Advocacy - Finding your Voice Shannon Robins State Legislative Relations Manager.

Advocacy - Finding your VoiceShannon Robins

State Legislative Relations Manager

AgendaI) Overview of the National Fight Against Hunger in America• Hunger in America• Federal programs and policies to combat hunger• Federal budget and process• Role of advocacy• Nonprofits and Lobbying• Role of the state

II) Turning an Idea into Law – Choose Your Own Adventure• That looks funny…Framing and Perspective• Outline of state budget and policy process• Overview: ID State Legislature• Choose Your Own Adventure – Part 1

III) Bringing it to the Next Level• State Policy Trends and Promising Practices in Advocacy• Choose Your Own Adventure – Part 2

© 2010 Feeding America

Choose Your Own Adventure: Warm-Up Activity

What Do You Want to Leave

Here with Today?


Overview of the National Fight Against Hunger in America

• Hunger in America – What do we know?

– Food Insecurity• Adult

• Child

• Senior

– Unemployment/Economy

– Long-shadow of recovery


• How do we fight it nationally?

– Farm Bill

– Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR)

– Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps (SNAP)

– Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

– Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

– Tax Incentives

– Other

Overview of the Federal Budgeting Process


Role of Advocacy

• Does anyone out there care and how much?

• Timing – Starting– Accelerating– Stalling– Pushing– Then…


• Eg. SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps)

Nonprofits and Lobbying

• Lobbying– Direct

• Any attempt to influence legislation by:– Stating a position on specific legislation to

» Legislators» Government employees who participate

in the formulation of legislation

– Grassroots• Urging your members or the general public to

– Contact their legislators re specific legislation



• Limits for nonprofits (501(h) expenditure test– Direct:

• 20% of the first $500,000 of its exempt purpose expenditures;

• 15% of the next $500,000, and so on, up to one million dollars a year.

– Grassroots: • 5% of the first $500,000 of its exempt purpose

expenditures;• 3.75% of the next $500,000, and so on, up to $250,000 a

year.



• Lobbying is not:

– Providing technical assistance or advice to legislative body or committee in response to a written request

– Making available nonpartisan analysis, study or research

– Providing examinations and discussions of broad, social, economic and similar problems

– Communicating with a legislative body regarding matters which might affect the existence of the organization, its powers and duties, its tax-exempt status, or the deduction of contributions to the organization (the "self-defense" exception)

– Updating the members of your own organization on the status of legislation, without a call to action


Role of State

• Administration– Rules and

Regulations– Access and

Partnerships– Legislative and

Executive Roles– Monitoring and

Compliance


Turning an Idea into Law – Framing and Perspective (aka: That Looks Funny…)


Idea


Amendment


Enacted


Funded


Public


Media


It could have been simpler…


Overview of the State Budget Process


Signature or Veto

Becomes a Law

If Vetoed

Idaho State Legislature

• Citizen Legislature• Elected for two-year

terms• Annual Budget and

Legislative Cycle • 3 month session• 35 Senators• 70 Representatives• 35 districts

– 1 Senator– 2 Representatives


Senate• Senate President = Lt.

Governor– President Pro Tempore

• Elected by SenateHouse • Speaker of the House

(SOH)– Presides over the

sessions– Elected by House

• Majority party

Idaho State Legislature

Senate• President Pro Tem,

with the approval of the Senate:, – Assigns all Senate

Committee (10)• Memberships

– Assigns all bills to Senate Committees


House• Speaker of the House, in

cooperation with House Majority:

– Assigns all House Committee (14)

• Chairmanships• Memberships

– Assigns all bills to House Committees

Idaho State Legislature – Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC)

• Senate Finance & House Appropriations – Establish state budget– Meeting daily through most of session– Reviews:

• Executive budget – Budget requests:

» State departments» Agencies and institutions» Capital improvements» Legislative Appropriations

– JFAC’s recommendations on agency budgets• Submitted to Legislature as appropriation bills


