Communicating with Legislators

There are many ways to communicate with your elected official – from letters – to phone calls – to in-person visits.

Find your Legislators

Writing Letters

When writing letters, make sure that your writing is clear and precise. Include your name and address. Follow one of these standard ways for addressing your legislator:

For letters to State Senators:
The Honorable (First Name, Last Name)
Illinois State Senate
Statehouse
Springfield IL 62706

Dear Senator:

For letters to State Representatives:
The Honorable (First Name, Last Name)
Illinois House of Representatives
Statehouse
Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Representative:

For letters to Members of Congress:
The Honorable (First Name, Last Name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Street Address
Washington, D.C.

Or

The Honorable (First Name, Last Name)
U.S. Senate
Street Address
Washington, D.C.

For specific addresses, call (202) 225-7000 or go to the United States Congress Web site at
www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.

Phone Calls

A phone call can be a very fast, immediate way to communicate your position on an issue – or to find out your legislator’s position.

Contact the State of Illinois at (217) 782-2000 or (312) 814-3500 to get specific numbers for members of the General Assembly or link to www.ilga.gov.

For members of the U.S. Congress, call (202) 224-3121 or link to http://thomas.loc.gov.

In-Person Meetings

To schedule a meeting with your legislator, call his or her office to speak with a staff member. Identify yourself as a constituent, and indicate the issue you would like to discuss. In-person meetings are particularly effective if you are impacted by a particular piece of legislation.

Legislative Testimony at the General Assembly

Legislative hearings are held throughout the legislative process during the committee phase. To find out if a bill has been scheduled for a hearing, call the Legislative Information Service at (217) 782-3944 or go to www.ilga.gov.

A couple of other guidelines:

Be aware of the status of the particular piece(s) of legislation. For information on bill status on the General Assembly, call (217) 782-3944 or link to www.ilga.gov; for information on federal legislation, call (202) 225-1772 or link to http://thomas.loc.gov.

Know the committees on which your legislator serves

For more information on the Council’s legislative activities, e-mail Kerry Flynn, Director, Operations, at Kerry.Flynn@illinois.gov.