HELPFUL TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR LOCAL WYOMING STATE LEGISLATORS
IMPORTANT:
- You’ll write your message in the text box on Step 2, where it says “Personalize your message.”
- Your message will go to the five members of the Senate Corporations Committee: Senators Bill Landen (R-Casper), Cale Case (R-Lander), Wendy Schuler (R-Evanston), Tara Nethercott (R-Cheyenne), and Charles Scott (R-Casper)
- Don’t click the “Send message” button until you write your message.
- REMEMBER TO DELETE THE TEXT THAT SAYS “[DELTE THIS TEXT AND INSERT YOUR MESSAGE HERE]”
YOUR MESSAGE SHOULD HAVE THREE SHORT PARTS:
1. Say who you are.
This message is going to all five members of the Senate Corporations Committee. They might not directly represent your district, but they’re making decisions that affect the whole state and therefore need to listen to all Wyoming voters.
My name is ____. I live in _____ and I’m Wyoming voter.
2. Say what you want.
I’m writing today to ask you to vote “NO” on the bill to restrict “crossover voting.”
3. Say why you want it.
[This is where you can add a sentence or two about why this is important to you.]
PRO TIPS
Keep it brief: Lawmakers are very busy, especially during the legislative session. If you write them a novel, they’re not going to read it.
Change the message subject: This will make your email look less like spam.
Include your cell number: Lawmakers’ email messages are public record. They are often very careful about what they write. If you include your cell phone number and ask them to respond, you might get a call back (though not during the Legislative session).
TALKING POINTS
Maybe mention a few of these things in your message. For more background, check out this article.
– Primary elections are paid for public money, not political parties. They should not be closed or exclusive.
– Oftentimes the most impactful way a person can vote is in a primary that is not their typical political party’s. But that doesn’t mean that a voter should not have a voice in who gets elected.
– Elections should be as open and accessible to as many people as possible. Putting a bridge between when a person has to register with one party interferes with that access.
– Many people do not identify with one major party or the other. They vote in particular primaries because they want to see the person elected who can best address the issues they care about.