Testify about Plastic Pollution

Step 1: Write what you want to say and practice it to ensure it's clear, concise and will be completed in about 2 minutes. 

These resources from New Futures may help you craft your message for legislators and find key stakeholders to testify with you.

• Crafting a Messaging Strategy

• Policy Messaging Framework

• Audience and Messaging Worksheet Samples

How to build a coalition in a conservative state: This podcast, Bans on Bans, is from a meeting of the Conservative States & Provinces subgroup. It covers preemption and its implications for reuse policy, how it looks in different states, strategies for challenging it, and lessons learned from experienced panelists: Randy Moorman of Eco-Cycle in Colorado, Emma Haydocy of Surfrider in Florida, and Jeremy Drake of MT Plastic Free Missoula in Montana. 

Step 2: Show up before the hearing starts. Sign up before the hearing on the sign-up sheet. Specify your position - support or oppose - on the sheet, in addition to having done so online before 8:00 AM. More instructions are on the NH Network's Bill Actions webpage.

Step 3: When you are called to testify:  greet and thank the committee for hearing you, state your name, town, qualifications (e.g. member of your town's energy committee), your position on the bill, and the reasons.  

Try not to repeat what you've heard in previous testimony in the hearing, but you can mention you agree with specific previous points made.

You may deliver papers or handouts as well - best to provide a copy for each member of the committee.

Step 4: After you speak for the time granted to you by the Committee Chair, committee members may ask you questions.  It's better to be clear and brief in your statement and hope for more time to get to some details of interest in Q&A than it is to try to speed-talk your way through a lot of material in your statement or be cut off before you get to your main point.