civic engagement: effectively advocate your needs
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Civic Engagement How to Effectively Advocate Your Needs
Who is Katie Misukanis?
• Government Relations Director, Rasmussen College
• Current Chair of the Minnesota Career College Association and Wisconsin Council for Independent Education
• Former President of the Junior League of St. Paul and Visitation Alumnae Association
• Working on Masters in Public Administration
• Importance of Building Relationships with Elected Officials
• Who is Who in Government • How the Government Goes About Its work • How to Find my Representatives • How to Contact Them and Form Relationships • Questions
Agenda
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• Importance of these relationships is illustrated by two simple principles: 1. Make friends before you need them. 2. The world is run by those who show up.
• Be a credible source of information. • Have input in the decision making. • Have an ally when supporting or opposing legislation. • Be part of a representative government by engaging purposeful
conversation with elected officials. • Gain confidence advocating in a group setting.
Building Relationships With Elected Officials
• There are local, state and federal elections. All take place based on terms.
• Elections take place on the second Tuesday in November.
• Elections are based on geographical boundaries.
• There are general thresholds and criteria set up for who can run for office.
Government 101
• City Council and Mayoral positions • County Commissioners • School Board positions • Local Boards and
Commissions
Local Government
Example of a state legislature: • Minnesota Senate
67 members – one from each legislative district. Elected to four year terms.
• Minnesota House 134 members – two from each legislative district. Elected to two year terms.
State Legislature
• There are 100 Senators – two for each state; all with six year terms.
• There are currently 435 Representatives – based on census data taken every 10 years, with two year terms. Districts can change in size and geography.
• There are three branches of government at the federal level; executive, legislative and judicial.
Federal Government
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• The mayor and city council are generally broken into committees to address the needs of the community.
• The county operates much like the city with committees, but it has more focus on some of the human services piece.
• Each entity works off a budget that is made from the fees and taxes at a local level.
Local Cycles
• The states generally are on biennial sessions starting with a
budget; one exception is North Dakota. • Each of the two years in the biennium has a regular session that
can vary in length. • There is a temporary adjournment between the sessions. • Bills which did not pass during the first session can be acted on in
the consequent sessions. • The state must balance the budget every two years.
State Legislative Session
• The Governor can call the Legislature into a special session at anytime.
• This power is limited to the Governor. • Once in special session, the Governor has no power to limit the
length or scope of the session.
State Special Sessions
• House and Senate both have standing committees chaired by a member of the ranking party.
• The U.S. Congress does not have to balance its budget. • Each body must hear the same bill, pass it and then it goes on to
the President to be signed.
Federal Government Cycle
• Individuals, public interest groups and agencies suggest laws to transform their needs into law.
• The group will find a sponsor and author for the bill. • It will then have a hearing in front of the appropriate committee. It may
take several paths through a variety of other committees. • A conference committee will take up final bills, and if approved, will
head to floor votes. • If approved, the bill will head to the Governor or President.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
How Do I Find My Local Officials?
• Go to your town or cities’ website and look for “government.” • Go to your counties’ website and look for “government.” • Each website should have a map listing your councilmember’s contact
information. Meeting times should also be posted.
Example 1: Minnesota • Go to leg.state.mn.us/. • Bottom, center of the page, you will see
“Who Represents Me?” • Enter your address in the box as shown in
the example and click on search. • You will get the contact information for
your State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator.
How Do I Find My Legislator?
Example 2: Florida • Go to myflorida.com/. • Middle, right you will see “Find My
Legislator?” • Enter your address in the box as shown in
the example and click on search. • You will get the contact information for
your State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator.
How Do I Find My Legislator?
• Go to leg.state.mn.us/. • In the middle column, click on “Bill Search and
Status”. • The next screen gives you several choices for
either Senate or House. • You can search by bill number, author, topic or
committee. • Once you get to a specific bill, click on House or
Senate. • Go to Recorded House Roll Call floor votes. • Any actual votes will be listed in the far right
column.
How Do I Find My Legislator’s Voting Record?
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• Letter • Email • Phone call • Personal visit
How do I Contact my Legislator?
How to Effectively Communicate With Your Legislator • Be brief but informative by stating your purpose in the first sentence. • Identify any legislation by bill number or authors. • Tell a story about how this issue affects real people. • Try to include local data to support your position. • Whether writing a letter or email, spell check and use other tools to make it a
professional document. • Understand phone calls are taken by staff members. Ask to speak with the staff
member who handles your issue. • Identify yourself as a constituent and explain as specifically as possible the message
you want them to give to your legislator. • Calls come in constantly, and they have limited time. • Be prepared to testify if the opportunity arrives.
• State and Local Chambers • Rotary Clubs • Economic Development Committees • Trade Associations • Coalition Building • Internal Government Relations Individuals • Grassroots Efforts • Contract Lobbyists
Unique Ways to Interact With Elected Officials
• Maintain Contact. – Keep your legislators informed of your concerns on pending legislation. – Offer to provide additional information on key issues. – Continue to visit his or her local office when possible and leave a
“standing” invitation to visit your organization or business. • Track Committee Activity and Votes.
– Update any changes in committee assignments. – Be ready to activate students, faculty and staff if need arises. – Use additional websites such as minnesotavotes.org or those in your state
to track legislation and voting records.
How to Establish a Positive Relationship With Your Legislature
• All of us, amateur or professional, have the ability to influence legislation and the decisions of the government.
• Thank you for using your voice!
We All Have a Voice
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