Yasmin Peled: Hey, everybody, and welcome to at the moment’s webinar, Legislative Advocacy 101: Put together for California’s Upcoming Legislative Session. I am Yasmin Peled, Director of California Authorities Affairs right here at Justice in Ageing, and at the moment I am joined by Lorin Kline and Reann Pacheco from the Authorized Support Affiliation of California. Earlier than we start, I might like to start out with some webinar logistics. You’re all on mute, however we welcome your participation in at the moment’s presentation by way of the Q&A perform within the Zoom management panel. Additionally obtainable within the Zoom management panel is the CC button, which permits closed captioning. I shall be watching the participant questions as they arrive in all through the webinar and can uplift high-level themes throughout the Q&A section on the finish of at the moment’s presentation.
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Justice in Ageing is a nationwide group that makes use of the facility of legislation to struggle senior poverty by securing entry to reasonably priced healthcare, financial safety, and the courts for older adults with restricted assets. Since 1972, we centered our efforts totally on combating for individuals who have been marginalized and excluded from justice, resembling girls, individuals of colour, LGBTQ people, and folks with restricted English proficiency.
Lorin Kline: And the Authorized Support Affiliation of California, or LAAC, is a statewide affiliation of nonprofits that present free civil authorized providers to Californians. These nonprofits present crucial authorized help to low-income Californians and LAAC serves because the convener of these of us. We strengthen our members by way of advocacy, coaching, and assist.
Yasmin Peled: Justice in Ageing produces a wealth of data just like the webinar you are viewing at the moment, together with reality sheets, concern briefs, alerts, and different supplies to maintain you updated with necessary developments. If you happen to’re not already a member of our community, we might encourage you to affix by going to our web site and signing up. And I additionally encourage you all to enroll in LAAC’s Community for his or her unbelievable assets. And so you may head to their web site, laaconline.org, and click on the get entangled button on their web site.
So earlier than we get began at the moment, we simply have a number of ballot inquiries to get a way of who’s within the viewers at the moment. And so our first query is, how would you describe your expertise with legislative and price range advocacy? So are you very skilled, medium expertise, little expertise?
All proper, I feel we will shut the ballot. So it looks like we have got perhaps probably the most is within the medium expertise, but additionally numerous of us right here with little expertise and a few of us who’re fairly skilled. And we actually respect all people becoming a member of at the moment. After which we’ll do only one extra ballot query, which is we might wish to know if you happen to work at a Authorized Companies Company, LSC-funded program.
All proper, I feel we will cease the ballot. So we have got principally of us that aren’t at LSC orgs, however we have got about 17, 20-ish p.c of oldsters which might be at LSC orgs. That is useful for us as we in a while we’ll discuss some specifics for the LSC funded packages. All proper, thanks a lot. We’re going to get began, so I will flip it over to my colleagues at LAAC to get us began on an outline of the legislative calendar.
Lorin Kline: Nice. So yeah, earlier than we dive into the mechanics and technique of legislative advocacy, we wish to discuss a little bit bit concerning the calendar as a result of figuring out the timeline and the deadlines of issues is actually necessary. So there’s two completely different tracks that we’ll be speaking about at the moment. One is for price range advocacy and price range payments and the opposite is for coverage payments. There’s two completely different timelines with completely different deadlines, however each in each circumstances it is a very prescriptive price range specified by the state structure. The timeline may be very clear.
Coverage payments undergo coverage committees, so committees primarily based on their material resembling a housing committee or a judiciary committee. After which if they’ve a value related, they’ll run by way of an appropriations committee. Price range gadgets, however, price range payments undergo price range committees and subcommittees, particularly. Go forward to the following slide.
We’ll discuss price range first. The price range is finished yearly. So this timeline begins over yearly. The brand new fiscal yr begins on July 1st. And from that point, the administration begins engaged on a draft price range for the next yr. The best way the price range timeline works is type of like a negotiation between the legislature and the governor’s workplace. It kicks off in January. This truly simply occurred final week. The governor releases a proposed price range, so that is his first draft of what he thinks the price range ought to appear to be. He launched that final week. He normally offers some abstract paperwork and element as nicely about every little thing that he thinks needs to be within the price range.
From there, the legislature takes the price range and begins holding hearings that we talked about within the price range committee and price range subcommittees on this draft and what they suppose needs to be completely different about it. This can be a key time for advocacy as a result of you may advocate at these hearings and be advocating to legislators as they undergo this course of, in February to April. In Might, by Might 14th, the governor releases a revised price range. That is normally known as the Might revise, if you happen to’ve heard individuals say that earlier than. So that is the governor’s subsequent provide, his subsequent draft.
From there, there’s some remaining legislative hearings. The legislature involves their remaining draft of the price range. They should vote on it by June fifteenth, and that is the place issues relax to the governor to signal the ultimate price range. There’s numerous negotiation that occurs between the legislature and the governor in that remaining stretch. So by the tip of June now we have a brand new price range after which the brand new fiscal yr begins once more on July 1st.
