Communicating with Legislators

When communicating with state and federal legislators, it is important to understand the many different ways of sharing your ideas and opinions. Each form of communication is important and appropriate in different circumstances. The following are examples of ways to communicate:

• Letters, emails and faxes from constituents
• Telephone calls from constituents
• Personal visits by constituents to the legislators’ offices

What is Grassroots Communication?
The goal of a successful grassroots program is to communicate a credible message to key legislators, staff, or other decision-makers consistently and in a timely manner. The key element of grassroots communication is to get your message out to your elected officials as clearly and concisely as possible. The goal of grassroots communication is to promote APhA’s legislative and regulatory agenda and to support the information you are providing with professional practice setting experiences.

Enhancing APhA’s Grassroots Network
The logistics of a successful statewide grassroots network is dependent upon the identification of motivated participants. Once a student has established a relationship with their elected officials or is motivated to do so, they may join APhA-ASP’s grassroots contact program—The Student Political Information Network (SPIN).

The first step in enhancing the APhA-ASP network is identifying and securing a “Student Political Information Network (SPIN) Coordinator” who will take responsibility for grassroots advocacy at their school or college of pharmacy. The SPIN Coordinator receives periodic updates from APhA regarding legislative and regulatory issues, as well as “Call To Action” alerts asking them to contact their legislator on a specific issue. Each SPIN Coordinator should either have an existing relationship with their legislators or be motivated and committed to influence the legislative process.

COMMUNICATING WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS

Decisions made by many different local boards and commissions also affect the pharmacy profession. When considering who to communicate with at the local level, do not overlook certain areas of government. Communicating at the local level allows for a more intimate relationship with officials who serve the same community you do. The following is a list of key contacts:

Local Public Officials
• Members of County Board of Supervisors
• County Administrative Officers
• County Health Officers
• Members of City Councils
• District Attorneys
• School Board Members
• Police Chiefs
• Members of City Councils
• School Board Members