When I served in the Idaho state legislature I quickly learned that many people didn’t really understand what level of government I served in (“Are you home from D.C.?”). If they thought about state lawmaking at all they thought about it when we were in session and thus were in the news. By that point things were in full swing, our days were packed with committee meetings and session, and we didn’t have much time to sit down with constituents and listen to their concerns in depth although I held “coffee with Barb” weekend gatherings to be as accessible as possible.

Surprise! You can actually contact a state legislator any time of year. When they’re in session you’re behind the power curve. Your state representatives and state senators have likely already been thinking about bills they want to sponsor and hearing from constituents throughout the year. Doesn’t mean you can’t get involved during session—you can and you should because it really does matter.

Whether you’re doing this mid-summer or just as the session is about to start, these tips should be helpful.

Learn who your legislators are. You may already know your district or may need to use a tool on your state legislature’s website to look up the number. Unless you’re in Nebraska with its unicameral legislature, you’ll have two representatives and a senator. The site may have a contact form to use or their email addresses.

Establish a connection. Sign up for their e-mail newsletters so you know what they care about. If they hold an open house, Zoom call, phone town hall, or any other connection point, take advantage of those.

Know your own story. Why do you care? Why are you there? Can you explain that in just a couple of sentences that land with some oomph they’ll remember? Better if you can do that than if you need to tell an entire story that takes 15 minutes so if you get the chance you can look a legislator in the eye, introduce yourself, and say, “Here’s what I care about. Here’s why.”

That doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Practice definitely helps. Try writing it, try telling a friend or family member, try recording it like you’re planning to put it on YouTube and playing it back to listen to it as if it’s someone else. It’s fine to be nervous! That’s real, that’s human. But if you’re rambling at length to someone who needs to meet a lot of other people at an event you’re not going to get your point across.

Plug into existing systems. Check with your local or state advocacy organizations to find out who the bike-friendly legislators are, what bills may be coming up to fight for or against, how well your state funds pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure. Maybe they have an action day planned at the state capitol. Do your homework.

Don’t overlook non-bike-related groups and systems! Explaining to any and all of these why your topic is important gives you good practice for talking with legislators and expands the network of people who have at least some awareness of your issue.

Does your local Chamber of Commerce advocate for transportation projects? (The answer is yes. It’s always yes.) Have they added a local trail project to the list of projects they’re hoping to bring home funding for? How about the tourism promotion/destination marketing organization? They may be marketing how walkable your downtown is; have they added the need for sidewalk funding or complete streets to their legislative agenda? Is your school district offering bicycle education and if so, how is it funded? Does it need support at the state level? Does your public health district do anything related to active living environments? Maybe they have programs you want to support.

Be a resource. If you’re contacting legislators around the session you’re probably thinking about bills. Any time of year, though, you can connect. A few ideas:

• Invite them to try to walk along or cross the street near your child’s school so they understand how important it is to support Safe Routes to School. You’re giving them something they can talk about, maybe a photo op for a local story or their own newsletter.
• Take them on a bike ride (geared to their level of experience; this is a no-drop ride!) with stops selected to highlight the value of past investments and the potential for new ones. Again, story fodder.
• Before you try to ride your bike to a town hall meeting they’re holding, contact them in advance and ask if there will be bike parking or if you can bring your bike inside; that’s a message of its own about transportation and accessible event planning. If it isn’t accessible by transit ask if they can choose a different venue.
• In the fall invite them to participate in #WeekWithoutDriving. It’s a firsthand learning experience if they’ve only used driving to get around. Maybe you can act as their bus buddy or lead a bike ride for them and other constituents to go to an event.
• At any/all of these or as a standalone action, share a fact sheet you’ve compiled about your town’s infrastructure (existing and needed), track record on safety, investment or lack thereof, and demographics that indicate reliance on active transportation, all of which you may have from an advocacy group or be able to prepare based on some homework. This makes a great resource so update it every year or so. (Share with your city council members and mayor while you’re at it, all those groups you’re connecting with, and reporters who cover transportation.)

Don’t make it partisan. Everyone needs to cross the street. Everyone’s a pedestrian at some point in their journeys. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by traffic violence or who has kids walking to school or who’s getting older and aging out of driving so they need other options. Don’t assume that one party or the other is the only one that cares about your issues. You always want to be able to talk with the people in power, no matter who’s in power and no matter how good or bad they are on other issues that matter to you.

Taking on even one of the items on this list of ways to connect puts you ahead of everyone who stays passive and doesn’t reach out to plug into the process. Your voice matters.