Contacting Your Representative by Mail

  One of the most popular and effective choices for contacting your elected representative is by a personal letter.
 Here are some helpful ways of making sure your letter gets noticed:
 

• Always address your envelope to The Honorable "Full Name Here". Make SURE you have spelled the name correctly.
   
• Make the purpose of your letter apparent in the first paragraph (or add a "RE:" line just above the salutation).
   
• If your correspondence specifically addresses a particular piece of legislation, then be sure to identify it.
   
• It is best to address only one issue at a time, but if there are several issues that are within the same context as the main issue you are addressing, then feel free to comment on those too, using a separate paragraph  for each issue.
   
• It is very important to be courteous and respectful. Remember that "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar".
   
• Make your letter brief and to the point. Attempt to limit the letter to one page if at all possible.
  • Include pertinent information
  • Use examples which support your position whenever applicable
     
• When making the salutation, be certain to address your Congressman as Representative/Senator "Full Name Here".
   
• Make sure the legislator knows the letter is from a constituent who lives and/or does business in the legislator’s district.
   
• If your letter is going to the Speaker of the House or to the Chair of a Committee, be sure to address them as: "Mr./Madam Speaker" or "Mr. Chairman/Madam Chairwoman"

• Write the chairman or members of a committee holding hearings on legislation in which you are interested if you want to. However, remember that you have more influence with legislators from your own district than with any others.  Write the Governor after the bill is passed by both the House and the Senate, if you want to influence his decision to sign the bill or not.
   
• Explain how the proposed legislation affects you and why you support/oppose it.
   
• Don’t attempt to give "expert" opinions. Tell how the legislation would affect you based on your experience and knowledge.
   
• Ask for the legislator’s support or opposition.
   
• Write your own letter without copying RFA / TEXAS provided background information verbatim.  Use RFA / TEXAS provided information and sample letters as guidelines only.

• Identify yourself as a member of the Texas State Chapter of the Recreational Fishing Alliance but Do NOT claim to represent the views of RFA / Texas unless you have been officially authorized to do so.
   
• Request that your legislator take a specific action by telling him/her what you desire. State the facts as you see them. Avoid emotional arguments. If you use dollar figures, be realistic.
   
• Ask the legislator what his/her position is and how they plan to vote

 
• Keep all communication friendly and respectful. Be sure to thank your legislator for considering your views.
   
• Write on your personal or business letterhead if possible, and sign your name over your typed signature at the end of your message. Handwritten letters are fine if they are legible.

• Letters may be mailed or faxed. Time constraints or potential delays due to security procedures may dictate the use of fax. However, most legislators agree that the fax shouldn't be used in place of more traditional methods, such as a letter, because fax machines are used mostly for inter-office correspondence and tend to become overloaded. Often faxes aren't given much credence and are sometimes thrown away because their volume makes them difficult to deal with. The increase in technological communication wears out the staff. When the use of fax is necessary, it is wise to call the representative's office and ask the staff to be alert to your fax before sending it.
   
• Be sure your exact return address is on the letter, not just the envelope. Envelopes sometimes get thrown away before the letter is answered.
   
• Be reasonable, don’t ask for the impossible. Don’t threaten. Don’t say, "I’ll never vote for you unless you do such and such." That will not help your cause; it may even harm it.
   
• Be constructive, if a bill deals with a problem you admit exists, but you believe the bill is the wrong approach, tell what the right approach is.

• Follow through. If you do not get a reply, write again. Enclose a photocopy of your last letter and ask why you have not received a response. When you receive a reply, follow up with a response saying why you disagree or agree with the response
   
• Send RFA / TEXAS a copy of your letter and a copy of the response you receive from your legislator.

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