Although both Frary and her husband Frank have been active in local politics, the most powerful technique she used was her honesty. I just told my friend Mary Jane s story, and then I sort of let them have it. Frary s testimony was compelling. She received the first round of applause of the long evening of testimony. Hoosiers can use this approach in other public forums.
Many legislators host town hall meetings throughout the year.
These are usually announced in mailings or in newspaper announcements. County Democratic and Republican headquarters will also be aware of such events. These forums give citizens to a chance make their case to policy makers as well as to audience members. If you intend to speak at a public meeting, have a good sense of what you are going to say, so you won t get flustered or take more time to make your point than you need. It is important to ask a legislator to commit to specific stands, such as committing to spend a certain percentage of the tobacco settlement on a specific program.