Action Playbook:
Leverage the Influence of State Legislators
Let’s take action.
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Inspire at least one person close to you to take political action on climate.
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Choose a policy topic
Find your state legislators
Google their climate position
Write an email
Make a phone call
Amplify on Twitter
Step 1. Choose your policy topic
Choose a policy topic you’re passionate about. What do you want Congress to act on that you think your state legislator could help influence? Either select from our federal Issue Briefings or bring your own policy priority. Spend a few minutes reading through the policy resources and then return to this page. You don’t have to become an expert—you can borrow heavily from the Issue Briefing as you craft your email.
Step 2. Find your state legislators
Fewer than 20 percent of Americans can readily name their state legislators, so for most of us, this is a good place to start. Click the button below and type in your address. Forty-nine states (Nebraska being the exception) have bicameral legislatures, which means you’ll have at least two state legislators who represent you. Click the “State” tab and scroll down until you see your state senator and the person who represents you in the lower chamber, either “representative,” “delegate,” or “assemblymember.” You should see phone numbers listed, but clicking “Homepage” for each legislator can help you find more detailed contact information.
Step 3. Understand their climate position
You’ll want to understand your legislators’ climate positions to figure out how best to approach your email. First, navigate to your state legislator’s website and try to find mentions of climate. Like members of Congress, state legislators are responsible for juggling a broad portfolio of policy topics that are relevant to the state. To craft a personalized message and increase the likelihood of a response, find out where your state legislators fall on the spectrum of climate ambition:
If one or both of your legislators is already a climate champion, thank them for their ongoing work before asking them to build on it by helping you advocate to Congress.
If one or both of your legislators appears neutral or disengaged on climate, now is your chance to engage them.
If one or both of your legislators is a climate obstructionist, it’s even more imperative that they hear from you. It’s usually easier to find common ground with state legislators than members of Congress since they’re closer to your community and don’t have the same set of political incentives. Stick to data about the area (not national statistics) and your personal story about living in the area. You might actually change their mind.
Next, do a Google search on whether your state has passed any legislation that is relevant to your policy priority. For example, is there a state clean energy standard? Did they pass a resolution calling on the federal government to repeal fossil fuel subsidies? This can help you in crafting a persuasive argument for why the policy should be enacted at the federal level.
Optional: use the NOAA State Climate Summaries resource to find a fact or two about projected climate impacts on your state. This resource puts data into context for you and provides excellent narratives and talking points to borrow from.
Step 4. Write your email
Next, you’ll craft an email that connects your personal reasons for caring about the policy priority to why it’s important for your state that Congress takes action. Remember, the goal is to move your state legislators to advocate for your policy priority to your members of Congress. If the state legislators hear from numerous constituents on the need for a federal clean energy standard, for example, the issue will be top of mind the next time they connect with members of the federal delegation.
Click the arrow to the right of your state legislator’s name on the Common Cause directory and use the email address provided. If you need a reminder on who your members of Congress are, they will also be listed in the table on Common Cause!
Follow these tips to build an effective email to your state legislator:
Start by thanking them for any work they’ve done on the specific issue or other climate policy priority.
Provide a clear request up front: “Let Congressman X and Senator Y know that this policy is a top priority for people in your district.”
Briefly explain the personal significance to you as a resident of your state. If you need help articulating this part, try our Write Your Climate “Why” exercise.
Include any state-specific data you found that resonates with you and is easy to connect to the policy in question.
Reiterate your request and include additional ways they can engage, such as introducing a resolution of support for the policy issue, being vocal about the policy in the media, or sending a group letter from state legislators to the congressional delegation.
Step 5. Call the office
Call the state legislators’ office using the email you just wrote as a guide. Identify yourself as a constituent and communicate your message with the same clear requests.
Step 6. Amplify on Twitter
If you use Twitter, Tweet a condensed version of your request at your state legislators, both publicly and through a direct message.
Step 7. Scale your impact
Letting others in your network know that you’ve taken action is a great way to maximize your impact. Consider using social media, email, texting, etc. to amplify the action you just took and invite others to join you. If you’re in our Slack, share what you did to help motivate others! Below is sample language you can adapt and customize:
I just urged my state legislators to help amplify the need for Congress to [pass X legislation]. It’s really empowering and a lot more accessible than it seems. Check it out for yourself at the next Hour of Action with @theclimatevote! http://climatechangemakers.org/events
Thank you for taking action!
Help us improve this playbook: info@climatechangemakers.org
