Summary

Progress of the Bill

• The legislator’s office called to see if we know that an abstinence education bill had been presented for this session. You may have to watch the internet for bill information as they are filed in your state.
• The Legislative Aid sent a copy of the bill. They are on the Internet in most states, but if they are not, each state has a bill room with published copies of filed bills. Bills can be sent to you in the mail.
• Other legislators were contacted to help slow or stop the process before the hearing. A hurried comment on the bill was sent. These friendly legislators are key. They can send information including what the opposition lobbyist gives to legislators. This will help you understand the motivation and hopefully, the intent of the bill from the other side.
• Abstinence education providers throughout the state as well as other like-minded organizations were contacted to gather support. They are the eyes, ears and eventually the mouths needed at hearings.
• National abstinence contacts were informed of the bill. Their efforts brought experts, new information and in this case uncovered a unified effort – a plot to stop abstinence education. That is not what the opposition says but when you read the national headlines, their websites and see their documentation for the need of the bill their true intent becomes clear. Without this clarity, you will sound like you want inaccurate details, lies to be told to kids.
• Press releases can be done electronically statewide if you have your list prepared in advance. National organizations can assist you with an immediate press release and may have the media markets identified. Be sure to share what you have with them.
• Constant contact and updating legislative and other contacts is needed. Developing those who can testify and the points that they can cover is part of the communication effort. You will be surprised what varied and solid testimony you can gather in a short time.
• Develop and share the talking points about the bill, articulate the questions that need to be answered. Consider the bill from as many aspects, medical, physical consequences, research, social impact, spiritual, economics or cost of the proposal, mechanics of implementation etc. Legislators or friends can help find the facts you will need to substantiate your position or to refute that of the opposition. You will sound informed. Be concise – not like this web page.

Computer Pointers: Use the Bcc feature to send copies to many people. Use Cc on other legislators with public e-mail addresses, all others should be blind carbon copies. Use the subject line to state your opinion – OPPOSE - HB 1234. If the level of mail gets intense they will only count the number for or against. Keep the letter short but add attachments of evidence for those that want them. Bullet points are fine. Remember to view the bill from their perspective as well as your own. Close the letter with a question so the legislator or friend can call to give you input. Make sure your cell phone and office phone are on the e-mail letter.

Research

• Understand the issue by doing appropriate research. Know what the new facts are. They are the important talking points with state legislators and their staff. Use information from the opposition’s websites, brochures and lobbying information to fine tune your presentation. Respond to new facts or opinion with research of your own. If the department of health says these are the only acceptable resources find others, suggest alternatives, expose their lack of open-mindedness. Show your efforts to reach for truth and clarity.

Lobbying Packet

• Consider all of the people you may need to convince. 1) your friends/colleagues; 2) friendly legislators; 3) other organizations similar but not the same as yours; 4) state agency staff; 5) legislative assistants who allow you an appointment with the legislator or not; 6) unfriendly legislators; 7) sponsors of the bill that may be uninformed; 8) the committee hearing.
• Have their position in mind when you prepare materials to hand out. Short e-mails work with the friendly like-minded. Shock-value information from the opposition assists with agency staff and legislative assistants. Pages from the Internet – teenwire.org were extremely beneficial to show what the opposition’s agenda is. It may help you get an appointment. The talk that goes through the halls with staff may win or lose your case. These assistants determine if you get time to make your case and may even convince the legislator about your case.
• Have information about your group and others that may be working with you. This is not time for territorialism. Bring cards, handouts or other information that will show a position of competency and thoughtfulness.
• Bring information on the opposition if it helps but you don’t have to give all the same handouts to every legislator. Have a short paragraph that you use to talk with the assistant in getting the appointment. Share your position even if the legislator doesn’t have time to see you. Answer their questions.
• Every state has different rules about how much time you can spend in the legislature before you need to file as a lobbyist. Make sure you follow the rules, your own district legislator will know. Make sure you visit him or her when you are at the capitol. Keep expenses incurred while there because they will need to be reported. Non-profits are allowed 5% of their annual budget for lobbying.
• If the legislator will see you. Come prepared with a business card, information about your group, the bill number and a short and shorter version of what you want. Ask questions to understand the process and their opinion. Be flexible in answering their questions. They may have expertise in other areas and not information at all about abstinence education. Most think it is just a say no preaching session. Lobbying is just talking about your subject so others will see the value of what you do and what you want. It is the best opportunity to do one-on-one education of influential leaders.
• Get information to them before you come via e-mail. Then give more amplification of the points when you get the appointment and short printed summary and backup information.

Preparation for walking the halls

• Wear flat shoes and go with a friend if possible.
• Have plenty of business cards with e-mail addresses. Get lists of committees and their members. Make sure their room or building number is connected on your list. Have a map of the campus if you are new.
• Be aware of the names of the sponsors of the bill as well as the committee hearing the bill. Find out which committee will get the bill next so they can also be contacted. Ask questions in the appointment to clarify upcoming processes for the bill.
• Carry literature in a case with marked file folders of the different types of information you may want to give. It is appropriate to leave a candy, a pen and is always appropriate to send a thank you after you have an appointment.
• Create a schedule for yourself leaving time to walk in between appointments. Call in advance for appointments when possible and then fill in the blank times with those you can walk into their offices and see the assistant or make appointments to see the legislators. Take a pencil to keep track of new appointments. Also to write down needed follow up materials to send.

Work done

• Legislators who signed as sponsors as well as all committee members were contacted by e-mail and then during the time frame around the hearings each committee member or sponsor was personally contacted. If they were unavailable to talk before the hearing, information was left with their assistant and a message of what our position was on the bill.
• Personal local legislators whether on the committee were contacted as a courtesy but also to let them know that their constituents had an issue that they might be able to help with.
• Party contacts/legislative staff who are positive on the issue were consulted and asked specific questions. They often know the answers and can give positive direction for expanding your influence while in the capital. They are important especially if the bill requires revisions. You need to be available to them with options and counter approaches.

Actual Testimony

• Come prepared with a typed written statement for a handout. You may or may not get to testify. Your time may be cut short so have a full version with enough copies for each committee member. Staple your copies with your card on top or have them in a nice file folder. If you have a color printer, use highlighter for the key points.
• If you plan on reading the statement – don’t be disappointed if the chair doesn’t allow it. Know your key points by heart and be able to rattle them off in less than two minutes. Listen to the testimony of your friends so that you don’t repeat their same points.
• Make your copy of the testimony in 18pt type so it is easily seen. Highlight key points. Leave big margins so you can write notes as others speak. Don’t staple your copy so you can lay it flat and don’t have to fumble with pages. If you have props or computer/overheads work with the committee staff before hand so the set up is working. Time is of the essence in hearings.
• Always be positive and polite; and thank the committee for hearing your position.
• If you are arranging for others to help you, have them prepare their statements as well. Keep the statements varied, real, not just emotional or just data. Even numbers of “warm bodies” are extremely important to pleading your case. These people are your moral support, future testifiers, prayers, letter writers and maybe even legislators. Remember abstinence education is preparing the next generation to defend the family.
• Kids are important to utilize but don’t use them. They should not be the main team to articulate your position. Their opinion testimony is more believable than if they bring “factual” information. Defend them before and after testimony, encourage them to speak to legislators one-on-one.

Finally

• Always be thankful to your troops, the ones who testify, walk the halls with you, send e-mails or who plead your case in the background. Win or lose, inform those who didn’t get to come to the legislature of the outcome. Thank you letters and kind words insure you have a team the next time.

2/2002

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