Florida 4-H

Large crowd of people gathered in front of the Florida State Capitol, many wearing green shirts, during an event.

Connecting with Legislators

Your State Legislators want to Hear from You!

Both legislators and citizens play important roles in ensuring a fair and effective state government. It is the responsibility of elected State Representatives and Senators to represent the will of their constituents. Similarly, it is the responsibility of citizens to educate their Representatives and Senators on how issues may impact them and other local citizens. Understanding how the legislative process works and keeping abreast of issues will help you express your own thoughts confidently (Ellison, 2019).

Below is information to help you connect and speak with your legislators. As an additional resource, click on the following link to access information to support you in preparing to meet with your elected officials, Educating Your State Legislators.

Connect with Your County Delegation

All attending youth members will need to have an adult in charge and all participants need to be connected with their county delegation.

To be respectful of the time that our legislators have to give, participants should only be meeting with legislators as part of their county delegation. Contact your local 4-H professional to see if this is already in the works. If not, work with them to make it happen!

Please be sure to only have one point of contact scheduling meetings from your county delegation to keep clear and consistent communication.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR SCHEDULING MEETINGS

Please make sure that you note that you are specifically scheduling for "______ County 4-H". This helps legislative aides keep track of all our delegations who want to meet with legislators and elected officials.

Keep reading to find out how you can engage with your legislators before this event and how these meetings can be set up!

Write to Your Legislators
If there is an issue or specific bill that you care about, it may need to pass through a legislative committee (FL Senate | FL House) first, which start meeting before we get to Tallahassee. Bills typically go through committee review before reaching the floor of the whole house or senate. Committees are crucial decision-making bodies where the fate of a bill is often determined. Expressing your views to legislators early on can help shape their stance on key issues, influencing the committee's discussions and decisions.

Writing letters to legislators before a legislative session is a crucial civic action that empowers citizens to actively participate in the democratic process. Before you even get to Tallahassee for Florida 4-H Day at the Capitol, consider expressing your opinions and concerns through letters. This allows you the opportunity to influence the legislative agenda and advocate for policies that align with your values.

As you work with your county delegation to prepare for being in Tallahassee, consider your perspective on:
1. How has 4-H positively impacted your life?
2. What continues to get you excited to be a part of 4-H?
3. How can legislators support 4-H being accessible to more youth like you?
If Florida 4-H camping has impacted your life, you get excited about outdoor education, or you think access to workforce certifications is important, Representative Allison Tant has filed Appropriations Project Request #2207 for 4-H Camp Cherry Lake.

This $5.6M funding request will support our ongoing campaign to rebuild cabins at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake to:
- Open overnight camp programs at Cherry Lake
- Reach more youth with year-round outdoor science programs and workforce certifications
- Providing accessible and winterized lodging
- Support Florida 4-H and bring back this great camp location for statewide leadership and educational programs
If you have any experiences or perspectives to share about the impact that this would have on you, build it into your story!

Why Meet with Your Legislator?

Our democracy centers on citizen involvement. It is your right and responsibility, as a citizen, to share your opinions with your legislators. For the purpose of 4-H Day at the Capitol, you are Florida 4-H experts. You have your own unique story that illustrates why legislators should support 4-H. You have information that the legislators need to make educated decisions about 4-H.

Our priority with this event is to provide you with the experience of meeting with elected officials, so please make this your number one priority while planning your day in Tallahassee.

Whether or not you are the one setting up the meeting, you should take the time to go through steps 1, 4, 5, and 7 below. By doing these steps, you will know who is speaking for you in Tallahassee and be prepared to talk with them during your county's scheduled meeting.

Meeting in progress at a conference table with nine participants, in front of a screen displaying 'Beyond Ready' by Milligan University, and a U.S. flag to the right.

Icon of a calendar with a green clock on the lower right side, representing scheduling or a reminder feature.

Setting Up a Meeting

Step 1: Identify Your State Representative and Senator

To learn who your elected officials are, go to Find Your Senator or Find Your Representative.

Once you enter your address at those sites, you will find out information on your Florida Representative and Senator. Around their pictures, you will also find your districts.

Step 2:Call the Capitol Office

Call your representative's and senator's offices as soon as you can to get on their radar. You will want to make sure to call their Capitol Offices in Tallahassee, not their District Offices.

Step 3: Ask for an Appointment

When you call the office, you will probably be speaking with an assistant or legislative aide. Explain that you are participating in 4-H Day at the Capitol. Ask if you can arrange some time to meet with the representative or senator to talk about the 4-H program.

Your legislator's calendar will probably not be available yet, but the secretary will take your name and information to add to the list of people who want to meet with the legislator.

Please make sure that you note that you are specifically scheduling for "______ County 4-H". This helps legislative aides keep track of all our delegations who want to meet with legislators and elected officials.

Step 4: Learn about your Elected Officials

Learn more about your representative and senator. How long have they been in office? What did they do before becoming an elected official? Where did they go to school? What did they study?

By doing this research, you will know what points you can use that will connect more with your elected official. If their history is not something that you necessarily connect with, do you know others in your 4-H community that could make that connection? Invite them to join you!

Step 5: Make a Plan for your Meeting and Practice

Your elected officials are busy people. During the months the Florida Legislature is in session, these individuals work long hours to create laws they believe will make Florida a better state to live in. They enjoy speaking with their constituents (the people, like you, they represent), but they have many citizens who want to meet with them each day. Your meeting could last 3 minutes or 15 minutes. Plan for both.

Decide what you want to talk about (more details on that below). Write out everything that you want to say. Then decide which member(s) from your county will speak. Next, practice your speech with friends and family members prior to the meeting. Know all your main points, and practice answering questions that your elected officials may ask about your experience in 4-H.

Step 6: Call to Confirm Your Appointment

Call your legislators' Capitol Office again the week before 4-H Day at the Capitol. The office's secretary or a legislative aide should now have their schedule for that week.

Sometimes, the representative or senator will have meetings throughout the whole week that they must attend. In this case, you can meet with their legislative aide. Don't be disheartened though! These legislative aides are incredibly knowledgeable and work very closely with the representatives and senators. They will pass on the information you share to your elected official.

Make sure you are clear about how many people will be attending so that they can ensure they have the space for you.

Step 7: Meet with Your Legislator

If you're meeting with your legislator in-person, make sure to give your delegation time to go through building security, travel through the building by steps or elevator, and get to the office. You'll want to plan to be there 5-10min early so that you can start as soon as the legislator is available.

If you're meeting with your legislator virtually, plan to be on your video call at least fifteen minutes early so that you are ready to go when your elected official logs on.

Planning to be early will ensure that you are utilizing all the time possible that your legislator has made available for you.

Schedules are constantly shifting in Tallahassee, so be prepared to make schedule changes up to the day of the event. Our priority with this event is to provide you with the experience of meeting with elected officials, so please be open to last minute changes and prioritize meeting with legislators.

After your meeting, send a thank you letter to your representative's and senator's offices for taking time to speak with you.