Resources for Legislative Action
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"LD" refers to "Legislative Document," which is a number assigned to a bill once it's received, printed, and distributed to the public.
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How to write effective testimony:
Keep it short. Pack a powerful punch in as few words as possible.
Don’t argue your case or your loved one’s case. The point of your story is to show the listener the impact of the justice system on your life.
Use specific detail like ages and names—colorful things that make your story unique. Make your listener remember your story.
Don’t be afraid to get personal and emotional. Be yourself and show yourself—connect with your listener on a one-to-one level.
Tell what’s at stake and what has been gained or lost. Communicate urgency and emotion.
Make sure to end with an action that your listener can take. I’m telling you my story so you will .
Click here to submit your testimony and follow these steps:
Select Public hearing
Select the committee that is hearing the bill
Select the date and time of the hearing
Select the appropriate bill number
To register for Zoom, select “I would like to testify electronically over Zoom.”
To submit written testimony, upload your file or enter the testimony in the field.
If you plan to testify in person, you are asked to bring 20 copies of your testimony to distribute to committee members.
Committee assignments and public hearing dates and times appear on the bill’s website. Note: testimony can be submitted at any time and will be shared with committee members and become part of the public record, however, only testimony submitted online by midnight on the day of the bill’s public hearing will be included on the bill’s web page.
If you have special needs and require accommodations to participate in a hearing please contact the Legislative Information Office as soon as possible by phone 207-287-1692 or email: lio@legislature.maine.gov
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Find your legislators:
State and Federal https://www.maine.gov/portal/government/edemocracy/voter_lookup.php
Maine Senators https://legislature.maine.gov/senate/senators/9536
Maine Representatives http://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles
On the day of a bill vote, you can also call the 1-800 numbers listed below and leave messages with your name and town, your legislators’ names, the bill number you’re calling about, and how you’d like them to vote. Messages are transcribed and delivered to legislators’ desks throughout the day.
Maine House:
1-800-423-2900Maine Senate:
1-800-423-6900TTY: Use Maine Relay 711
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