Advocacy
Cities are strongest when they speak with one unified voice.
Top Legislative News
Legislative updates and calls to action from LOC IGR Staff on specific legislation of interest to cities. Each update and alert has a LOC Staff contact that you can follow up with. If you have general questions about legislation, take a look at our IGR Staff contact page which includes portfolio areas for each lobbyist.
Current Legislative News
Post-Session Information
Thank You, Cities - A Message to our Membership from LOC Board President Steve Callaway
2023 Session Comes to a Close
LOC Legislative Director Jim McCauley summarizes the events that unfolded during session, how cities fared, and what's next.
Bills for City Review, Action & Awareness
Cities are advised to review the summaries and take action as needed to comply with new state law.
Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar
LOC lobby staff will be providing a legislative summary during the third quarter Small Cities meetings.
View a schedule of upcoming meetings and register
See news archive below for older articles.
Helpful Links
Legislative News Archive
Ways to Stay Engaged
To support city advocacy efforts and ensure that your community is getting the most out of your efforts:
- Read the LOC Bulletin—sent by e-mail every Friday. The Bulletin provides you with the information you need to most effectively communicate with your legislators about priority issues during session.
- Utilize the LOC’s Bill Tracker System—The tracker has the most up-to-date information on the status and content of bills of interest to you.
- Check Social Media—follow LOC both on Twitter (@OregonCities) and Facebook (@League of Oregon Cities). Check-in on these platforms for legislative updates. Don’t forget to use our hashtags #ORCities2019 and #ORCitiesLeg
- Provide the LOC with feedback—send an e-mail, copy LOC on communications with legislators, or call. To most effectively advocate for your community, the LOC needs to hear from you about your interactions with legislators and what is happening in your community
Advocacy Tips and Tricks
Most people don’t take the time to contact their elected officials, so just a few connections on a specific topic can really make an impact. A message from a fellow elected official or city staff carries significant weight. Your communication with elected officials supports the LOC’s work in Salem and on federal issues in Washington, D.C. It can change the way they vote.
The following communication tips will assist you in working with elected officials (local elected officials, state legislators, the governor or Oregon’s congressional delegation).
Making Contact
Your entry point for contact with legislators is literally their staff. Whether it’s field staff in Oregon for a member of Congress, or the office staff in Salem or D.C., your first impression is critical because staff hold the initial key to access. If you treat them with respect and patience, chances are, you will have more success in future contact.
Delivering the Message
• Get to know your state legislators, members of Congress and their staff to determine the best way to communicate.
• Calling is effective when you need to get your message across quickly.
• Meeting with elected officials is an essential part of your advocacy efforts. Like you, elected officials have busy schedules, so it is important to get your message across quickly. Generally, they often have more time to meet when they are home in their districts or when the Legislature or Congress is not in session.
• Today emailing has all but replaced more formal letter writing and is a more immediate way to contact elected officials quickly. But don’t discount the value of a written note, especially as a thank you.
Calling Elected Officials
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Meeting with Elected Officials
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Writing or Emailing Elected Officials
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