New Mexico Hospitality Association Government Affairs 2017 Legislative Session
#ClosingLTLoophole
Priority Legislation Update
Advocacy Toolkit
#ClosingLTLoophole
Want to get involved? Contact your elected official!
The time is now to begin contacting YOUR elected state official to voice your support for removal of the Lodgers’ Tax loophole through SB 254 and HB 266. Our best chance to success can only occur if we work together. View our action plan below for best practices for how to contact your elected official.
1. Know Your District
Know who in the House and the Chamber represent the district your business resides in. If you don’t currently know who your representative in the House and the Senate is, the New Mexico Legislature website has a helpful tool that allows users to find their elected official by typing in an address. Simply visit www.nmlegis.gov, find the “Legislators” tab in the main menu, and click on the “Find My Legislator” drop down option from the menu. There is an option to find your legislator in both the House and Senate, so be sure to use this function for each chamber.
2. Document Their Contact Information
Each elected official has their contact information available on their online legislator profile. Keep it handy for contacting them by email, phone, and perhaps personal visit to their capitol office.
3.Review Our Talking Points, Know Your Bill
Review the Lodgers’ Tax talking points from our advocacy toolkit before you make contact with your elected official. Be rehearsed on our 3 key positions for eliminating Exemption G, as well as some of the questions you may be asked if you happen to engage with your elected official through email or phone call. Also, be sure to view the language of the actual bill. Senate Bill 254 on the New Mexico Legislature website to see how the bill is written.
4.Encourage Your Elected Official
Feel free to use anything apart of the advocacy toolkit as a reference or baseline for constructing your email or using as a script outline when you make your call. We want our members to use their own unique voice and perspectives when reaching out to elected officials. Also, be sure to be courteous and thoughtful. Ideally, we want our elected officials to become ambassadors for tourism, and this is a great opportunity for you to encourage them to join our cause.
5. Don’t Forget to Follow Up
If you are lucky, you might receive a quick response via email. If you are even luckier, they might answer your phone call on the first try. If those things do not happen, schedule a time on your calendar a few days after your first outreach attempt for a follow up. A second phone call with a second voice mail will prompt a much higher likelihood of a response. If you decide to reach out via phone, try to make the call in the morning around 10 a.m. Search for House Bill 266.
New Mexico Hospitality Association
1420 Carlise NE
Suite #210
Albuquerque, NM 87110
505-506-8624
www.NewMexicoHospitality.org
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