The Second Regular Session of the Seventieth Colorado General Assembly will convene on January 13, 2016.

Democracy is the foundation of our republican form of government. The input of citizens doesn’t stop at the ballot box, though. Understanding who your legislators are and how to contact them effectively can make you a truly active participant in the civic process.

PERA can help you become involved in the legislative process. Your voice matters to your elected officials, so don’t be afraid to speak out when they are considering bills that might help or harm retirement security for public employees. PERA’s new advocacy center makes it easy to find who your legislators are, and send them an email, call them, or even tweet at them.

Simple rules for contacting legislators

When contacting elected officials, always remember these simple rules for effective advocacy:

1. Be civil. Even when you don’t agree with your legislator, it’s important to voice those disagreements in a friendly, courteous manner. Elected officials are people, too.
2. Mention that you are a constituent. Legislators do care what people from all over the state think about an issue, but they pay closest attention to messages from people who live in their district.
3. Be original. Don’t cut and paste or use talking points. Legislators get thousands of emails every session, and when they get the same form email over and over again it can water down the message. Tell your own unique story. Where do you – or did you – work? For how long? What would happen to you if this bill became a law?
4. Thank them for their time. Whether you are meeting directly with a legislator, or just tweeting out a message to vote yes or no on a bill, it’s good practice to thank the legislator for listening to your concerns. Because the General Assembly is in session for just 120 days, legislators are often swamped with messages about dozens of bills, so thank your Senator or Representative for taking the time to listen to you.

The legislative process

The Colorado General Assembly meets from January until May to consider proposed legislation. Each introduced bill is assigned to a committee by either the Speaker of the House or the President of the Senate, and given a date to be heard. At a committee hearing, members can propose amendments to a bill to be voted on by their fellow committee members. Each bill is then put to a vote, and either passes on to another committee or the full legislative body, or is postponed indefinitely—meaning the bill is officially dead for the session.

Bills that pass through committees go to the full chamber. Members of the House or Senate are given the opportunity to debate the merits of the legislation, and offer any amendments. If a majority of members in the original chamber vote to support a bill, it starts all over again in the other chamber. Any disagreements between the two chambers on a bill are resolved in a conference committee. Once a bill passes both chambers of the General Assembly, it is then sent to the Governor to be signed, vetoed, or passed into law without a signature.

Visit the Colorado General Assembly website to search for current legislation.

When it comes to contacting your elected officials about a particular piece of legislation, it’s important to remember that the timing of your message is almost as important as its content. Committee hearings are the first opportunity citizens have to weigh-in on legislation. Before, during (and even after) a bill is heard, citizens can provide their input via phone calls, email, or testimony during the committee hearing. Citizens can also make a difference before bills are voted on in the full chamber. Finally, citizens have the opportunity to reach out to the Governor to give their say on whether a bill should be signed or vetoed.

Become an Ambassador

If you want to get even more involved, consider becoming a PERA Ambassador. Ambassadors are PERA’s volunteer advocates who form a statewide network of dedicated individuals communicating the value of PERA to the people in their communities. Find out more about the Ambassador program, and be sure to subscribe to the PERA on the Issues newsletter.