COMMUNICATE AND EDUCATE YOUR LEGISLATOR

Maintain an open line of communication with your elected officials.
This means not only making a phone call and/or writing a letter at least once a month, but it also means occasional personal visits to their district offices or perhaps town meetings they appear at.  If you go to events or town meetings where your elected officials are in attendance, always try to introduce or just go up and say hi and even just ‘Thanks’ as appropriate.  Use a variety of communication methods, including faxes and E-mail.  Keep in touch with the District office staff and know about & attend your legislator’s Town Meetings.

Go to your legislator’s local office at least three or four times per year whether you just stop in to say hello or whether you want to schedule an appointment in advance.  Establish that open line of communication.  It is ok if only the legislator’s staff is available, the staff working for your legislator is important too and sometimes they will be the key in getting information to and from your legislator.
 
Legislators are not experts.  It took you years to learn the knowledge you have about motorcycling.  Don’t expect them to automatically know about or understand motorcycling or the issue(s) you want to talk to them about.  Share your knowledge and related experiences with them.

Legislators do NOT automatically know what the voters want.  Meetings, phone calls, letters, faxes, and E-mail will tell them how you feel and what you want.  If YOU do not tell them, how are they supposed to know ???

Legislators want to know how their decisions about your issue will affect their other constituents.  They want to know how their decisions might affect other issues, tax dollars, etc.  Your legislators will be counting on you to give them insight into the possible effects of legislation.

Work with your elected officials.
In the best case scenario, you will become your legislator’s guru on motorcycle related issues.  We have hit the jackpot when legislators call us to ask motorcycle related questions in regard to legislation they are reviewing