The following excerpt from an email forwarded to Directors from Elmer Lindstrom, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, reminds us all of our rights and responsibilities when communicating with legislators or other public officials:
"Employees have every right to contact legislators, testify at hearings, or otherswise make their personal feelings and opinions known. However they must do so on their own time, should never represent themselves as speaking for the department, and should not use state computers, phones, or FAXES for that purpose. Staff who may speak for the department are so designated by the Commissioner's Office and Division Directors' Offices through our normal legislative procedures...
Elmer A. Lindstrom
Special Assistant to the Commissioner"