This brief is adapted from notes taken by Documenters Toby Raab and Imani Wills-Henderson, who covered Troublemakers for Tomorrow Chapter 1: Immigration Bills & Issues. 📝 Read more about what happened.
Troublemakers for Tomorrow is a series by Tomorrow Bookstore that brings people together to take direct civil action. The topic for the first event, on March 10, was immigration bills and issues.
Presenters focused on empowering citizens to take civic action, particularly in opposing Indiana House Bill 1531.
Shelby Ervin, a community activist and election poll worker, informed attendees how to contact their state and federal elected officials. Below are some tips that Ervin shared.
Contacting Your Representatives 101
✏️ Identify your representatives
Find your two U.S. senators and one U.S. representative at the federal level.
Find your state senator and state representative.
✏️ Save their contact information
Save their phone numbers in your phone under “speed dial” along with friends and family. Ervin said emails are fine, but phone calls and even voicemails make more of an impact.
✏️ Prepare your message
Use a script if needed. Constituents can use the 5 Calls app for scripts and templates. Start with your name, address where you are registered to vote, and phone number to confirm you’re a constituent.
Then, make your ask. Would you like the legislators to co-sponsor or vote yes or no on a bill? Even if you agree with their policies, call to support or suggest improvements.
✏️ Make your call personal and direct
Explain why this matters to you. The staffers taking your call are regular people—take your time, but keep it concise. Staffers will keep a tally and notes on the calls they receive.
✏️ Repeat and stay engaged
Call regularly to reinforce your stance. Ervin asked everyone to share resources within their network and to encourage others to be involved.
Ervin also offered online resources for phone banking and canvassing and letter-writing campaigns.
What’s next?
The next Troublemakers for Tomorrow event is not announced yet, but you can keep track of upcoming events at Tomorrow Bookstore on their Eventbrite page.
Want to help us cover future meetings?
Indy Documenters trains and pays neighbors to attend local, public government meetings and take notes or live tweet. We’re creating a new public record in Indianapolis, and we want you to be a part of it.
Questions? Email documenters@mirrorindy.org.
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