This document provides tips for citizens testifying in committee hearings and lobbying legislators in Olympia. It recommends doing homework like gathering testifiers, identifying key arguments, and meeting with important people. The day of testimony, citizens should sign in to testify, practice their testimony, and maximize their time by meeting with lawmakers. After testifying, citizens should check TVW to watch their testimony, leverage social media to promote it, and follow up by thanking legislators. Advanced tips include making one-pagers, communicating with key people, and leveraging allied groups on social media. The overall goal is for citizens to effectively promote laws they support through testimony and lobbying.
2. Testifying in committee hearings is an essential way
citizens can help promote the laws they want
passed.
3. Do your homework before Driving to Olympia pt1
Testifying is a science. Do the prep work needed to make
it as effective as possible.
1 Week before: Gather as many Testifiers as possible!
Identify the arguments that need to be made to the
committee. Try to make ONE good point. Staff will be
summarizing. Get suggested amendments in first as likely
to run out of time.
Ideas of different arguments:
• List of endorsers and why
• Expert opinions on the bill
• Constitutionality of the bill
• Attorney General’s opinion of the bill
• Other states’ position on the bill
4. Do your homework before Driving to Olympia pt2
2 Days before: Logistics: Who can drive whom? What else
can be done while down there?
* Plan to meet with important people. Make a list.
Schmooze with their aides. Leave thank yous. Etc
* Powerful multiplier: Drop off copies of everyone’s
testimony, topped with your one-pager to key officials.
The Day before:
Everyone practice their testimony. Have 2 versions – a 2
minute and a 1 minute version.
Bring extra “optional” testimony for unexpected
attendees.
Bring water, sandwiches, selfie-stick
5. What to do When in Olympia
Everyone signs-in upon first arriving in Olympia!
Sign in at committee room or in the Pritchard Library Building. Pritchard has computer kiosks just to left as you
enter.
Be sure to sign in as “Yes, will testify”, even if prefer not to. Otherwise, not counted in official tally of bill
supporters.
Sign in as a panel. Add others as co-panel testifiers.
Be aware that testimony will by default be 2 minutes each but may be reduced to 1 minute each.
Meet 1 hr before hearing time. A good meeting spot is the Pritchard library building.
Pritchard also has a print shop you can email files to be printed – very valuable for last-minute printing.
In Hearing Room:
Phones on silent
Take pictures for promotion
After Testifying:
Maximize your time in Olympia! Try to ambush key lawmakers as they walk around the campus. Drop copies of
all testimony and your one-pager to all key lawmakers.
10. TVW: A Useful Resource
• TVW can be used to
watch floor votes and
discussions. You can also
view your testimonies and
those of opponents
afterwards.
• Your group’s Social Media
Team can view TVW as
you testify live and
promote your testimony.
12. Press! Have a Support Network
Not everyone can take a day off work to testify. Those who stay behind should
ensure the Big Event gets media attention
Prepare the Social Media Team to leverage posts by the Testifiers Team.
Social Media Guidelines
Attention-getting posts are valuable content.
Testifiers should
1) Share photos and stories with the Social Media Team
2) Post those pix and stories to personal social media (after testifying)
3) Tag those posts with agreed-upon tags. For the 5078 testifiers the tags
were:
@WAHouseDems,put SB 5078 on the floor. #transparency, #PresidentialTransparency,
#PassWASB5x @senpattykuderer
The Social Media Team should post the above photos, stories and the
testifiers testimony, with the above tags. Try to tag allied groups/people.
Senator Kuderer re-tweeted us several times.
14. Communicating with Key People
We left Thank You notes from the
Governor, LT Gov and key
lawmakers
Thank yous are a great way to
leverage your time in Olympia and
leverage relationships. Send Thank
Yous to all who helped. Also record
their names/contact
info/relationship for next time.
15. Other Resources
See other Citizen Lobbying presentations:
• Citizen Lobbying 101: Getting Co-sponsors (YouTube)
• Citizen Lobbying 202: Everything You Wanted to Know About Whipping
Votes But Were Afraid to Ask (video coming soon)
Other resources:
• PDC – Be mindful of PDC “Grass Roots Lobbying” spending limits. $700/mo
or $1400 in 3 months.
Editor's Notes
My fave moment – when Patty used line from 1-pager we delivered the day before. I was up to 1pm night before creating then delivering to Deborah who dropped it off.
