Influencing legislation at the state level is similar to influencing policy at the federal level. You'll want to start by getting a sense of the political climate, gathering background information on your legislators, and making a list of the issues of importance to law librarians in your state. Below, we've provided some ideas for topics to search for when you're looking for background information. Remember, when state legislation comes up, we ask that you share information with the Government Relations Committee and Government Relations Office, as well as post to the Advocacy Listserv.
For links to your state legislature's Web site, see the list provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). In addition to linking to the home page of the each legislature, NCSL allows you to search for specific content (such as, bills, press rooms, statutes) from all states, or a selected state or states. You may also want to look at the State Legislatures, State Laws, and State Regulations section of the Law Librarians Society of Washington, D.C.'s (LLSDC) Legislative Source Book which provides links to Web sites (and telephone numbers, where appropriate) of state legislatures, administrative codes, state libraries, and more. Recently, there's been a discussion on the Advocacy Listserv about what resources AALL members and chapter members use to track legislation in their own state. To participate in the discussion, join the Advocacy Listserv!
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IDEA CORNER:
Want to help your chapter members monitor legislation in your state? Put links to your state legislature and other legislative resources on your chapter's Web site. For examples, see VALL’s Web site or SANDALL's Resources page.
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Know the Politics and Players
When the legislature is out of session, take the opportunity to do some background research on state politics. What is the current political environment in your state? Do you think your lawmakers will be friendly or unfriendly to your issues? It is important to start with a good sense of the climate, as this will help you shape your strategy and message down the road.
Take some time to research your legislators. Much of this research is the same as for your members of Congress:
- What is their educational background?
- Do they have a J.D.? If so, they may already have an understanding of some of our key issues.
- What is their other profession?
- What issues are important to them?
- What committee assignments do they have?
Once you've familiarized yourself with your representatives, call their offices and set up a meeting with their local staff. Convincing your policymaker's staff of the importance of your issues is the key to your legislators' attention. Staff members usually have a few issues on which they focus and they'll report back to their boss (your legislator), so building relationships with the right staff members will help get your message heard. Find out who the staff member who deals with your issues is and try to set up a meeting with that person. If you're well prepared for the meeting, you can establish yourself as a trusted and knowledgeable resource to whom they will turn. That's your goal!
Take Action
Once you've collected some background information on the political climate and your state legislators, you'll be ready to take action. Below are the steps you should take if your chapter supports or opposes a particular piece of legislation.
Do Your Homework
Members of your chapter's legislative should try to answer these questions. Once you've answered them, you'll be ready to take action. Please let the Government Relations Committee and Government Relations Office know when something is happening in your state. In addition, email the Advocacy Listserv with your update.
- What will the legislation do?
- Why do you support or oppose the bill?
- What changes would need to be made to get your support?
- Who sponsored the bill? Who are the co-sponsors (if any)?
- What's the status of the bill? Has it been introduced? If so, what committee is it (or will it be) in? Has it passed either House?
Determine Your Course of Action
Once you;ve gathered background information, spend some time thinking about what you want to see happen and your strategy for reaching that goal.
- What is your goal? It is important to be clear about what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to stop a piece of legislation from passing or eliminate a particular provision of a bill?
- Who are your targets? A target is a decision-maker or decision-makers who have the power to make the change you want to see. Do you already have a relationship with the lawmaker who introduced the bill or a lawmaker who would support your position? If so, you'll want to set up meetings with the appropriate staff right away.
- Who are your allies? Contact other organizations to see if they will support your position. Identify possible coalition partners such as:
- The state and local bar associations
- The state library association
- A state government documents group
- Other non-profits, such as open government groups
- What other actions are needed to reach your goal? What do you want your chapter members and allies to do? This could be writing letters or making phone calls to your targets, participating in meetings with staff, or getting the word out to other allies and the media.
Mobilize and Take Action
Once your committee has collected background information and determined what you want to do, you're ready to take action.
- Organize: Tell your chapter members about the proposed legislation. Ask them to participate in your campaign.
- Inform: Generate materials like position papers, fact sheets, and letters to give to legislators and the media, if appropriate.
- Use Your Network: Ask your allies to join you in taking action. Keep the Government Relations Committee, Government Relations Office, and Advocacy Listserv informed of your action and progress.
Learn how to influence policy on the federal level
Back to 4.3 How to Create a Successful Advocacy Program for Your Committee