Illinois
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY KNOW YOUR LEGISLATOR By Kristofer Kasten, ILAC Co-Chair
Through the Illinois Legislative Action Committee (ILAC) and the Illinois Political Action Committee (IPAC), CAI does a lot to advance the interests of community associations in Springfield. One of the most important and effective ways to advance those interests is by building relationships with legislators. Those relationships allow CAI the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with sponsors, proponents, opponents, and other stakeholders about legislation impacting community associations and those who provide goods and services to community associations. Sometimes those are difficult conversations because of competing interests. Nonetheless, they are necessary conversations. Relationship-building is not just important, it is vital to what CAI does on behalf of its members.
Although ILAC is perhaps the official face of CAI with respect to legislators, it is not the only face of CAI. CAI exists for and through its members. That means every member can be a face of CAI. How does one accomplish that? By getting to know your representative and senator in the General Assembly. That is, by building relationships. Your representative and senator are more approachable than you may assume. They want to hear from their constituents.
If you are unsure how to find out who your legislators are, there are several ways to find out. CAI makes it easy. Go to
www.caioline.com and click on the “advocacy” tab. Then click on the “Take Action Today!” link. Then click on the “Find Your Elected Officials” link. Next you input the information requested (zip code and street address), click “continue”, and a list of your federal and state elected officials will magically appear. Your state representative and senator should be listed near the bottom of the list. You can click on their names to find information about them, such as their Springfield office address, their local office address, and their email address.
Once you know who your legislators are, it is time to get to know them. That can be done in a multitude of ways. For example, you can go to one of the many events put on by legislators. Some of those events are fundraisers, which require paid tickets to attend. However, some events will be free and more like a meet- and-greet or townhall style meeting. You can call, email,
12 | COMMON INTEREST® • Winter 2023 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter
or write a good old fashion letter to your legislator introducing your association or about concerns of your association. You can even invite your legislators out to your community to see what it is like. Some legislators would be happy to attend an association meeting to get to know their constituents better. Getting to know your legislators does not have to be about a specific piece of legislation or issue. It can be about letting your legislators know who you are, that you are part of a community association, and that you are part of CAI. Building a relationship with your legislators before a specific piece of legislation must be addressed can help when legislative advocacy is needed, such as when CAI sends out a “call to action”.
Effective legislative advocacy happens at all levels of CAI, whether at the national level or the state legislative action committees or through its members. One way get to know your state representatives and senators. you will be able to help CAI get their attention.
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