A Special Note for
State Employees
State employees
are not permitted to attempt to influence the passage or defeat of a
state legislative measure in their capacity as state employees.
If you are a state employee or have some work limitations on the
types of advocacy activities in which you can engage, here is a
quick list of dos and don'ts.
- Do remember
you can advocate as an individual. An institution cannot
bar you from expressing you own views as a private citizen.
- Do remember,
however, that you cannot state a position or speak for your
institution if you have not been told to do so.
- Do remember
that state employees can "inform" legislators of the impact of
state programs and funding but must do so without suggesting a
particular position or course of action. If you are writing about
the effects of some state program on your library, stick to a
description of the program. Do not lobby a position or course of
action.
- Do visit
and write your legislators as a private citizen. If you are a
state employee, however, do not use institutional letterhead or
your institutional email if you are asking a legislator to take a
particular position. When visiting with legislators, be sure to
say that you are there in a personal capacity.
- Do use
personal time and resources for contacting legislators.
The list above is not exhaustive. If you are unsure
about a given activity, contact your institution's administration
for clarification.
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