So you want to speak out about a bill, now what? We’ve made an easy template for you to use when you’re writing online comments or giving in-person testimony! (See our guide for how to submit online comment here)
You can see the list of bills we’re following here. We’ve included what the bill is about, how the bill affects the LGBTQ+ community, and what committee the bill is assigned to, so you can easily customize the template below.
We recommend you keep your statement to 1 page, single-spaced. This will keep it under the word limit for online comment AND make it usable in short-time-limit testimony (3 minutes).
This is just a template to make it easier to get started with writing your thoughts. Please customize it to best fit your story.
If you’re interested in testifying with us on the three anti-transgender bills proposed, sign up here.
Template:
[Committee name] Committee chairperson and members,
My name is [your name], and I am from [city]. I believe in a Nebraska that is equal to all and where we all can live, work, play, and learn without discrimination. That is why I am urging you to oppose/support [bill number].
[Bill number] would [summarize what the bill does. You can use summarizes from organizations you trust, like OutNebraska, to help you quickly explain the overall impact.]
[Say here why this matters to you, your family, and/or your business. How would it impact your job? Your family? Your ability to access medical or mental health care? Who do you know who would be affected?]
[Give 2 reasons or a personal story]
This bill would greatly help/harm myself, my friends, and my community. Nebraska thrives when everyone can show up as their full selves, and this bill would help/harm this goal.
Please, support/oppose this bill. Thank you for your time, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
Respectfully,
[Your name]