LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

Melinda Hugdahl, Staff AttorneyLegal Services Advocacy Project

What We’ll Talk About Today

What is LSAP

A short primer on legislative advocacy

Legislative process – from idea to law

WHO IS LSAP?

What is LSAP? The Legal Services

Advocacy Project (LSAP) is the division of Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance that provides legislative and policy advocacy to legal aid programs statewide.

We advocate on behalf of low-income Minnesotans on a variety of civil legal issues such as family law, consumer law, housing law, public benefits law and health care law.

What Does LSAP Do?

Improve state laws and rules that affect our various client groups

Represent low income clients’ issues at the Legislature and before administrative bodies

Educate our clients and groups that work with our clients about laws and issues (e.g., victims of domestic violence)

How Lobbying is Like Courtroom Work

Negotiation skills

Knowledge of the law

Acting on behalf of a client

Your reputation precedes you

How Lobbying is NOT Like Courtroom Work It’s political

You must be brief – and know how to message to the mass audience as well as the individual

No level playing field

Drafting skills

Ex Parte

There are many rules, but also many exceptions

What do you know about people in poverty?

Can you buy alcohol or cigarettes with your EBT card in Minnesota? NO!

What is the average amount of time that a family receives cash safety net assistance? 27 months

What percentage of safety net assistance recipients have a serious, documented mental health diagnosis? 48% (of MFIP families – doesn’t include

chemical health)

THE LEGISLATIVE LIFE CYCLE

Five Process Phases

Identification and

Development and an

Idea

Drafting and

Introducing a Bill

The Committee Process

On to the Floor! (and

beyond)

The Governor

THE FIRST PHASE:

Identification and Development of an Idea

Identification of an Idea

Legislative proposals come from many sources

Most are from our attorneys, who tell us about problems they see in their cases

Development of an Idea1. Research 2. Input and

feedback from our practitioners

SETTING GOALS AND STRATEGY

Lobbying 101

Defining the GoalTouchdown? (i.e., Pass the bill? Stop the bill?)

First Down? (Get part of what you want this time?)

Put the Ball in Play? (Introduce the concept?)

Planning the Strategy

Keys to Successful StrategyBuilding/Maintaining Relationships

Legal Aid Legislators Legislative Staff Agency Staff National Partners Local Allies Other Lobbyists

Keys To Successful Strategy Messaging, Messaging, Messaging…..

Keys to Successful Strategy

Finding and Working with Allies/Coalitions

Keys to Successful Strategy

Finding Unusual Allies

Keys to Successful Strategy

Tapping the grassroots network

Keys to Successful Strategy

Working with Opponents

STRATEGY IN ACTION - ADVOCACY

Strategy in Action - Advocacy

Keep on Keepin’ On Working with

allies Working with

Opponents Activating

Grassroots networks

Check in on your goal: Realistic? Need to change

course?

Keys to Successful Advocacy

Knowing the Process

Keys to Successful Advocacy

Knowing the Facts Bloomington and Minneapolis are the two farthest north latitude cities to ever host a World Series game.

The stapler was invented in Spring Valley.

The nation’s first Better Business Bureau was founded in Minneapolis in 1912.

Candy maker Frank C. Mars of Minnesota introduced the Milky Way candy bar in 1923.

Madison is the "Lutefisk capital of the United States".

Keys to Successful Advocacy

Making a Persuasive (Legal and Other) Argument

Keys to Successful Advocacy

USE THE MEDIA

PERSEVERANCE

THE SECOND PHASE:Bill Drafting and Introduction

Drafting the Bill

It Gets Introduced

H.F. No. 979, as introduced - 87th Legislative Session (2011-2012) Posted on Mar 09, 2011

1.1A bill for an act

1.2 relating to human services; requiring the commissioner to analyze the 1.3 establishment of uniform asset limits across human services assistance programs.

1.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 Section 1. UNIFORM ASSET LIMIT REQUIREMENTS.1.6 The commissioner of human services, in consultation with county human services 1.7 representatives, shall analyze the differences in asset limit requirements across human 1.8 services assistance programs, including group residential housing, Minnesota supplemental 1.9 aid, general assistance, Minnesota family investment program, diversionary work program, 1.10 the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, state food assistance programs, 1.11 and child care programs. The goal of the analysis is to establish a consistent asset limit 1.12 across human services programs and minimize the administrative burdens on counties in 1.13 implementing asset tests. The commissioner shall report its findings and conclusions to 1.14 the health and human services legislative committees by January 15, 2012, and include 1.15 draft legislation establishing a uniform asset limit for human services assistance programs.

Meeting with Key People

Legislators

Staff

Allies

Opponents/Potential Opponents

State agency officials

Governor’s staff

THE THIRD PHASE:

Committees

Committee Process After a bill is introduced, it is

sent to the relevant committee in House and Senate.

Committee Process We talk to the members to

secure their support or opposition

Committee Process We testify “Melinda Hugdahl, Legal Services Advocacy Project staff attorney, said the bill’s goal is admirable, but her concern ‘lies with the folks who don’t agree or don’t have resources to develop a parenting plan and don’t understand the ramifications.’ She is working with Anderson to address these issues before the bill receives its next hearing.”

Session Weekly

Committee Process We bring in others to testify

THE FOURTH PHASE:

On to the Floor!

On the Floor After a bill gets through all the

committees, it goes to the House and Senate floor where the legislators debate the merits of the bill.

On the FloorThen they vote!

Conference Committee For non-identical bills Keeping the good in, keeping the

bad out

THE FIFTH PHASE:

The Governor

Governor Signs (or Vetoes) Bill

The Final Product: A Session Law2008, Regular Session

CHAPTER 174--S.F.No. 2910

An actrelating to landlord and tenant; modifying expungement of eviction

records;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 484.014, by adding a subdivision.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 484.014, is amended by adding a subdivision to read:

Subd. 3. Mandatory expungement. The court shall order expungement of an eviction case commenced solely on the grounds provided in section 504B.285, subdivision

1, clause (1), if the court finds that the defendant occupied real property that was subject to contract for deed cancellation or mortgage foreclosure and:

(1) the time for contract cancellation or foreclosure redemption has expired and the defendant vacated the property prior to commencement of the eviction action; or

(2) the defendant was a tenant during the contract cancellation or foreclosure redemption period and did not receive a notice under section 504B.285, subdivision 1,

clause (1), to vacate on a date prior to commencement of the eviction case.Presented to the governor April 2, 2008

Signed by the governor April 4, 2008, 4:07 p.m.

What Some Perceive to Be the Final Product

LSAP Accomplishments Over the years, LSAP’s work has

improved: Training and employment opportunities Food supports Health care Child support collection and enforcement Domestic abuse protections Tenants’ rights Housing opportunities Consumer protections

POST SESSION

What we do (just kidding)

YOGI BERRA WAS WRONG

IT’S NEVER OVER ------

EVEN WHEN IT’S OVER!

Post Session Work

Session Summaries

CLE Work

Task Force/Agency Working Groups/Hearings

Rulemaking/Agency/Judicial Branch Comments

Getting Ready…. After session ends, the process starts

again. We typically meet with practitioners, allies, agencies and others to start discussing issues for the next session.