1. How Grassroots Activists Can Impact State Legislation
Action Together Network // Code Blue
How Grassroots Activists Can Impact State Legislation

2. About this Presentation
Action Together Network // Code Blue
About this Presentation
What is it? Basic and general information about how grassroots activists can impact how legislation is formed, supported, and pushed through into law at the state level.
Intended Audience: General public.
How is it best used? By state/regional/group leaders to disseminate and presented at local level meetings to activists who show up wanting to do something.
TIPS:
Customize according to your state government.
Share freely and widely regardless of political party affiliation. The more informed voters and engaged electorate, the more we all benefit.

3. How a Bill’s Idea is Developed*
Action Together Network // Code Blue
How a Bill’s Idea is Developed*
Three main ways:
Idea is presented to the Legislator by:
Citizens – the constituent – the primary source of legislation
Lobbyists
Advocacy groups – these bills tend to get passed more because of their thoroughness from all angles.
Legislator’s own idea
“Ripped from the headlines”.
*Assemblyman Dan Benson, NJ

4. Bill referred to Committee for review
Action Together Network // Code Blue
Idea Bill Law
Idea is developed
Bill is drafted
Bill is Introduced
Bill referred to Committee for review

5. Idea Bill Law Law Second Reading Third Reading House Votes
Action Together Network // Code Blue
Idea Bill Law
Second Reading
Third Reading
House Votes
Bill goes to Governor
Law

6. Governor, Chair, and Speaker - Actions -
Action Together Network // Code Blue
Governor, Chair, and Speaker - Actions -
In the Senate, the Chair can decide whether or not a bill gets voted on.
In the Assembly, it is the Speaker with this ability.
Governor* can act on legislation:
Sign it
Conditionally veto it (return it with changes)
Veto it
*Varies with each state.

7. What To Do to Move Stalled Legislation
Action Together Network // Code Blue
What To Do to Move Stalled Legislation
1) Call the Bill sponsors and ask what you can do.
2) Connect with advocacy groups that support the legislation and ask what you can do. 
3) Call/meet with your legislative district Assembly member or state Senator if opposes and tell them why they should support it.
4) Write letters to the editors about the legislation and why it’s important, post about it on their FB page, and tweet about it.
5) Get a letter writing/ campaign to the state and get your allies to print them out, take them to the floor and take pictures. 
6) Public protests outside the legislative chambers with media attention distilling down the main points of the legislation.

8. What To Do To Halt Bad Legislation
Action Together Network // Code Blue
What To Do To Halt Bad Legislation
1) Call the legislators who opposed the bad legislation and ask what you can do to block it.
2) Connect with advocacy groups that are against the legislation and ask what you can do. 
3) Call/meet with your legislative district Assembly member or state Senator if for it and tell them why they should oppose.
4) Write letters to the editors about the legislation and why it shouldn’t be passed, ask questions about it on their FB page, and tweet about it.
5) Get a letter writing/ campaign to the state legislature and get your allies to print them out, take them to the floor and take pictures.
6) Public protests outside the legislative chambers with media attention distilling down the main points of the legislation.

9. The Impact of a Grassroots Activist
Action Together Network // Code Blue
The Impact of a Grassroots Activist
Big impact–
Phone calls
Tweets s
Bigger impact- Working with advocacy groups who have all the infrastructure (meeting rooms, scripts, phone numbers, research, data, positions) in order to provide testimony to Legislators to support/sponsor/co-sponsor bill.
Biggest – Being the face and story to a bill so they will vote your way on a bill. 
Office visit with your Legislator.
Bring an advocate to provide the details and answers to technical questions.
For federal/national calls to action.
National, state
Congressional and legislative districts

10. Phone Call Tips - 1 Keep it kind.
Action Together Network // Code Blue
Phone Call Tips - 1
Keep it kind.
Ask to talk to your elected representative.
If not available (Legislators are part-time), ask the name of the staffer speaking with you. “Hi Erin and thanks for taking my message to the Assemblywoman!”
Tell them you are part of Action Together™ Network, a group of 750,000 voters, formed since the election [or Code Blue, a group of 20,000 progressive voters].
Staffers work for YOU! They are there to take calls and messages, and tabulate. QUANTITY matters.
Be persistent. Our legislators are there to serve us and need to be responsive.

11. Phone Call Tips - 2 Keep it brief (under a minute)
Action Together Network // Code Blue
Phone Call Tips - 2
Keep it brief (under a minute)
Tell them your name, your address, and that you are their constituent. *Legislators want to be re-elected so when a lot of their constituents are vocal, they listen.
Make your point:
“Is the Senator supporting this bill?”,
“I want to thank the Assemblywoman for voting NO on this bill”, or
“I would like the Assemblyman to vote YES on this bill for gun sense.”
Remember the bill # AND what it is e.g. “the newspaper revenge bill, the equal pay bill, the gun sense bill”.
Note: Refer to “A” bills when talking to member of the Assembly, and “S” bills when talking to your state Senator

12. Action Together Network // Code Blue
Phone Call Tips - 3
About those staffers…
They are just doing their jobs and are usually full-time. The Legislators are considered part-time and usually hold other employment.
This means that staffers know a lot about what is going on!
They want to represent their boss (your representative) well.
They range in age but are usually in their 20-30s.
Elected representatives appreciate the “thank you” calls. When our representatives do what we ask them to do, we need to THANK THEM with a follow-up phone call.

13. Action Together Network // Code Blue
#StrongerTogether
It is important for smaller regional activist groups/members to maintain an active connection to the larger network for national calls to action on a federal level.
We need to build a culture of sharing. This eliminates duplication of efforts and encourages the bonds of community.
States and districts that are typically red may need help from blue districts in order to find new voters or flip some voters.
Ideas can be shared so we can all be aware and act on it as needed.

14. Action Together Network // Code Blue
Vital Resources
Nationwide resource for finding your legislator, tracking their votes and knowing what bills are up for vote.
- Find out about the voting in your state legislative district (as well as congressional district) and how much it costs to run.
- “Groups spend millions influencing our elections without reporting where the money came from”. Learn more about how they influence legislation.
Ratf*cked - A must-read on how Republicans won 3/5th of state legislatures via project RedMap and the impact that has had on national elections.