Over the years, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) has been a force on Beacon Hill, leading the way on key efforts to improve elections and voting, address climate change, protect women’s rights, improve governmental transparency, and ensure equal access to housing, education, and other basic human needs.

The Legislative Envoy program ensures that our League voice continues to be heard and that our members have the information, skills, and resources they need to advance LWVMA’s legislative agenda and advocate for our priorities.

What is the Legislative Envoy Program?

The Legislative Envoy Program provides a direct link between the state League’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC) and local Leagues across the Commonwealth, so that local Leagues can help influence the legislators who represent them.

With solid connections between our state League legislative specialists and local Leagues, we will be effective in moving legislation and acting on legislative priorities when swift, coordinated action matters. The Envoy program also promotes local Leagues, engages members interested in state issues, develops connections with legislators, and increases the impact of the League in Massachusetts.

How Does the Legislative Envoy Program Work?

Envoys meet with the State Representative(s) and Senator(s) who represent their local League in their districts, developing relationships with them and their staff. Envoys will communicate LWVMA’s legislative priorities. Each local League should have a legislative envoy.

Envoys will receive instruction in best practices for advocacy, periodic updates from legislative specialists, and briefing on the legislative process.

Why Become a Legislative Envoy?

You will learn how to become a better legislative advocate, i.e. citizen lobbyist, and will become familiar with the legislative priorities of the state League. You will also get to know your own legislators.

You will become a proponent of state League efforts to make Massachusetts more responsive to its residents and provide a key link between your local League and state government.

What Will the Legislative Envoys Do?

As a Legislative Envoy, you will:

• Get to know the legislators who represent your League by attending local office hours (1-2 times per year), following your legislators on social media, setting up meetings for yourself and encouraging your local League to get together with legislators.
• Learn about state League priorities by receiving summaries of bills LWVMA is following, participating in webinars and teleconferences, acting on Action Alerts, and attending Day on the Hill.
• Learn your state legislators’ priorities through regular communication with them and their staffs.
• Serve as a conduit, connecting the state League, your local League, and your legislators.
• Advance state League legislative priorities by working with your legislators.

What Is the Time Commitment for Legislative Envoys?

Legislative Envoys should be prepared to spend 5 hours per month in this role during active months but the commitment is flexible if your time is limited.

For more information, please contact the program’s facilitator Mary Cummings at mcummings@lwvma.org.