Sample Invitation Email for Legislators:
Subject: Invitation to Attend Maine Adult Education Legislative Event, March 6
Representative or Senator (NAME),
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to invite you to a special legislative event hosted by Maine Adult Education Association (MAEA) on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at the Senator Inn, Augusta. This event will highlight the significant return on investment (ROI) of adult education programs in Maine and their critical role in addressing workforce needs and driving economic growth in Maine.
This is a valuable opportunity to learn more about how adult education directly impacts Maine’s economy by:
*Preparing adults with the skills needed to fill workforce gaps;
*Strengthening partnerships with businesses to meet labor market needs;
*Supporting individuals as they transition into meaningful and sustainable employment.
We believe your insights and leadership would greatly enhance the conversation as we discuss strategies to further support adult education in Maine. Your attendance would underscore the importance of investing in education at all levels as a foundation for our state’s prosperity.
The event will include a complimentary hot breakfast, presentations, testimonials from adult learners and opportunities to connect with key stakeholders. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the program will start at 8:00 a.m. and end by 8:30 a.m. The room will be open for networking until 9:30 a.m.
Please let me know if you are able to join us or RSVP to Shirley Wright, MAEA Executive Director, at swright345@gmail.com by March 1.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards,
YOUR FULL NAME
YOJR TITLE/ORGANIZATION
YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Background on Legislative Dates and Processes
The legislature convenes pursuant to the state constitution as follows:
The Legislature shall convene on the first Wednesday of December following the general election in what shall be designated the First Regular Session of the Legislature; and shall further convene o the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday of Janaury in the subsequent even-numbered year in what shall be designated the Second Regluar Session of the Legislature.
(This means that the First Regular Session starts in December for the purpose of swearing in the members, electing members of leadership, and electing the constitutional officers. That’s usually done in a day or two. Then, they go home and come back in early January to start working on legislation. The Second Regular Session starts on the Wednesday after the first Tuesday of January, which in 2022 was January 5th. The deadline for entering bills is not set in the consitution but by the leadership. It has varied over the years. It tends to be near the end of December or in January.)
For department and agency cloture, the filing deadlines set out in the Joint Rules have been more consistent over the years. When the convening of the 1st Regular Session coincides with the beginning of a Governor’s first term, the deadline for departments and agencies to file bill drafts has been “30 days after the Governor is administered the oath of office,”
MAEA should be ready with any legislative ideas well before cloture or deadline dates in order to find a sponsor and to come up with a good description of the legislation if not a complete draft. That should be started in September or at the latest in October.
The state’s fiscal year starts July 1st, and the biennial budget starts July 1st of the odd-numbered year. A biennial budget is passed by the legislature in a First Regular Session, and there are almost always supplemental budget bills making changes to the biennial budget in that session and even into the Second Regular Session.
Maine Adult Education Association is a professional, non-profit organization that advocates for adult education locally, statewide and nationally and supports members in order to meet the educational, training and personal needs of Maine’s adults.
Maine Adult Education Programs are committed to meeting the educational, training and personal needs of Maine’s adults by offering excellently designed, cost-effective, academic, training and enrichment classes across the state of Maine.