Legislative Advocacy: Success with Idaho’s Legislature

1. Legislative Advocacy: Success with Idaho’s Legislature Idaho PTA presentation November 14, 2009 By Jana Kemp www.JanaKemp.com

2. Today’s Conversation: • Idaho’s Process and Timeline • Be Effective Telling the PTA story • Process + Passion = Getting Heard

3. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Budget • March-May: Budget requests developed • May: Submit requests to Board or to Dept. • June-August: Board or Dept. of Ed reviews • Sept: Budgets submitted to DFM

4. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Budget • Sept-Dec: Governor develops executive budget to submit to Legislature • January: Governor delivers Budget Message • January- Feb: JFAC conducts hearings • Feb-March: Appropriation Bills to Legislature and on to Governor

5. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Budget • March – Agencies and Departments start all over again. • July 1: Starts the Fiscal year

6. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Bills • 1. Citizen or Organization has an Idea • Develop the idea • 2. Discuss it with legislator • Assess support for the idea • 3. Legislator works with “LSO” to draft Bill • Organization involved, vets with others for/against

7. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Bills • 4. Legislator agrees to Sponsor • Search for right and best sponsor • Negotiate with Committee Chair(s) • Lobby members of the committee for their vote

8. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Bills • 5. Bill is “RS”ed • Committee agrees to print – or not • No testimony taken • 6. Bill comes back to committee • Hearings held • Discussion by committee • NO vote = Dead • YES vote = goes to the “floor”

9. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Bills • 7. FLOOR VOTE • YES = Goes to the other “floor” • NO = DEAD • 8. “Other Floor” • Committee Reviews • Floor Vote • YES = Goes to Governor • NO = DEAD, or Amending orders, or other house can take up

10. Idaho’s Process and Timeline: Bills • 9. Governor’s Desk • YES = Becomes Law • NO = VETO and is Dead, or the House and Senate can vote to over-ride the Veto

11. Be Effective Telling the PTA story • Statistics – Data – Facts • REAL stories and impact on children / the education process • Know Your Audience

12. Be Effective Telling the PTA story • Know the Committee Process • Sign In • Indicate Yea or Nay • Wait to be called • Speak to the Chair first – Always • Respond to committee questions – if any • Stay standing until the Chair “thanks you”

13. Be Effective Telling the PTA story • Know how the PTA story is different from: and • Know how the PTA story is the same as: • IEA • Superintendents • Home-schoolers • Virtual • Charter • Others the legislators will hear from

14. Process + Passion = Getting Heard • All Process and legislators don’t get interested. • All Passion and legislators don’t listen. • “Sometimes our passion speaks so loudly that others can not hear us.” – Jana Kemp to a legislator in 2006 • Put together the process and the passion to get heard!

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16. My Top 2 Action Items ! • _____________by ______ • _____________by ______