district should adopt a legislative advocacy policy that governs its process for registering support or opposition on matters of interest.
At csda.net/take-action, you will find a sample policy for adopting positions on state legislation, a sample bill position letter, and a checklist for a successful bill position letter.
Also, CSDA is proud to unveil a brand new technology that makes submitting a letter on one of CSDA’s Calls-to-Action as easy as a few clicks. Through our new Automated Form Letter system, special districts can submit a position letter on State Legislation through a quick, easy-to-use form. Check out the first opportunity to use this new tool by taking action on AB 361, our sponsored legislation regarding remote meetings during declared emergencies. Visit csda.net/take-action/brown-act and click on the “Authorize Automated Form Letter” button in the top-right portion of your screen.
Sending a bill position letter is the best way to make your thoughts known to your legislators, but never underestimate the power of social media! Be sure to post your positions as well, using #DistrictsAdvocate.
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