Thread by @NebraskaMegan

Many of you have asked, so I want to lay out how the process works for testifying on a bill and how to contact the Legislature in the best way. Here are some steps for those who want to send in a letter or come testify on a bill in 2019! (And that's all of you, Nebraska.) #NELeg

1. Find bills at nebraskalegislature.gov. If you just want to browse what's coming, I suggest looking at senator's pages and clicking on "bills introduced." Then you'll see their 2019 bills and you can click to learn more. It's easy to go down a rabbit hole this way.

2. On the website, when you're looking at a bill, you can also see which committee that bill was referred to + when the hearing is (if it has been scheduled). THAT'S the committee you need to testify in front of. You can see all scheduled hearings on the "Calendar" page.

3. On the "Committees" page on the website, you can learn where and when committees meet, and who the members are: nebraskalegislature.gov/committees/sta…

Committees usually meet in hearing rooms on the first floor of the Capitol.

4. In your letter, state your name, your district, which bill you are testifying about, and your position. Stick to a few main points. Don't go much longer than a page. Talk about why the issue matters to you in personal terms. Use your experience. You are the expert.

5. If you come testify in person, bring a copy of the letter for all of the committee members and ask the clerk to distribute it before you sit down at the mic. If you hang back a minute, you'll see other testifiers do this and it'll all make sense. Just copy what they do.

6. You'll have 3-4 minutes to speak, depending on the rules of the committee chairperson, which will be announced before testimony begins. There is a light system--green, yellow, red--to tell you when your time is almost up.

Don't be afraid or nervous. It is not customary or normal for senators to grill you or ask tough questions. We are here to listen and learn. Someone might ask you to clarify something you said or answer a question, but there is no firing squad. We're happy you're here.

7. If you are submitting a letter for the record--that is, if you can't come testify in person--send it to YOUR senator and to the committee chair by 5pm the day before the hearing. It doesn't hurt to cc all of the committee members, too. You can find emails on the Leg website.

Whatever you do, do SOMETHING! I am challenging everyone to choose *three* bills this session to send in letters about or come testify on. If you can send a tweet, you can contact a local elected official. It's where change happens, and we need you to be a part of it.