ACTION PLAYBOOK:

Leverage the Influence of
State Legislators

We need bold public policy that matches the scale and urgency of climate change.

State legislators are highly influential stakeholders and can act as powerful liaisons between you and your members of Congress. In a survey by the Congressional Management Foundation about which communications affect their decision-making, members of Congress ranked conversations with state legislators second only to constituent meetings.

Just like members of Congress, state legislators are accountable to us. And because they have much smaller constituencies than their federal counterparts, they are often more accessible. While state legislatures do not have authority over federal policy, they can still send powerful messages by passing resolutions or sending letters of support to Congress. Here’s an example of a letter of support sent by a state legislator after a changemaker completed this action.

  • Estimated time: 30-45 minutes. Easy!

    This playbook can be completed in one sitting, but you can start and come back anytime. Our community also takes action together during drop-in Zoom meetups called Hours of Action. Join one here!

  • Use this playbook to:

    1. Choose a policy topic

    2. Find your state legislators

    3. Google their climate position

    4. Write an email

    5. Make a phone call

    6. Amplify on Twitter