2. Working to improve
public education
in Washington State
from cradle to career
with ample, equitable,
and stable funding
3. Tabor 100
Agenda
Advocacy 101
• Introduction: what is advocacy?
• Who represents you?
• Practice writing messages to legislators on an
issue
Legislative testimony Prep
• Introduction
• Pairs: write message points on index cards
• Share with each other
4. Introduction: Advocacy 101
Who is an advocate?
Communicating with legislators: message format
Practice writing messages
7. • Frame your message in the positive
• 1-3 minutes
• YOUR story is key
• Appreciation; Gratitude
• Do not insult the opposition
• MAKE A SPECIFIC ASK
Messaging Tips
ASK
Message Point
Message Point
Message Point
8. Who do I contact?
Local: your legislators
http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
Specific legislators: bill sponsor(s) and
leadership
And how can I do this?
• Phone calls
• E-mails
• **Personal notes
How do I communicate with
legislators?
9. Message Format: written
• Dear (Title, name): Representative Santos
• My name is ______, and I am a (college
student), attending ___ school in _____
• My ask: I support/please pass bill ___
• My story
• My ask
• Contact info
• Name
• Street address
• Phone number
• E-mail address
10. Testimony
• Write out your testimony
• E-mail to Joyce 1-2 days prior, she will
bring copies of everyone’s testimony
to give to the committee
• Submit comments directly via
legislature website
11. What can LEV & SEA3eD do?
• Help everyone prep for testifying
• Arrange transportation carpools
• Guide people to sign in promptly before the
hearing
• Everyone writes thank you notes to 4
legislators, and we deliver to their offices after
the hearing
12. • Dear (Title, name): Representative Santos
• My name is ______, and I am a (college
student), attending ___ school in _____
• My ask: I support/please pass bill ___
• My story
• My ask
• Thank you for the opportunity to speak!
Testimony format
13. Hearing process
• Arrive 45 minutes early to sign-in!
• Mark on the sheet whether you will
testify, and whether you support,
oppose or are neutral
• Several bills are heard at each hearing,
we don’t know the order that bills will be
heard
• People will be called to the podium in
pairs, based on order of sign in and
position on the bill
• We are there to support you!
14. After the hearing
• We will take the notes that you
wrote to legislators’ offices:
• Sponsoring legislator:
Representative Santos,
thanking her for her work
on this bill
• Your 3 legislators, notifying
them that you attended
and/or spoke about HB
1541, and your position on
the bill
Before going to the next slide ask the group:
What are some of the benefits for the Business community getting involved in Education Advocacy?
See what ideas folks come up with in the room
Then go to wordle slide
THIS is how legislators are swayed.
They draft a bill; they hold a hearing and listen to testimony and then they call their key constituents that have been a consistent and persistent advocate and resource before and during session. By the time a hearing comes up- are legislators swayed then? No they still go to their key contacts and check in on certain issues
Advocates and lobbyists provide information to the legislator; they also help recruit people to testify who provide key information at hearings
For example- Sen Litzow- many community meetings, phone calls and emails leading up to session that helped with our discipline bill and resulted in a hearing with 4 bills in the senate; already positive reception and huge time allowance for our advocates.
As you can see – this is a very convoluted and complex process. When we were working on our discipline legislation in LEV- the bill in the senate and the house died many many times and had to make it in and out of so many different committees (Ways and Means/ Appropriations/ House or Senate, etc.)
Basically it’s PEOPLE that help push a bill through. Click on next with circle chart.
You may want to do some polling to see which message points have resonance and in what communities (ex. Roadmap to citizenship)
Message
Be brief/ be accurate/ be clear/ be memorable
Be organized
Be persistent and persuasive
Be timely
Thank you notes
Meet face to face
Give support and volunteer time
5-10 minute message (3 minute elevator speech)
Personal touch/ personalized stationary/ logo
Concise
Show appreciation and gratitude
Do not insult the opposition
Why do legislators need people?
Have folks in the room guess how many bills are heard during a legislative session?
Typically a legislator may also sit on 1-2 different committees that focus on key issues that are close to their interests (field of expertise) or their constituents interests. Typically legislators hear 1500-2500 bills. Obviously it is nearly impossible for a legislator to know inside and out all of the info on a particular bill and issue.
Next- how does a bill become a law?
Click on next slide.
You can pass a bill but have no money; this is essentially what makes or breaks a bill if there is a huge fiscal note attached.
