Legislative Education for Educators: Resources for Teaching and Action on Current Events

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Legislative Education for Educators Resources
for Teaching and Action on Current Events

• Scott Barstow
• Carrie Wilde, Ph.D., CRC
• National Training Conference on Rehabilitation
  Education
• October 19, 2003

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The Importance of Legislative Advocacy Training

• Counselors clients are affected by public
  policy and legislation everyday
• Legislative advocacy is a necessary function of
  the professional and its organizations
• Yet it is not a professional activity in which
  many counselors participate
• By providing training (early), counselors may be
  more inclined to get involved

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Why incorporate advocacy training in
Rehabilitation Counselor Education?

• Reduce anxiety
• Excite, empower, motivate, energize
• Provide information
• Develop skills and confidence
• Professional identity development
• Knowledge of social issues
• Employability skills
• Advancing the profession and the country

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Counselors clients are affected by public
policy and legislation everyday

• Licensure/certification
• Recognition under state/federal laws and programs
• Funding for counseling positions
• Laws and regulations affecting counseling
  practice (HIPAA, ADA, Rehab Act)
• Laws and regulations affecting counselors
  clients (minimum wage, TANF, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid
  funding, education funding)

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Legislative UpdateWIA Rehabilitation Act

• House passed bad bill in May (H.R. 1261)
• Block granted adult, dislocated worker, youth
• Allows Governors to unilaterally take money from
  VR, Medicaid, mental health, disability, other
  programs to fund One-Stop infrastructure
  development
• Allows publicly-funded religious discrimination
  in hiring of employment, training, and
  rehabilitation personnel
• Ended Commissioner status for head of RSA
• Senate bill (S. 1627) approved by HELP committee
• Avoids major mistakes of House bill, still taps
  program partners for infrastructure development
• May not reach Senate floor before end of session,
  but Rehab Act reauthorization may still occur
  this year
• ACA PPL, 2003

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Legislative UpdateTANF Reauthorization

• ON HOLD Six month extension passed, through
  March, 2004
• House passed bad bill in February (H.R. 4)
• Significantly increases beneficiary work
  requirements, state participation rates
• Restricts access to education and training
  services
• Contains only marginal increase for child care
  funding
• Senate bill approved by Finance Committee
• Somewhat increases beneficiary work requirements
  and state participation rates
• Largely maintains education and training services
  access
• Vote likely on Senate floor on large increase in
  federal spending on child care

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Legislative UpdateMedicare

• H.R. 1, S. 1, Medicare prescription drug and
  program update legislation, now in conference
  committee
• 400 billion bill, biggest change in Medicare
  since programs inception
• S. 1 contains counselor, MFT coverage language,
  sponsored by Senators Craig Thomas (R-WY) and
  Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
• H.R. 1 Significantly increases beneficiary work
  requirements, state participation rates
• Action may be completed soon, otherwise election
  year politics may polarize positions

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Legislative UpdateIDEA

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
  establishes special education programs and
  services
• House bill (H.R. 1350) opposed by ACA and most
  education groups
• undermines services and protections for students
  with disabilities and their families
• removes current statutory language requiring
  state education agencies to support personnel
  standards based on highest requirements in the
  state
• Senate bill (S. 1248) approved by HELP Committee,
  may be brought to floor by end of October, but
  may also be put off until January of next year
• ACA working with CCD, NAPSO coalitions to
  maintain emphasis on qualified personnel

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Legislative advocacy is a necessary function of
the professional and its organizations

• NO ONE is going to do it for us
• Numbers count!
• Professional organization membership dues are the
  primary source of funding for legislative work
  (lobbyist, information dissemination, web page,
  mailings, fly-ins, Legislative Institute,
  trainings, studies)
• Bigger membership more clout (especially if
  members are active!) AARP v. us

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Other ACAs

• Am. Camping Assn
• Am. Canoe Assn
• Am. Correctional Assn
• Am. Communications Assn
• Am. Collectors Assn
• Am. Chiropractic Assn
• Am. Citizens Abroad
• Am. Council on Alcoholism

• Am. Cycling Assn
• Amputee Coalition of America
• Arms Control Assn
• Adult Children of Alcoholics
• Assn of Consulting Actuaries
• Appalachian College Assn
• American Callers Assn
• American Canine Assn

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Why be an advocate? It wont make a difference,
anyway.

• Cause and effectvoting/participation rates you
  get out of the system what you put into it
• Policy is made the 364 days out of the year when
  there arent elections
• How does your member of Congress or state
  legislator know about your issue?
• The squeakiest wheel gets the grease, and there
  are lots of wheels squeaking
• There is no end to what you can do writing,
  meeting, campaigning, picketing, talking,
  organizing, running for elected office
• Its your only alternative if you want to change
  anything Democracy is the worst form of
  government except for all those others that have
  been tried.Winston Churchill

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Why be an advocate? It wont make a difference,
anyway.

• The importance of swinging (baseball analogy)
• Congress was not constituted to enact laws, but
  rather to keep bad laws from being enacted
  legislative change is supposed to happen slowly
• You dont hit a single (or a double, or a homer)
  without coming up to the plate, time and again,
  and taking your swings
• Asking for a specific law/regulation change
  getting in line

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How does your member of Congress or state
legislator know about your issue, and take action?

• He/She is smart
• He/She probably knows a counselor
• Someone else is probably talking to them
• Weve got a lobbyist
• He/She will do the right thing, its her/his job

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Why be an advocate? Someone else will do it.

