GET INVOLVED
MAKE A PHONE CALL
“Hello, my name is _________, I live in _________. I am calling to let you know of my interest in House/Senate Bill _________. I support/oppose this bill(s) and I hope you will, too.”
Tell your story!
MEET WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS
Start by calling a legislator's office and ask for a date and time. They also have a regular "Coffee Hour" to see constituents; however, you want a separate meeting time, if possible, in order to have the rep or senator's full attention. You will also want a suggestion for a place to meet, usually a coffee house, library, or restaurant in the district - the lawmaker may have a preference.
- Once you have a day and time for the meeting, it's time to send out an email to other recyclers and MRC members in the district to invite them to participate in the meeting. The MRC can provide a list, with email addresses and phone numbers, of MRC contacts in the district.
- You may have had no experience talking face-to-face with elected officials. That's okay!
- Aim for 4 to 7 participants, and no less than three, including you.
PREPARE FOR YOUR MEETING
- Get familiar with best practices for meetings with your legislators
- You will probably want to learn more about your legislator. These websites are helpful:
- Create an agenda for the meeting to guide your discussion. You can see a sample agenda here.
AFTER YOUR MEETING
- Please send a thank you note (email or USPS) to the Rep, offering again to pass on his/her comments or concerns to the MRC or to follow up on any details not covered at the meeting.
- Send an email to all who participated, thanking them. Also, please ask them to send their reactions to you to forward to the MRC.
- Send the MRC a report of your impressions about the meeting, any follow-ups that were promised or would be useful, and any comments on the Rep's handling of the meeting, demeanor, and attitude about the issues discussed.
If you can go even further and organize an event (25 people or more) to inform and educate local, regional, and state leaders in your region, Kerrin O'Brien and Matt Flechter are ready to speak. There's a lot to do in a short period of time and your support is paramount to our collective success growing recycling in Michigan. Contact the MRC office to schedule an event.