Although the upcoming Presidential Election is crowding out many other political discussions, voting is just one way Michiganders can influence political outcomes. Environmental advocates say voters may have more power than they recognize to affect issues by reaching out to their lawmakers, especially at the state level.

“I think people wildly underestimate the impact they can have on our state government,” said Abby Clark, Midwest campaign manager for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“A handful of active individuals can totally change their community and have real impacts on statewide policy.”

Although the process of reaching out to lawmakers can be intimidating at first, Nicholas Occhipinti, government affairs director at the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, said lawmakers and their staffs are “surprisingly receptive and open.”

“This system is set up to hear from constituents,” he said. “At the lower levels of office …  individual constituents that take the time and energy to put together a thoughtful case…  are very much appreciated.”

He emphasized that you may still be able to find agreement with lawmakers that you differ with politically, especially at the state and local levels where officials may be more responsive to issues in their district.

Planet Detroit has compiled the following tips to help you find and influence your lawmakers.

Table of Contents

Who represents me?

Several online tools can help you locate your legislators. One is Plural Policy, where users can enter their address and get the names and contact information of state and federal lawmakers.

The watchdog group Common Cause also provides a tool for looking up lawmakers, including information on local officials like clerks, county commissioners and state supreme court justices.

And the state of Michigan has separate pages for finding your state senator and legislator. The U.S. House of Representatives has a form for finding U.S. representatives, as does the U.S. Senate. 

Detroit residents can find their City Council members here and council district map here. There are two at-large council members who serve residents city-wide.

If you live in the suburbs, you can visit the websites of your city, village, or township to find contact information for your local elected officials.

Read all of Planet Detroit’s democracy coverage here.

Our coverage goes beyond elections to help you understand how our democracy works and what your role is.

Who do I contact to influence an issue?

Although citizens can often have the biggest impact at the state and local level, you may still want to reach out to federal lawmakers about certain issues and pieces of legislation.

However, political insiders have said that elected officials really only listen to their constituents, so it may not do much good calling a senator from another state to influence an issue when you won’t be voting for them.

The best approach is often to contact your senator and representatives since legislation will move through both chambers. But it sometimes makes sense to reach out to just one official if a bill is in committee or you want to see a policy introduced.

Members of Congress may be easier to move on issues because they’re up for election every two years, while it may make sense to contact senators for issues that affect the entire state that they’re representing.

Much of the same logic holds at the state level, where legislators and senators both vote on legislation. However, if a specific lawmaker is involved on an issue where you want to see legislation introduced, you may focus your energy on them.

What’s the best way to contact my elected officials?

Those who spoke with Planet Detroit said any way you’re comfortable contacting your legislator is good. However, it’s been reported that for federal lawmakers, phone calls, where a staff member has to write down the purpose of the call, may have more impact than an easily ignored email, especially a form email that lacks a compelling personal narrative.

Clark said this may not be an issue with state legislators who are often less inundated with email. She added that community meetings and coffee hours may be the best way to get to know your lawmaker, making it easier to get their attention for an issue you care about.

“Legislators are very responsive to people they know,” she said.

How do I get my message across to my lawmaker?

The first rule for reaching out to your lawmaker is always to be respectful, Clark said, adding this is especially important with staff often working demanding jobs with limited compensation.

“They want to be helpful and responsive, but they have a lot on their plate,” she said.

Advocates say it’s essential to frame policy issues in a personal way when calling, writing, or emailing but not to assume the lawmaker will automatically connect this to a broader solution without being prompted.

“Something a lot of us have been working on is water affordability legislation,” Clark said. “If somebody has a personal story of being unable to pay their water bill, that is really important and compelling. But it still needs to be connected to the fact that there’s a solution that would help everybody.”

With phone calls, Occhipinti said constituents should try and put together a 30-second ‘elevator pitch‘ that is grounded in facts and connects the caller’s experience to a broader district issue. For example, a caller might reference large trucks that are affecting businesses with outdoor dining in their community and connect this with a broader appeal to reign in trucks carrying aggregate in the area.

A checklist for calling, emailing and writing lawmakers put together by the University of California Berkeley Library also offers some useful information. It says you should make sure to identify yourself as a constituent, keep your correspondence to three main points and personalize your relationship to your lawmaker, i.e. tell them if you voted for them or met them in the past. If you’re calling about a specific piece of legislation, mention the bill number.

KQED’s guide for calling elected officials reassures callers that you don’t need to be an expert on the topic you’re calling about, so long as you’re reasonably well informed and have a clear idea of what you’re asking for. They advise following up in two to three days if you don’t receive a response.

Can I set up a meeting with my lawmaker?

Advocates say setting up a meeting can also be a particularly good way to influence your elected officials. Yale Climate Connections suggests teaming up with other like-minded people and coming prepared with an agenda for a 30-minute meeting and a one-page print-out to leave with the lawmaker.

Occhipinti said it’s essential to find out what kind of policy the lawmaker has focused on in the past and try to connect your issue with their interests. For example, if your lawmaker has written legislation to protect water quality in the past and your concern is the environmental impact of data centers, you could bring up potential impacts to water resources from these projects.

Occhipinti recommended bringing photographs or other visual materials to help tell your story and having questions ready that could allow the lawmaker to think through the issue.

“More than 50% of the time, you want them talking, but you also don’t want to be crowded out,” he said. “When they’re speaking, they’re going to naturally reframe the issue in terms of things they know and care about. In the process, they’re starting the work of moving towards you and your view of the issue.”

It’s also possible to just show up at the lawmaker’s office, either at the capital or in their district, and convey your concerns, Occhipinti said.

“There’s a pretty decent chance you’ll get to speak to at least a staffer,” he said.

How can I organize with others to increase my impact?

To grow the impact of your outreach, you might consider getting involved with a group that is already working on your priorities or interested in doing so. You could also consider organizing neighbors or others affected by a particular issue to increase your influence.

“The first choice should be plugging into an existing organization,” Clark said. “It’s a chance to learn about things you care about and plug into those things in a way you might not have thought of.”

Occhipinti said that working on the campaign for a lawmaker you support can also be a good way to get some time with them to discuss issues that you think are important.

Neighborhood organizations, Nextdoor, and Facebook are also venues where you can connect with others dealing with a local problem and organize to get your lawmakers’ attention.

How do I keep track of environmental issues in my community?

Many Planet Detroit readers likely have several environmental priorities that they follow in the news. But it can help to keep an eye out for proposed legislation that could connect with your concerns or emergent issues that may help grow a constituency for action. For example, if you’re concerned about trucking and air pollution in Southwest Detroit and read about similar issues on the East Side, that could be a spark for collective action.

Planet Detroit covers these issues with news and accountability stories. We also have an air violation tracker that provides up-to-date information on air quality violations across the state of Michigan. Sign up for the Planet Detroit free email newsletter to keep track of local developments, stories, and actions related to climate, health, and the environment right in your neighborhood.

Other high-quality sources for news that could inform civic engagement are Bridge Detroit, Michigan Public’s Environment Report and news coverage, Bridge Michigan’s Michigan Environment Watch, Outlier Media, and their Detroit Documenters program, which covers public meetings.

Many nonprofits also have newsletters that can help residents track the most important issues while offering opportunities for canvassing and group lobbying efforts.

Brian Allnutt is a senior reporter and contributing editor at Planet Detroit. He covers the climate crisis, environmental justice, politics and open space.