Legislative Action

Colorado Legislature:
One hundred lawmakers (35 Senators, 65 Representatives) meet this year from January 7-May 6 (120 days).

To e-mail them, follow these directions:
Instruction #1 is for e-mailing your own legislators using your home address/zip code.
Instruction #2 is for e-mailing legislators who are not your own legislators.

Instruction #1: TO E-MAIL YOUR OWN LEGISLATOR BASED ON YOUR HOME ADDRESS:

1. Click on the yellow box above and a new window will open. You will be in the Colorado Legislative Action Center. Scroll down to the address blanks.

2. Enter your street address. Spell out words like Street, Drive, Circle, East, North, etc. Click "Go."

3. The names of your State Senator and State Representative will appear as links on the right side of the page.Be sure you select STATE legislators, not U.S. Congressman or U.S. Senators, if you are e-mailing about a bill in the Colorado (State) Legislature. For example, if you are e-mailing about a Colorado legislative issue, do not mail to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet or U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, or U.S. Reps. DeGette, Polis, Salazar, Markey, Lamborn, Coffman, or Perlmutter. They cannot vote on Colorado legislative issues, only on issues before Congress.

4. If you click on these links, you'll get information about each legislator and you can send them messages through the red "Send message" box under their photos, or through the e-mail link to the right of their photos.

5. Specify in the Subject what you want done: Vote Yes on Bill # or Vote No on Bill #.

6. Write your message in complete sentences in a more formal way than you would send an e-mail to a friend or relative. Use our message points if you got them from your local association or CEA. DO NOT PASTE our Action Alert into the message – put the message in your own words.

7. Check grammar and spelling. Use the Spell-Check feature. You can write your message in Word or Notepad and copy-paste it in the Message, if that's easier. "Sign" your full name. Preview your message before sending it.

Instruction #2: TO E-MAIL A LEGISLATOR WHO IS NOT YOUR OWN LEGISLATOR:

1. After you read these instructions, we will direct you to the Legislature's Web site.

2. You will get to a page that reads either House Members-Picklist or Senate Members-Picklist. Legislators' names are down the side and the alphabet across the top. There are a few per page, and to find the one you want, you may have to go to the next page or use the alphabet for the Last Name.

3. Click on the Legislator's Name, wait for the page to open, and click on Member's Home Page. If the legislator has an e-mail address, it will appear in bright blue. Simply click on it and Outlook Express opens up. Say No to the "default" question and a small e-mail form will appear.

4. Specify in the Subject what you want done: Vote Yes on Bill # or Vote No on Bill #.

5. Write your message in complete sentences in a more formal way than you would send an e-mail to a friend or relative. Use our message points if you got them from your local association or CEA. Do not paste our Action Alert into the message – put the message in your own words.

6. Check grammar and spelling. You can write your message in Word or Notepad and copy-paste it into the Message, if that's easier. "Sign" your full name. Proofread your message before sending it.

If the legislator does not have e-mail, write down the Capitol Phone Number so you can call and leave a voice mail message instead. Only a few legislators don't have e-mail.

NOTE: We'd like a copy of your message. You can add CEA as a recipient of your e-mail by typing CWebpage@nea.org in the CC field.

READY? Click on House or Senate to get started.



Before e-mailing, writing, or calling a legislator, you may want to read about
making effective contacts with lawmakers.

To find your legislators listed by UniServ Unit or to locate other information about them, look on Legislative News.

CEA Capitol Connection:
CEA-NEA members can subscribe (FREE) to a terrific member-only Association service: weekly updates on what's happening with public education at the Capitol. We'll tell you about the action on bills that affect educators, kids, and your future in public education. Capitol Connection is e-published from the second week of January until May. Joining CEA Capitol Connection is easy. Send an e-mail as follows and you'll get a confirmation by e-mail to verify your subscription.

TO:  lyris@list.nea.org
SUBJECT:  your first and last name, local association (please spell out your local, don't abbreviate)
MESSAGE:  subscribe ceacapitolconnection

Colorado State Board of Education:
Eight members of the State Board of Education are elected by Congressional district with one at-large member. The State Commissioner of Education is appointed by the State Board.

Colorado's Congressional Delegation:
Colorado has two U.S. Senators and seven U.S. Representatives.
U.S. Congress/Thomas (Library of Congress)
U.S. House
U.S. Senate

NEA's Legislative Action Center:
Here you can point, click, and speak out for children and public education. You can join a national network of educators, get e-mail alerts about issues that impact students and education employees, and learn of opportunities to lobby Congress and state legislatures.