Establish Your Expertise

Introduce yourself as a funeral consumer advocate to your Legislator in between legislative sessions. They have more time then and will come to identify you as their resident expert on the subject of funeral consumer issues..

Watch Your Tone

Always be gracious, never angry in your letters to Legislators, Licensure Board, Department of Health etc.

Webpage

Have a page on your website dedicated to the Bills you are concerned about. Make sure that page addresses all the arguments being used against your cause. And always include the URL in your communications so you can be concise. This way whoever you are writing can get more fully informed at a click.

Enlist Members

Contact your entire membership to take action on behalf of your Bill. You need them to contact  their Legislator too. Call and text your members until they do. This is your best spent time!

Stories Are Essential

NO BILL PASSES without sob stories. If no one has been harmed by a bad law or harmed by the absence of a good law you have no hope of passing your Bill. To make your case, gather sad stories from individuals, groups, and the news, who have been impacted negatively by the current laws (or situation, lack of law, etc.). Briefly explain why your suggested Bill will solve the problem(s). 

Brevity Is A Virtue

Make your emails and phone calls very brief and concise.

Garner Support

Early on pitch your issue to your State Funeral Licensure Board. Try to gain their support. Try to get the Health Dept. on Board too. If you get either of these you will have a good chance of success. CAUTION: They may say they support you but turn on you when you think your bill is in the bag. This is very important to understand. DO NOT STOP showing up at the Capitol, making sure you contacted each Legislator, made phone calls, and delivered flyers for the clerks to distribute to Legislators’ desks right up to the last vote. Remain seen and available.

Appear Big

Show up at the Capitol and, at least, look like you are with other people, even if it means sitting by a group, chatting with them and moving when they move. Find a like-minded group and hobnob with them (such as environmentalists, or people for liberty, or people for helping the poor, or centers for aging). They may give the Legislator the “tip of the hat” to your cause.