A lot of people have been asking: how can I help to pass a bill that’s important to me? That’s a great question as we will soon be moving into the busy part of the 2023 Texas Legislative Session (NO bills have been scheduled for hearings yet. That starts happening in March!)
First, make sure you know who represents you! You have a Texas State Representative and a Texas State Senator (these are NOT your US Congressperson or Ted Cruz and John Cornyn). Enter your address here to find them: https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
Look for “Texas House District” and “Texas Senate District”. Click on the box to be taken to an information page about your Representative. The phone number is easy to find (starts with 512-463-XXXX). The email may not be easy to find, but typically for House and Senate members and staffers, the email address is firstname.lastname@house.texas.gov or firstname.lastname@senate.texas.gov.
Like the photo says, there are 3 major things you can do to voice your support (or opposition) for a bill:
- Send an email (or snail mail, if you still do that) to your legislator. Don’t make it a copy and paste form letter that someone else wrote, that will be disregarded. Write from the heart and don’t worry about writing a lengthy email – remember that they are all busy, so shorter has a better chance of being read all the way through! Be sure to mention that you are a constituent, and include your home address and phone number. Make sure to make the subject easy to categorize, like “I support the cottage food bill”.
- Call. Be sure to only call your own senator and representative (calling those who don’t represent you is likely to backfire, it is not appreciated). Identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak to the person handling food bills. This could be the person who answers the phone or someone else. Give the person the bill number you are supporting and a short sentence or two to elaborate on why it’s important to you. You may be asked for your address and phone number to ensure you are really a constituent. It is ok to call multiple times during the session, for example “Hey, it’s Susan again, I just wanted to follow up and let your office know that the cottage food bill I told you about is set for a floor vote on Thursday.”
- Come to the Capitol. Come to the Capitol. Please, come to the Capitol. This is the most effective way to show your support for these important issues. There are several options available:
- Join a FARFA Citizen Lobby Day! There will be four held this session – you will receive a crash course in citizen lobbying, you will receive fact sheets, and you will be assigned to a small group to visit certain Legislator’s offices to chat with them about these bills. The first FARFA Citizen Lobby Day is February 13! The event is free, but registration is requested: https://farmandranchfreedom.org/events/single/2023-lobby-day-day-1/
- Sign up for a “Chicken Bill” day – you and your friends and/or family meet me at the Capitol one morning. I will give you signs, fact sheets, a map, and instructions. The day will be yours to lobby as you wish – visit your Senator and Representative, hang out outside the House and Senate chambers with your cool signs, and watch the proceedings from the gallery. “Chicken Bill” days do NOT conflict with FARFA Citizen Lobby Days. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4aa9a82da1ff2-chicken#/
- Come to the Capitol when one of these bills is scheduled for a hearing! Nothing influences legislators quite the same way as a long “witness list” in favor (or opposed to) a bill.
- Come to the Capitol on your own! Questions? Shoot me an email at home@homemadetexas.org and I’ll be happy to help!