FCS 4120 Letter to an Elected Official at the State or Federal Level 2023 Write a letter or an email to a member of the Michigan Legislature who represents you in Lansing or to a member of the U. S. Congress who represents you in Washington, DC. The focus of the letter is on a bill or a law with implications for families. NOTE: the focus of the letter or email is to be on one of the following: - thank the state legislator or member of Congress for co-sponsoring, voting, or voting against a bill; - ask the state legislator or member of Congress to cosponsor, vote for, or vote against a bill; - ask the state legislator or member of Congress to change a law, or o ask the state legislator or member to Congress to write a bill. 1. Preparation: Read the assigned material (i.e., Crosswhite, 2018; Congressional Management Foundation, 2014). 2. Choose a bill or law with implications for families that you will address in your letter. Research the arguments for and against a policy or proposed policy, including arguments for modifying the bill. You may choose to write about your issue from your policy paper, digital presentation, or any other issue that is important to you. 3. Choose to whom you will write: your US. Representative, US. Senator, your Michigan state Representative to Lansing, or your Michigan state Senator to Lansing. Choose the legislator or the member of Congress who can vote on a bill or write a bill to amend a law. For example, if you are writing about a bill in the US Senate, then you must write to one of the two Senators from Michigan (or from the state you are from) who serve in the US Senate. If you are writing about a Michigan House Bill, you will need to write to the Michigan District Representative who represents you in the Michigan House of Representatives in Lansing, Michigan. 4. Prepare the letter or email according to the recommendations found in Crosswhite (2018). 5. Submit the letter or email in E-learning assignment box by the due date. 6. You may wish to send the letter to or email the state legislator or member of Congress; however, doing so is not required. Directions for Writing a Letter See Crosswhite {2018)for details on formatting, length, and content of the letter. Single-space the letter. See general template on next page. Opening Date Your Name You Street Address Your Town, State and Zip code The Honorable Representative's or Senator's FirstName LastName leg, The Honorable Senator Maria Mancuso, The Honorable Representative Sergio Calzada) Address in Michigan or in Washington, DC Use the correct salutation. For example, Dear Senator Sergio Mancuso, 0r Dear Representative lsabella Calzado Body of the Letter or Email Paragraph 1: Personal information to the degree you wish. It is important to let the legislator know you live in their district (if a state legislator or a US Representative) or state (if a Senator). Paragraph(s)2n 3: Refer to the name of the law (and its Public Law number or US Code) or to the number and title of the bill and summarize its purpose. Share evidence-informed reasons you support or do not support the bill. Connect the policy to the legislator's district or state. Share why the law or bill is important to you, if you wish. Last Paragraph: Clearly state the specic action you would like the legislator to take (e.g., change a law, co-sponsor the bill, support or do not support the bill, author a bill, vote for or against a bill, and offer an amendment to a bill), or If you are writing to thank a state legislator or a member of the US Congress for their co-sponsorship or their vote for or against a bill, restate your thanks here. End the Letter Close the letter with a \"sincerely" or other respectful closing and add your name (with a space for your signature). TEMPLATE Month mu, 2023 First and Last Name 111 Any Street Town, MI 00000 Elected Ofcial's Name (with the correct title, such as The Honorable) Address Address Town/City, MI 00000 Dear (Senator First and Last Name or Representative First and Last Names) First paragraph Second paragraph Third paragraph Last paragraph Sincerely, Type Your Name Here (leave enough room so you can sign above it, if you wish to mail it)