This factsheet was completed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)  . Please direct any questions or comments to PETA directly at 757-622-7382 or info@peta.org.

Lobbying: Laying Down the Law

Efforts to create new legislation are an essential part of any movement for social change. Before most elected officials will introduce animal-friendly legislation, they must be convinced that there is sufficient public support. The best way to convince legislators that their constituents are strongly in favor of reform is for the constituents themselves to communicate with their public officials.

Public officials do listen. While lawmakers were considering legislation to ban the force-feeding of birds for foie gras production in California, campaigners sent more than 1,000 letters to their representatives, and one senator commented that he was “surprised … at the amount of people who turned out for this bill,” which was eventually signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.(1,2) Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo twice vetoed a bill that would have allowed medical technicians to use cats to practice intubation (the passing of a tube through the mouth or nose into the trachea); Cuomo’s aides said that they received more mail on the bill than on any other piece of legislation.(3)

Do Your Homework
Before trying to bring about legislative changes, there are a few things that you should know:
• Know the issue. Make sure that you know what you’re talking about before you contact your legislators. Find out what the relevant laws currently state, and get the facts and figures straight!
• Know the legislative process. Contact your city council office for information on enacting legislation. Ask the council clerk for a schedule of open council meetings, and attend at least one meeting to see how they are run.
• Know the legislators. For a list of federal, state, county, and city officials, contact your local board of elections, library, or Project Vote Smart (1-888-VOTE-SMART or www.vote-smart.org). Attend town meetings where legislators meet with voters, or write to thank them for taking a certain position.
• Know the support staff. By staying in touch about issues and proposed legislation, you’ll get to know aides, staff, and administrative assistants; they are more accessible than the legislators and can provide you with helpful information. Establish a rapport early rather than waiting until your group wants to introduce a bill, but remember to keep your contact brief and not to take up too much of their time.

Set Your Goal
Decide specifically what you will campaign for (e.g., a spaying and neutering ordinance or a bill against pound seizure). If the legislature rules out a total ban, then consider compromises.

Tragic events can be catalysts for change. For example, if an animal gets loose or attacks someone when the circus comes to town, that is the time to campaign hard to ban animal acts.

Laying the Groundwork
Once you’ve decided on a goal, you can get to work. The following suggestions will help you get started:
• Legislators are most responsive to their own constituents, so find supporters in each district to speak up in favor of your proposed legislation.
• Short, polite letters to legislators show that constituents support the proposed legislation. Use your own words, rather than postcards or form letters because the more personal a letter appears, the more seriously it will be taken.
• Prepare information packets that include a factsheet on the issue and the proposed ordinance.
• Attend city council meetings. Contact the council office to learn how to get your issue on the agenda. If you are speaking, present the facts, but keep it short. Follow the same procedures that you would follow in a personal meeting with a legislator (see below). You can also use the opportunity to meet legislators and establish a presence at meetings, even if you are not on the agenda.

Personal Visits
Personal contact is an important lobbying tool. Make an appointment with your legislator. If he or she is unavailable, speak with an aide or other staff person. It’s best to go by yourself or with—at most—one other person. If you are going with a group, decide in advance who will be the spokesperson or what each person will say to avoid repetition.

The following guidelines will help you make your visit as effective as possible:
• Dress professionally.
• Be brief and to the point.
• Identify yourself as a constituent and a concerned citizen, parent, or whatever else applies. You can identify yourself as a member of an organization, but legislators want to get feedback from voters, not lobbyists.
• Support your argument with facts, not emotions.
• Be specific and clearly state what you want the legislator to do (vote “yes” or “no,” urge a government agency to investigate a lab, etc.). Don’t just ask him or her to support animal rights bills. Few officials vote in favor of all animal-protection bills because different issues are at stake with each one.
• Provide background information. The legislator is busy and may know nothing about the issue. If possible, show a very short video to illustrate the problem.
• Explain how the bill will positively affect the legislator’s constituents.
• Be direct and upbeat.
• Don’t be argumentative or hostile, and don’t hesitate to admit that you do not know everything (but offer to find out). Do not make threats, be overly emotional, or harass legislators with too much contact.
• Leave an information pack and a brief, clearly written summary of your position.
• Write a personal thank-you note to the legislator after every visit or supportive action, and thank any aides or staff with whom you have contact.

References

1)  Jordan Rau, “Activists Win One in Battle Over Pâté Foie Gras,” Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2004.
2)  John M. Hubbell and Mark Martin, “Governor Vetoes Bills on Outsourcing. Legislation Bans Foie Gras Starting in 2012,” San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2004.
3)  James Dao, “Cuomo Veto Spares Trees at Expense of Billboard Views,” The New York Times, 30 Jul. 1993.