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How to be heard

Written testimony carries the same weight in the record as testimony delivered in person.

The General Law Committee accepts written testimony for every public hearing. You do not need to attend, speak, or know anything about legislative procedure.

Before you write, know this

All testimony submitted to the Connecticut General Assembly is public record. Your name and anything you include will be posted on the CGA website and indexed by search engines. Share what you are comfortable having permanently public.

A template

Dear Senator [Chair] and Representative [Chair], and members of the General Law Committee,

My name is [name] and I live in [town]. I am writing in support of [bill number].

[Two or three sentences about your own situation. What condition, how long, what has and has not worked. Specific is better than general.]

[One or two sentences on why this bill matters to you specifically. Cost of indoor growing, difficulty accessing a dispensary, product availability, anything concrete.]

I respectfully ask the Committee to vote this bill favorably.

Thank you for your time.
[Name], [Town]

Guidance

Tell your own story. Committee members read hundreds of pages of policy argument. They remember people.
Be specific. “I pay $180 a month in electricity to run a grow tent” lands harder than “it's expensive.”
Be brief. One page is plenty. Half a page is fine.
Do not attack anyone. Not the Department, not a legislator, not a company. It costs you the reader.
You do not need to be an expert. You are the evidence.

Finding your legislator

Use the Connecticut General Assembly's “Find Your Legislators” tool at cga.ct.gov. Your own representative and senator matter more than any committee member — they answer to you.