Contact Your Legislature
1. Enter into your browser www.capitol.state.tx.us. This will take you to Texas Legislature Online. You will see a light blue box and in that box you will see “Who Represents Me?” Enter your address including zip code and submit.
2. This will give you a listing of your federal and state representatives. You want to contact your Texas State Senator and Texas State Representative. Click on the name of your Texas State Senator (for some this position may still be vacant as there is an election in progress to fill State Senate District 6.)
3. This will take you to your Texas State Senator’s capitol website. Click on email which is located in the blue banner at the top of the page.
4. This will take you to an email form which you complete with the required information and enter your message. You then click submit to send it.
5. To contact your Texas State Representative click on their name.
6. This will take you to your Texas State Representative’s capitol website. Click on email next to the representative’s picture.
7. This will take you to the email form which you complete with the required information and enter your message. You then click on send message and it will let your review it. If no changes are needed click on send message. Currently there are no bills filed which could affect our pensions. However, it would be very beneficial to send a message to your representatives as this legislative process continues so they know their constituents are watching. A short message now may act like preventative medicine. Your message could read:
“I appreciate your public service and want you to know I am a retired public servant. I worked many years in the public sector and know you will protect the pension I earned. I belong to the Association of Retired Houston Municipal Employees (ARHME). We are concerned about our retirement benefits as well as promoting activities for the mutual benefit of our members and our community.”
To make the message more personal and meaningful to your elected official you should add information like what kind of work you performed and for how many years you worked. If you know the official, attended one of their rallies, had a yard sign for them or know someone who works for them, mention it in the email.
Texas Legislature Online can help you keep track of what is happening with various bills in Austin.