I called my state representative's office this morning to tell them that I strongly support the
Safe Communities Act. I told the staffer that I know and appreciate that Garballey is a co-sponsor of this bill, and that this is part of why I'm likely to vote for him next month.* I had what felt like a fairly standard conversation with a legislative staffer**, including giving them my full name and being thanked for calling, and then the staffer asked for my phone number, because Garballey "likes to reach out" to constituents who contact him.
Five minutes later, he called me back. We had a nice conversation about the bill, which he was emphasizing is important, and the next steps in the process. He said Friday's hearing went well, but that guarantees nothing. I asked if he thought it would be a good idea for me to call the governor's office. Garballey said that Baker had come out against it, and I said I knew that, and was it worth calling to let him know people disagree on this, and he said yes it would be.
Is this typical of state legislators (in general, or in Massachusetts)? I wrote to my representatives occasionally pre-2016, and got letters back, and I got a letter from Rep. Clark last week (responding to a phone call I made on May 1.) No phone calls, even when I don't explicitly say "I don't need a call back," though the staffers often ask for my phone number.
* Garballey is currently my "representative in general court," which is what Massachusetts calls the lower house of the state legislature, and is running in the special election for a state senate seat that became vacant when the incumbent died.
* Yes, I've made enough calls in the last six months that I have an idea of what's standard.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}