It’s Time for Legislative Interviews!
3/20/24
It’s time to get to know the people we’ve elected.
What are Legislative Interviews?
Every year, the LWVIL Issues and Advocacy Committee encourages local Leagues to develop and solidify relationships with their state senators and representatives by holding Legislative Interviews.
The goal of the interview is to strengthen the lines of communication between your local League and your legislators and to build goodwill rather than lobby for specific bills. The emphasis should be on a respectful exchange of views and information, setting the stage for future action in the state and your community.
Please remember to coordinate your interviews with overlapping Leagues to avoid duplication. If you do not know which other Leagues share your legislators, please contact issues@lwvil.org.
When should they be held?
The General Assembly will be on a break during the week of April 22, 2024. Please reference the General Assembly calendar to schedule a time that works for you.
The Issues and Advocacy Committee will provide priority questions for your interviews no later than April 5 along with a standard form on with which to provide information about interview responses. This will help LWVIL engage in targeted advocacy.
We recommend face-to-face interviews, but a conference call or Zoom meeting is also acceptable.
How should a Legislative Interview be conducted?
Set Up and Prepare for the Interview
Find your legislators’ contact information at ilga.gov. Write or email your legislator requesting an interview, and follow the letter with a phone call a few days later to schedule the interview.
Expect the interview to last at least 30 minutes; verify how much time the legislator has available. Be prepared with several available dates and times to meet. Determine whether the interview will be remote or in person.
Prioritize the Questions
The questions provided will be high priority questions that all Leagues are strongly encouraged to ask.
Send the interview questions (without background information) in advance to help the legislator prepare for the interview.
Choose Your Interview Team
Usually teams have two to four members. The interview is a stimulating opportunity for newer League members. Many Leagues deliberately put together interview teams composed of new and experienced members.
Each team member should review the issues you will be discussing, but no one needs to be an expert. Meet ahead of time. Determine who will lead the interview and who will ask the questions. Be sure to have a role for all team members. See if anyone is willing to share their experience with an issue.
Do Your Homework
Check out ilga.gov and learn something about your legislator before you meet: What committees do they serve on? What prior legislation have they sponsored? What do they appear to be interested in? Do their interests directly relate to one of the priority questions?
Set Expectations
When you introduce yourself and your League, emphasize the reason for the interview: to strengthen your relationship and find out where they stand on different issues. Thank them for past support on any issues they have in common with the League.
Be Positive and Find Common Ground Where Possible
You are trying to build goodwill and open channels of communication. Find out what your legislator thinks about various issues and look for places where you can work together. This is not a time to debate your legislator’s opinion.
It’s a discussion, not an interrogation. For this reason, it is recommended that you not take notes during the interview.
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” If a question comes up that you are unable to answer, just say that you will find the answer and send it after the interview.
Follow Up
Send a timely thank you to the person you interviewed. Include any follow-up information promised or that you think would be helpful.
Report to your League members what took place during the interview. Accent the positive. Remember that you must never embarrass a legislator or staff person, particularly in public documents, such as your newsletter. Be sure to respect the legislator’s wishes about sharing or not sharing their views with others.
Send the report form to the LWVIL Issues Committee.
Alternative Options — Be Creative!
You may want to consider other ways of meeting the goals of the interview, which are: building relationships, exploring the legislator’s stance on public policy topics, and connecting others in your community to the political process.
Your legislator might be willing to attend a public meeting sponsored by the League to discuss the issues, especially if they support the League's position.