• Someone else may not be doing it!
• Even if someone else is doing it, what if there
  were two voices instead of one?
• It only takes a few contacts to make a difference
  on minor issues
• Your call or letter may not be the 10th or 20th
  one that goads a legislator into action, but it
  makes that 10th or 20th call or letter possible

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Preparing for Your District Visit Know What you
Want

• What your lawmaker can do for you
• Introduce or co-sponsor a bill or amendment
• Vote for/against legislation
• Send a Dear Colleague letter talk/write a
  committee chair on your behalf
• Speak in favor of your position in public
• Say I support you or Ill consider your
  comments
• Help answer questions, solve problems
• ACA PPL, 2003

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Preparing for your District VisitGetting to
Know Your Legislator

• DO YOUR HOMEWORK
• Who are your senators, representatives?
• What is their legislative record and general
  philosophy?
• What issues are they passionate about?
• What committees are they on?
• What party do they belong to?
• Are they newly elected, a senior or ranking
  member, chair?

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Preparing for your District VisitGetting to
Know the Office

• Whos Who
• District/State Scheduler
• Field Representative(s)
• District/State Office Director
• What to Expect
• Limited time
• Limited space
• Limited attention

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Out of the Mouths of BabesTips from
Congressional Staffers

• In a recent survey, staffers agreed most on
• the following
• Abide by the 5 minute rule (98)
• Advocates should know something about the
  district (80)
• Leave limited, highly relevant and focused
  materials (80)
• 1-3 people is the ideal number to come to a
  meeting in the office (78)
• Dont chat, have an action plan (76)
• Advanced Consulting, 2003

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Planning your District VisitThe Logistics

• Limit the number of people involved
• If you are visiting as a group, know who will say
  what
• Plan for parking
• Plan for security
• Plan for time
• Expect delays
• Meeting length 15 minutes
• Keep content to 5 minutes, 1- 3 talking points

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Timing is Everything District Work Periods (DWP)
2003

• January 7
• February 17 - 21
• April 14 - 25
• May 26 - 30
• June 30 - July 4
• July 28 Labor Day
• September 3
• September 30
• November - December

• Congress reconvenes
• Presidents Day DWP
• Spring Break
• Memorial Day DWP
• July 4th DWP
• August DWP
• Return to DC
• Fiscal year ends
• Adjourn for the year

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How Should You Ask?Visiting or Talking with a
Legislator/Staffer

• Legislators are hungry for front-line
  information, and talking to their constituents is
  the best way to get it
• Legislators put their pants/pantyhose on one leg
  at a timetheyre not dukes and duchesses, they
  are your employees!
• Legislators want toand need tobe liked
• Pretend legislators and their staffs are in
  customer relations at your local Sears or
  Wal-Mart
• ACA PPL, 2003

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How Should You Ask?Developing your Message

• Know your facts
• Make it your own message
• Share personal and professional stories
• Be positive
• Be specific Ask for something
• Adhere to the 5 Minute Rule
• ACA PPL, 2003

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Communicating with Legislators and Staff

• Develop a long-term relationship BE A REHAB
  COUNSELOR
• Always be courteous, dependable, honest
• Dont be afraid to say I dont know this can
  turn out to be a great tool for follow up!
• Dealing with staff rather than legislators has
  its advantages - Expect (and appreciate) youth
• Institutional memory in an elected officials
  office can be short
• Dont assume they know anything about your issue
• ACA PPL, 2003

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How to Conduct a Lobbying Visit

• Walk into office and introduce yourself to the
  receptionist
• Begin meeting by explaining who you are , who you
  represent, and who rehabilitation counselors are
• Hit the issue ask for something specific!
• Provide materials for future reference
• Thank the legislator. staff member for their
  time/help, and exchange business cards
• Follow up!!
  ACA PPL, 2003

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Follow through on your visit Maintaining Contact

• Telephone calls
• Letter, email, fax, postcard
• Write a letter to editor, or a newsletter article
• Be sure to share a copy with the legislator
• Invite Legislator to your classroom or
  professional meeting
• Support the legislator
• Volunteer
• Send money ACA PPL, 2003

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ACA Public Policy LegislationResources

• Washington Update section of Counseling Today
• ACA web pages
• http//www.counseling.org/site/PageServer?pagename
  public
• http//capwiz.com/counseling
• Reports and briefing papers
• Available at conferences and on the web
• Government relations listserv
• ACA Legislative InstituteFebruary 22-24, 2004,
  in Alexandria, Virginia
• ACA PPL, 2003

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Legislative Advocacy ResourcesARCA NCRE

• ARCA Public Policy Legislation
• Chair Carrie Wilde, wildec_at_stjohns.edu
• Web page, listserv, ARCA newsletter
• NCRE Public Policy Legislation
• Webpage, listserv, NCRE newsletter

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Legislative Advocacy ResourcesHow to Track
Legislation

• Library of Congress, Thomas http//thomas.loc.go
  v
• www.senate.gov
• www.house.gov
• State Legislative web sites
• ACA PPL, 2003

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Legislative Advocacy ResourcesACA Public Policy
Legislation

• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
• Scott Barstow, x234 rehab, vocational,
  employment, career
• sbarstow_at_counseling.org counseling, state
  counseling issues
• Chris Campbell, x241 grassroots, communications,
• ccampbell_at_counseling.org education issues
• Dara Alpert, x242 mental health, substance
  abuse,
• dalpert_at_cousneling.org healthcare, social
  advocacy
• Christie Lum, x354 administration logistics
• clum_at_counseling.org publications, listserv, web
  page
• Call us with questions, and with comments and
  input!

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A Parting Thought

• You may never know what results come from your
  action. But if you do nothing, there will be no
  results.
• Mahatma Ghandi