Idaho State Legislature – Bill Introduction

• Who?– Single member– Group of members– Standing committee

• When?– Committee introduction only

• After the 20th day of the session in the House• After 12th day in the Senate

– Only specific Committees• After the 35th day


Idaho State Legislature – Committees

• Do pass• Without recommendation• To be placed on General Orders for Amendment• Do not pass• Withdrawn with the privilege of introducing

another bill• Referred to another standing committee


Idaho State Legislature – Floor & Readings

First Reading• Committee assignment

Second Reading• Passed relevant committees

Third Reading• Floor sponsor

– Opens and closes debate in favor of passage • Debate• Final vote on passage

– Passed by a majority of those present

Repeat…


Idaho State Legislature – Governor

Session• Sign bill within five days after its receipt (except Sundays)• Allow the bill to become law without approval

– After 5 days• Veto within five days

– Returns bill to house of origin with reason for disapproval

Sine Die• Veto within ten days

Veto Override• Two-thirds majority vote

– Members present – Both houses


Idaho State Legislature – Governor

Executive Authority• Agency funding level target requests• Reorganize state departments• Spend unanticipated funds

– Budget office has the authority to approve spending of unanticipated funds if certain criteria are met

• Temporarily reduce enacted budget– State Board of Examiners has permanent appropriation reduction

authority• SBE

– Governor– Attorney General– Secretary of State


Choose Your Own Adventure – Part 1




• Audience Interactive Presentation

– Slides not available prior to presentation

Advocacy- Bringing it to the Next Level


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Maxbattcap.jpg

State Trends and Promising Practices

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)– Outreach– State Options– Eligibility

• Agricultural Clearance Programs– Surplus and Unmarketable

Produce– Emergency Food Assistance

and Access to Nutritious Food

– Benefits to Farmers– Preventing Waste


• State Food Purchase Programs– Local money spent locally– Fighting hunger and

supporting business

• State and Community Organization partnerships-leveraging federal resources– Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF)– SNAP Outreach– The Emergency Food

Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Best Practices in Advocacy

• Testing Readiness– Ready Resources

• Relationships• History• Strategic Goals• Cost Benefit Analysis• Tools• Communications

– Planning and Organizing• Timelines• Resources• Advocates• Partners


• Coalitions that Work– Partners– Common Issues– Planning– Organizing– Communicating– Strategizing– Unified voices

Promising Practices in State Policy

• Food Stamp Program– SNAP– State Options– Asset Test– Outreach

• Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)– Vouchers

• WIC• Seniors

– Food Stamps• EBT

• Research and Data– Hunger in America– Hunger Atlas’s/Almanacs’– Food Insecurity– Missing Meals


• State Legislative Hunger Caucuses– AR– PA

• Food Security Committees– OK

• Food Policy Councils– MA

• State Advisory Councils on Hunger– AZ

Promising Practices in State Advocacy

• Testing Readiness– Ready Resources

• Relationships• History• Strategic Goals• Cost Benefit Analysis• Tools• Communications

– Planning and Organizing• Timelines• Resources• Advocates• Partners


• Coalitions that Work– Partners– Common Issues– Position Papers– Planning– Organizing– Communicating– Strategizing– Unified voices

• Materials and Planning– Toolkits– Templates– Timing and Alternatives– ‘Elevator’ Speech– Advocacy Materials– Key speaking points– Media strategy


• Advocate Plan

– Organize

– Educate

– Communicate

– Mobilize!

– Action and Impact Assessment

– Follow-up© 2010 Feeding America

• The Interim– Tours– Volunteer Events– Benefits– Public Service

Announcements (PSA)

– Community Leadership


• Building Relationships with Legislators– Board Membership

• Family– Newsletters– Annual Reports– ‘Town Hall’ Forums– Constituents– Legislative Staff– ‘Walk-a-Mile’ and Food

Stamp Challenges– Hunger 101


• Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up– Thank you’s– ADVOCATES– Fact Sheets– Talking Points– Letter to the Editor– Newsletter – Photo-Ops– Additional Information– Summaries– Awards– STAFF





• Audience Interactive Presentation

– Slides not available prior to presentation

Q & A


• Contact Information

– Shannon RobinsManager of State Policy & Partnerships

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: (312) 641-6877

mailto:[email protected]

Advocacy - Finding your Voice Shannon Robins State Legislative Relations Manager.

Documents

feeding america nonprofits

feeding america overview

status of legislation

legislative body

national fight

technical assistance

food stamps snapwomen

exempt purpose expenditures3