In December, Representative Metcalfe gave a great speech to the South Hills 9.12 Project on two topics, how the legislative process works and how to better communicate with your legislators. We've taken 2 pages worth of notes and have cleaned up the handwriting for you to be able to benefit in the future Enjoy!
The Legislative Process
Representative Metcalfe started with what many of us would consider the obvious, the legislative process *should* start with the constitution. How refreshing to hear an elected official not just say it, but mean it!
Anyone can take an idea and propose it as a bill. If you have an idea, form it into a cohesive set of statements and provide it to your legislator and ask for it to be considered. The idea gets taken to the reference board who will then put the idea(s) into legaleze and determine where that law applies.
Once a bill has been formally drafted but before it is introduced, you need to garner support for your bill. This is done by going to colleagues and other legislators asking for their co-sponsorship. This was done early in the game for House Bill 40 this session (Castle Doctrine) which Representative Metcalfe spoke to several times as an example, and our bid was very successful garnering a high amount of co-sponsorship prior to the bill ever being introduced.
Once you have some support for the bill, you need to introduce the bill. The bill will go to either the House or the Senate for introduction. The Speaker will assign the bill to an appropriate committee, and the bill gets a bill number.
Once in committee, the Chairman of the committee can block a bill from leaving committee. Even if you have a high amount of support, the bill can still get hung up in committee. Coming back to House Bill 40, there are over 100 co-sponsors, the bill has majority and if put on the floor it would pass, but the bill is stuck in committee. There are procedual ways to overrule the Chairman, but they are rare. Votes and the committee process are public information. The committee will have a hearing, though sometimes the hearings are scheduled more to make it look like the bill is moving even when it isn't. Hearings are still important, however; and citizens can testify at the hearing.
One tactic to pass a bill is to take the full bill and amend it onto another appropriate title bill to try and get the bill to move. This is a tactic often used to get a bill that might not otherwise move combined with a bill that is moving, making it more likely to get out of committee, onto the floor, and to pass.
Once the bill is on the floor, the Majority Leader will schedule a vote and the bill gets debated. If the bill then passes the current house, it will then be passed to the other house (for example, if a bill starts in the House of Representatives, once passed that bill will go to the Senate). Once in the alternate house, the exact same process will occur.
If the bill passes the alternate house and no changes are made, the bill will go to the Governor to be signed into law (or the President at the national level). If any changes occured to the bill in the alternate bill, those changes must be approved by the original house, then it will go to the Governor (or the President) to be signed in.
The Governor can veto a bill, however; the Congress can override the veto by a vote of 2/3rds.
Be A Better Activist
Everyone can, and should be lobbiests. The most effective way to lobby is in person! It is best to make an appointment first, usually done with the staff on hand. Be respectful, the staff can get a lot done for you as well as get you an appointment with your legislator! With that said, do not be afraid to ask for what you want.
Whether your contact is by phone, fax, e-mail, a letter, or in person, make sure to have and provide as much information as possible. Here are some tips:
- Provide your name, address, phone, and other contact information you may have. Without this, a legislator may not be able to get back to you!
- If your concern is in regards to a specific piece of legislation, provide the bill number.
- Make sure to note if your legislator has already openly provided his or her stance on the legislation in question. If they are a co-sponsor of a bill you are supporting, thank them! If they are not a co-sponsor of a bill that you are supporting, ask them to become one.
- Remember that like you, legislators are not experts in everything. It is up to you to educate them! Come prepared with supporting arguments and examples, along with sources. One idea would be to put together a packet of the information for the legislator to look over later after you have spoken with him or her.
- If you meet your legislator in person, follow up with a letter, e-mail, or phone call. Thank them for taking time to meet with you, and reassert your stance on the issue or thank them for having taken your position.
Another topic raised was bulk or automated issue e-mails versus a personal e-mail. Representative Metcalfe mentioned that automated e-mails (for example, going to a website and having them send an automated response on your behalf on an issue) show numbers, similar to a rally. If you really want to get your point across and have the legislator really listen to you as an authority, personalize your message. Keep it short, sweet, and educated. Your opinion is important and needs to get across, but remember legislators get a lot of e-mail!
Legislators need to start listening to us, and we have certainly been loud and are being ignored. But the page turns both ways, and we can also work a little harder to be better lobbiests. In doing so, we will only improve our relationship and communication capabilities with our legislators.
