​What Is Citizen Lobbying?

 

​Citizen lobbying is when you try to convince legislators to vote for or against a bill. You can lobby them to influence their position on a bill through your knowledge or personal experience

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First Steps

 

​1) Look up who represents you. Know who your state legislators are and have their contact information ready for the legislative session. You can even arrange to meet with them before the session starts to get to know them or share your position on issues. After you click the link, select the drop down at the top right of the page and then "Find My Legislators." Enter your house number and zip code to find who represents you.

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2) Watch our legislative videos:

• Basics of the Legislature

• How to Track a Bill

• How to Submit Public Testimony

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3) Tour the legislative website. One of the best ways to prepare for the legislative session is by getting familiar with the state legislative website. Click around the 2023 Legislative Session page to get started.

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The Legislative Process

 

​The North Dakota legislature, or Legislative Assembly, is the primary author of laws in North Dakota. It resembles the US Congress in that we have two chambers: a House of Representatives and a Senate. The State Senate has 47 members and the House of Representatives has 94 members, and each is elected to a 4-year term in office with a limit of 2 terms.

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Our legislative session meets every other year in odd-numbered years starting in January and usually running through April. The session is where the action happens! It's where legislators work on state laws and set our budget for the next two years.

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The state legislature considers numerous bills each session, usually between 800-900, which is a lot for legislators to keep track of. There are committees based on topic areas that dive into each bill and hold hearings so the public can share comments in support or opposition of the proposed state law. After the committee hearing, the bill heads to the full chamber for a vote.

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If a bill is passed by one chamber - House or Senate - it moves over to the other chamber and will have another committee hearing and vote. If passed by both the House and Senate, it heads to the governor's desk to be signed into law or vetoed (rejected). If it's vetoed, it's sent back to legislature where they can attempt to override the veto by a 2/3 vote in each chamber.

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Public Testimony

 

A great place to give input on a bill during the legislative session is in a committee's public hearing. All North Dakota citizens have the right to testify on any bill or resolution. Here's an example testimony and three steps to submitting testimony:

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1) Track the bill to find out when the committee hearing is scheduled. The schedule for the next week's hearings usually comes out Thursday evenings during session.

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2) Write your testimony. Tell your story. Keep it simple and brief. ​Start with: "Committee chair and members of the committee, my name is Jane Doe and I am here in support/opposition of House Bill/Senate Bill ####. I support/oppose this bill because..." 

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3) Submit your written testimony on the North Dakota legislative website by finding your bill in the list of upcoming hearings and clicking on "Submit Testimony" in the far right column. Even if you plan to give testimony in person, you should submit a written copy through the website as legislators like having a physical copy on hand.

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Lobbying Your Legislators

 

​State laws have an impact on you and your community, so you can lobby your legislators on a bill to let them know the impact or to educate them on the issue. You can lobby them through personal visits, writing letters, emailing, or calling them.

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Legislators receive hundreds of emails during the session from constituents, businesses, organizations, and others who want to influence their vote on bills. For a greater chance that they will open your email, put in the subject line that you are a resident of their district and your district number.​

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How to Talk So Your Legislators Listen:

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• Identify your name and address

• Be polite. How you say it is as impactful as what you say.

• ​Be brief.

• Focus on only one issue or bill each time you reach out.

• Describe the issue and refer to the bill number if you have it.

• Let them know what action you would like them to take, such as a yes or no vote.

• Share personal experiences or special credentials you have on the issue.

• ​Send a thank you or follow up letter if appropriate.

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Private citizens lobbying on their own behalf, don't need to register as a lobbyist with the state. For information on who should register as a lobbyist, visit the state's resource.

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Engage Your Community

 

​There is strength in numbers. Reaching out to others is the best way to increase your lobbying power. To get more involved, you can:

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• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper

• Ask friends, neighbors, and colleagues to contact their legislators

• Join a group working on your issue

• Get involved in a candidate's campaign for office

• Go to educational forums

• Organize an educational forum

• Attend lobby days and rallies

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Don't Give Up!

 

Good ideas can take a while to show up on the legislative radar. By increasing legislators’ awareness of an issue and establishing your own credibility, you can help lay the groundwork for future success.