2011 Legislative Agenda Messaging Tips
Attending a town hall or meeting with your legislator? Use these messaging points to help you get the facts across and guide your questions.
And remember, legislators hearing from constituents is so much more valuable than hearing from PSJ staff. When you interact with legislators, represent yourself as one of their valuable community stakeholders!
Remember: Thanking legislators is so important. Whether they support our agenda or not, being friendly and thanking them for their work and time is essential to developing a good relationship. Want more tips? Check out our guide to legislative visits.
Prison spending is out of control. Even the Department of Corrections agrees we're on an unsustainable trajectory.
- Oregon's prison spending has quadrupled in the past two decades even though crime is down.
- It's time to create smarter policies that save money and promote safe, healthy communities.
- States like Texas have reformed sentencing laws in order to curb runaway prison spending.
- Thank you for voting for the 2009 Safety and Savings Act that created savings in the corrections budget and reinvested the savings in other public safety services. Did your legislator vote for the 2009 Safety and Savings Act? Find out here.
Will you support a continued suspension of Measure 57 and a revision of Measure 73?
Will you support maintaining current earned time policies?
Would you support the implementation of Second Look for Youth?
Violent crime is down overall, but domestic violence murders have increased during the last couple of years.
- Victims of domestic and sexual violence need help to heal and rebuild their lives.
- In 2009, almost 20,000 requests for shelter from survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Oregon were denied because of a lack of funding.
- Further cuts would make our communities less safe. We saw how tragic this lack of resources can be during the recent spate of domestic violence murders.
Given the recent spike in domestic violence in Oregon, will you prioritize funding for these services in 2011?
Investing in addictions prevention, treatment and recovery services saves money now and in the long run.
- Every $1 invested in prevention saves $18 in health, education and criminal justice system costs.
- Every $1 invested in treatment saves $7 in criminal justice costs alone.
Will you support funding for prevention, treatment and recovery services in the Department of Human Services and Addictions and Mental Health, and Department of Corrections budgets?
