1. You are the main contact for the dental profession with your legislator. Please remember that you are representing the North Carolina Dental Society and the Society’s official position on issues. Before contacting your legislator, contact NCDS if you do not agree or are uncertain of the NCDS position. Find out from your legislator how they prefer to be contacted – telephone, mail , fax or email. Please contact your legislator now and assure that you have a personal relationship with him/her before there is a need or an issue. The preferred type of communication with the NCDS is through the use of email.
2. Ask your legislator to visit your office or to attend a special dentistry event (ex., GKAS or MOMs or DADs Project) to introduce yourself and to discuss issues affecting dentistry. If you already know your legislator well, still ask him/her to visit or attend events. If more than one dentist is the contact for a legislator, you can choose to work as a group.
3. Deliver NCDPAC checks as requested (within 30 days of receipt). Please consider matching the check with your personal (not corporate or business check) contribution and/or ask other dentists in your area to help match the contribution. After delivering a NCDPAC check, please return the letter enclosed with the check indicating the date the check was delivered.
4. When you receive a Legislative Alert from NCDS (usually via Fax and/or Email), immediately contact your legislator to inform him/her of our position on the legislation. Usually your legislator is a member of the committee that will hear the bill the following day. Please notify Prissy Allen at the NCDS, 800-662-8754 or 919-234-4027 telephone, 919-677-1397 fax or pallen@ncdental.org email on whether your legislator supports or opposes a bill or issue related to dentistry. This is very beneficial to our lobbying effort.
Check the NCDS website, www.ncdental.org and look for a legislative update in the form of a short video, “A Legislative Minute” or in the Legislative Section for updates. Periodically you will receive an e-blast from CAPWIZ which is an on-line tool for use by government relations professionals that simplify time-consuming tasks. Through these Capwiz alerts, you will be notified of events or actions that need to be taken with your legislators. When needed, you will be provided a draft of an email that can be customized by you and forwarded to your legislator or simply a Capwiz alert will notify you of pending legislation. These email alerts on state or federal legislature developments will allow you to stay informed. You can communicate directly with legislators and staff. All you need is your 9-digit zip code located on your driver’s license to identify your legislators. When it is necessary to get a message to a member of the state or federal delegation, why not use a 21st century device – email.
5. Know the issues and legislation related to dentistry so you can communicate better with your legislator. NCDS will send you “talking points” with each Legislative Alert so you can understand the issue. Please remember that legislators depend on you to understand dental issues.
Goals and/or objectives will be prepared by the NCDS Board of Trustees and the NCDS Legislative Committee prior to each legislative session and will be shared with the NCDS Contact Dentists.
6. Please keep NCDS informed by copying NCDS on all your correspondence with your legislator.
7. Consider hosting a fundraiser for your legislator each election cycle.
8. Consider volunteering to work on your legislator’s campaign (primary elections are in May, general elections are November)
9. Make a personal contribution to your legislator’s campaign. When I receive a NCDPAC contribution check to deliver to my legislator I will deliver it within 30 days and notify the NCDS Governmental Affairs Coordinator (Prissy Allen ) of this delivery.
10. Join the NC Dental Political Action Committee.
11. Please encourage your local dental society to host your legislators for dinner. NCDS will assist in funding and planning the dinner.
12. Educate dentists in your area about the importance of becoming involved in the legislative process. Encourage dentists in your area to contact your legislator when NCDS sends a Legislative Alert.
13. Attend training sessions as scheduled for Contact Dentists.
13. Contact Prissy Allen, NCDS Governmental Affairs Coordinator, 800-662-8754 or 919-234-4027 or email pallen@ncdental.org with any questions, problems or concerns.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ARE AVAILABLE AT www.ncdental.org.
I acknowledge receipt of these duties and expectations and have reviewed them and agree to abide by these requested duties.
Signature______________________________________
Date _________________________________________
Please return your completed form to:
Ms. Priscilla M. Allen (Prissy)
Governmental Affairs Coordinator
Or by email pallen@ncdental.org
