Call your Senators in support of SB180!
On 2/17/21 the Senate Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the Soil Health Subcommittee Bill SB 180, and now we need your help to make sure senators on the committee vote in favor of soil health:
- Jeffrey Welborn (SD 36) in Dillon, MT: (406) 949-6070 or (406) 988-0090
- Jason Small (SD 21) in Busby, MT: (406) 690-0923
- Duane Ankney (SD 20) in Colstrip, MT: (406) 740-0629 or (406) 748-4328
- Bob Brown (SD 7) in Thompson Falls, MT: (406) 242-0141
- Jill Cohenour (SD 42) in Helena, MT: (406) 227-1144
- Bruce Gillespie (SD 9) in Ethridge, MT: (406) 949-4453
- Tom Jacobson (SD 11) in Great Falls, MT: (406) 868-9814
- Brian Hoven (SD 13) in Great Falls, MT: (406) 761-8533 or (406) 899-5000
- Mike Lang (SD 17) in Malta, MT: (406) 654-7357
- JP Pomnichowski (SD 33) in Bozeman, MT: (406) 587-7846
Please call your Senator and ask them to support the Soil Health Subcommittee Bill, SB 180. Below is an example script you can use. We encourage you to personalize it before contacting your Senator. Every call helps to pass this bill through committee.
“Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in [INSERT YOUR TOWN HERE]. I am calling to ask you to support the Soil Health Subcommittee Bill SB 180. Healthy soils allow farmers and ranchers to keep more money in their pockets, build resilient farms and food systems, and protect water quantity and quality. Keeping soil healthy is especially important to Montana, where agriculture is a leading industry. The task force proposed in SB 180 can address the unique needs of and challenges faced by Montana’s producers as they work to scale up the use of soil-building practices. Investing in a soil health study will lead to a stronger and more resilient Montana.
Please support the Soil Health Subcommittee Bill (SB 180) and ensure it passes through the Senate Natural Resources Committee. I appreciate your time and consideration.”
Tips for calling your representatives:
- Let them know that you are a constituent. Be sure to say the city and state you are from. Elected officials are most interested in your opinions if you are their constituent.
- Know your facts. Be sure you have the basic information about your topic in front of you when you call. You should be able to specifically describe the topic about which you are calling and state your opinion on what your legislator should do. For specific information on SB180, visit our policy page.
- Add your own words. The provided script is useful, but you should make the phone call as personal as possible. Representatives and staffers want to hear your individual story and how the issue impacts you on a personal level.
- Note your expertise. If you have professional experience with the issue you are calling about, be sure to mention it (e.g. farmer, rancher, member of an agriculture organization, etc.) This will establish your credibility on the issue and may even prompt the aide to ask you for some guidance on the issue.
- Be brief. Representatives and their offices receive a high volume of phone calls every day, so keep your call short and to the point.