Lobbying

How to lobby your legislator

with …

Bill Hanlon

The Basics

• Be respectful

• Be knowledgeable

• Be personal, appeal to the heart

• Don’t assume a legislator’s position

• Say thanks

• Lobby year round

Targeting Legislators

• Champions

• Allies

• Fence Sitters

• Mellow Opponents

• Hard Core Opponents

Champions

• Inside strategy, have them

– Make the case for you

– Visible public spokespeople

Allies

• Inside strategy

– Encourage them to speak up in party caucuses or on the floor to support your cause

Fence Sitters

• Key Targets

– Inside persuasion

– Outside pressure

Mellow Opponents

• Clear votes against you, but not inclined to be active.

– Lobby enough to give pause without making them angry

Hard Core Opponents

• Leading the Opposition

– Isolate them

– Highlight extremes of their positions, rhetoric, and alliances to give other lawmakers pause about joining them

The Message

• Present a clear message– Cite the bill name or number with a brief

description– Know your subject– Don’t overload with issues– Goal; vote, leadership, or informational– Leave a fact sheet or informational material

Inside Lobbying

• Meetings with lawmakers

• Providing analysis and information

• Testifying

• Negotiating with policymakers and other lobby groups

Outside Lobbying

• Media

• Local lobbying by constituents

• Building broad and diverse coalitions

• Letter writing

• Grassroots

Media

• News conferences

• Editorial boards

• Assisting reporters

Telephone

• Identify yourself by name and address

• Identify the bill and number

• Briefly state your position– Speak to staff

• Thank-you note for time

Letter Writing

• Do not use form letters• Short, concise and polite• Identify the issue and include bill number• If you live in district, say so• Ask for a response• Send a thank-you note• Include name, address, and phone number• Type, check spelling and grammar

Sample Letter Template

• Indicate training relevant to your teaching:– Introduce yourself– Thank them for funding RPDP program– You have learned content, instructional strategies, and

about assessing student work– You are applying that knowledge in your classroom– You are seeing changes (gains) in student

understanding– You expect gains in student achievement– You would like to see the RPDPs funded again

Mailing List

• Governor Guinn

• Senate Majority Leader Raggio

• Speaker Perkins

• State Superintendent Rheault

• President, State Board of Education

• Members Legislative Cmte on Education

• Members Assembly Education Cmte

• Local superintendent(s)/Board of Trustees

• Your own legislative contacts

Coordination

• Inside and outside lobbying activities should be coordinated to assure the make strategic sense in terms of timing, targeting, and message.

Make Connections

• Legislators

• Other lobbyists

• Media

• Legislative staff

• Influential citizens

Build a Relationship

• No permanent friends – No permanent enemies.

– Acknowledge past help

– Turn down heat on other side

The Staff

Follow-up

• Be sure to send a thank-you note.

– Restate your understanding of any commitments

Some Don’ts

• Don’t ever lie or mislead

• Don’t threaten or antagonize

• Don’t overwhelm

• Don’t be inflexible

• Don’t negatively talk about others

Appeal to Reason

• Common sense more often than not will win out in political discussions. This approach will solidify your position and reinforce your credibility.

Additional Information

• Be prepared to provide additional documentation