Every Minnesota Legislator is assigned a Legislative Assistant or "LA". Legislative Assistants play a critical role in state government because they help our elected officials manage busy schedules. Legislative Assistants perform constituent service tasks on behalf of legislators.  The best way to connect with your State Senator or State Representative is to to request a meeting by making a phone call or sending an email his or her LA. 

The names and phones numbers for legislative assistance can be found the member information page for the Representative or Senator that they are assigned to. 

A 2011 survey of Congressional staffers found that in-person constituent visits can make the BIGGEST impact in influencing a lawmaker

Written letters and emails are a good way to communicate with your legislators, if you cannot meet with them in person.

Key success strategies for written letters and emails:

• Make your letter neat and easy to read (type or print).
• Identify the issue at the top of the communication and cover only one issue. If you have more than one issue that needs to be addressed, write separate communications for each issue.
• Identify yourself and the reason for your expertise.
• Get right to the point.

For example, you may wish to begin your letter like this: "I hope you will support (oppose) HF or SF___." Give your reasons for supporting or opposing the measure. Tell your legislator why you think the bill, if it becomes law, will help or hurt you, your children, your business, or your community. Explain what it means to you. Think “elevator speech.”

• Use terms they will understand, and avoid using abbreviations.
• Ask for a reply if you want one. (However, keep in mind how many meetings and hearings your legislator must attend. They will call or write to you as soon as they are able. Be patient.)

Write the right legislator at the right time. You want your letter to reach a decision maker right before he or she votes on the issue. Acting on MCC action alerts quickly is critical. This ensures that a communication will reach your legislator’s desk on time.