Your year-round advocacy calendar
January–May: Legislative session
Most bills move fast. Advocacy is high-energy, quick-turnaround.
Summer: Interim study season
Lawmakers explore new issues. This is a great time to raise concerns.
Fall: Budget hearings + local elections
Lots of public meetings, forums, and opportunities to speak.
Winter: Pre-session preparation
Meet with lawmakers early, share priorities, and build momentum.
Advocacy is a cycle, not a one-time event.
The one-minute message formula
Your message doesn’t need to be long — it just needs to be clear.
This formula helps you make a strong point in under 60 seconds.
- Who you are:
“My name is ____, and I live in ____. I’m a constituent in your district.”
- The issue:
“I’m contacting you about ____, because it affects our community.”
- Why it matters (your story):
“This matters to me because ____. Here’s what I’ve experienced: ____.”
- What you want them to do:
“I’m asking you to please ____ (support/oppose/amend/vote no/vote yes).”
- Close it out:
“Thank you for your time and for listening.”
Sample email
Subject: Constituent request: Please oppose HB 1234
Hi Representative/Senator ______,
My name is ______, and I live in ______ in your district. I’m writing because I’m very concerned about HB 1234. This bill would make it harder for many families in our community to access the care and support they need, and I wanted to share how this issue affects people here at home.
In my family/community, we’ve seen ______ (brief story: trouble accessing care, job instability, higher costs, long wait times, etc.). These challenges are already difficult, and HB 1234 would make things even harder by ______.
I’m asking you to please ______ (put a specific ask here). I hope you’ll consider the real impacts policies like this have on families in our district and across Oklahoma.
Thank you for your time and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
Name
City, ZIP
Sample phone/voicemail script
“Hi, my name is _______. I live in ______, and I’m a constituent in your district.
I’m calling about HB 1234. I’m very concerned about how this bill would affect families in our community. We’re already dealing with ______ (short example: increased costs, gaps in coverage, long waits, lack of support, etc.), and this bill would only add more strain by ______.
I want to make sure you hear directly from people who are living with the impacts of these decisions. In my own experience, ______ (one-sentence personal connection or story).
Because of this, I’m asking you to please ______ . This issue matters to a lot of us in the district, and I hope you’ll keep our experiences in mind as you ______ (vote, consider, etc.).
Thank you for your time.”
Sample script for encouraging others to take action
“Hey! I wanted to check in because there’s a bill moving at the Capitol — HB 1234 — that could really affect our community. Lawmakers are debating it soon, and they genuinely pay attention when people from their district speak up.
Would you be willing to send a quick email or make a short call? It honestly only takes a minute, and I can send you the script and the lawmaker’s contact info. Even just saying who you are, why you care, and what you want them to do makes a huge difference.
I know advocacy can feel intimidating, but you don’t need perfect words. Just your experience and your voice. If a few of us reach out, it can shift how lawmakers see the issue — and they’ll know our community is paying attention.
Want me to send everything you need?”
Bill tracking worksheet
Download a PDF version of our bill tracking worksheet here.
Committee cheat sheet
Why Committees Matter
- Most bills die or advance in committees.
- Lawmakers on committees have extra power.
- These are the best places for public input.
Important Oklahoma House Committees
- Appropriations & Budget (A&B): Handles state funding and major spending bills.
- Health & Human Services Oversight: Health care, SoonerCare, Medicare.
- Judiciary & Public Safety Oversight: Criminal justice, policing, legal processes.
- Education Oversight: K-12 policies, testing, curriculum, teacher pay.
- Government Oversight: Elections, state powers, county and municipal government.
Important Oklahoma Senate Committees
- Appropriations: Budget, state spending, financial decisions.
- Health & Human Services: Health care, SoonerCare, Medicare.
- Public Safety: Criminal and juvenile justice.
- Education: Schools, teachers, accountability.
- Judiciary: Criminal and civil law, justice system reforms.
- Revenue & Taxation: state taxation, revenue, public finance.