Subsequent I will discuss coverage payments. Coverage payments are completely different in that legislative periods in California are two years lengthy versus the price range, which begins over yearly. So proper now we are literally within the second yr of a two-year session. It is necessary to notice as a result of within the first yr of a session, there are some issues that may carry over to the following yr. Within the second yr, every little thing ends by the tip of the yr. Payments both make it or they do not make it and issues will begin over the following yr in a brand new session.
So so far as the timeline goes for this yr, which like I stated, is the second yr of a two-year session, January sixteenth is the deadline for two-year payments, so payments that began final yr and have been labored on final yr to have their first coverage committee listening to. There’s numerous deadlines in January as a result of there are each payments coming from final yr and new payments being launched in January of this yr. January twenty third is the deadline to ship language to legislative counsel, which has to occur earlier than a invoice can go into print. And January thirty first is the deadline for two-year payments to out of their first home. By February twentieth, all new payments should be launched, after which March by way of April is when coverage payments begin transferring by way of the legislature. They’ve their coverage committee hearings and their first home. Go forward to the following slide. And thru the spring and summer time we’ll proceed to maneuver by way of coverage committees.
You possibly can see some extra deadlines right here. There are deadlines for when a invoice has to go out of its first home, deadlines for when payments should undergo appropriations if they’ve an related value. And we finally finish with August thirty first being the deadline for payments to go out of the legislature and onto the governor. The governor then has a couple of month to both signal or veto the entire payments that the legislature has handed. In order that’s the essential calendar to timeline. And now we’ll begin to discuss technique.
Reann Pacheco: Okay, let’s get into price range advocacy. So for price range advocacy, we at all times suggest beginning early, scheduling conferences with legislative employees and begin conversations about your work and of your eventual ask. I do know it is simpler stated than performed, however have interaction with the governor’s workplace, inform them of your work early and at each stage of the method. On the finish of the day, the governor’s workplace introduces the primary price range proposal and has the facility to veto. So, actually necessary there.
Your price range ask shall be launched through the legislative course of, however you want a legislator to champion your price range ask. That’s the place having these legislative conferences early will are available and you can see who’s exhibiting curiosity in your work. Be affected person with your self and look to mentors locally for assist as a result of the method is difficult to trace. Legislative employees are clearly within the know, so ask them questions too.
Your ask will undergo related price range committees and subcommittees, so focus in on these members as a result of they’ll have the ultimate say of whether or not your ask will get moved ahead. If in case you have a coverage invoice that requires funding for a venture or any fiscal affect, the invoice will want a corresponding price range ask. After which I needed to briefly point out, as we talked about earlier, the governor submitted his proposed state price range to the legislature final week, and authorized providers will get funded by way of the equal entry fund and the proposal confirmed that mainly that the identical funding as final yr, which is 57 million.
Lorin Kline: And I will simply add simply anecdotally to what Reann defined concerning the price range course of being opaque. I have been doing price range advocacy for a couple of decade and the method has modified lots in that point. A decade in the past issues have been much more clear, there have been much more committee hearings, negotiations, the 2 homes of the legislature occurred very a lot in public and that’s not the case anymore. Much more negotiation occurs behind closed doorways, choices are reached a lot earlier. So like Reann stated, it is additional necessary to start out early and to just be sure you have mentors which might be aware of the method and related with of us behind the scene.
Yasmin Peled: Thanks, Reann and Lorin. So now we’ll discuss a little bit bit about legislative advocacy, specifically. And so there are two broad classes for engagement, and that is both sponsoring a invoice or taking a place. And so, sponsoring laws actually is the next stage of engagement and which means you’re actually the important thing contact on a invoice and closely concerned within the course of. Often, sponsors are concerned within the drafting of the preliminary invoice language. You are additionally accountable to seek out the legislative writer after which actually lead on the advocacy, particularly exterior of the capitol. And so digging in a little bit bit extra into what a few of these particular tasks are, that is like working with legislative council on the language, constructing the coalition of assist round your invoice, submitting letters by way of the advocacy portal, being the first foyer lead. You are doubtless testifying in committee and you then’re assembly with stakeholders.
So, as an illustration, if someone has questions on your invoice or is against your invoice, you’ll be the entrance line to take these conferences and reply these questions. The opposite stage of engagement round legislative advocacy is simply to take positions on payments. So this might be supporting, opposing, being in assist of amended. And so that is normally much less work and is generally centered on submitting your letter and perhaps doing a “me too” in committee and perhaps doubtlessly another conferences.
And once we discuss doing a me-too in committee, that occurs particularly within the coverage committee hearings. And so when a invoice is up in committee, there are two individuals who present a full testimony in assist of their invoice, after which additionally the identical alternatives given to the opposition if there’s opposition. Nonetheless, there are normally greater than two organizations who assist a invoice. So after the total testimony is given, there’s a chance for the general public to return as much as the mic and easily state their title, group and place. So for instance, if I have been giving a me-too on a invoice, I’d go up when prompted and say, “Yasmin Peled with Justice in Ageing and we’re in assist of this measure.”
So with that overview, you may be questioning, I’ve a invoice concept, so how do I get began? And just like price range advocacy, the primary is to get began early. As Lorin described, the legislative calendar strikes rapidly and there are very concrete deadlines that should be met for a invoice to proceed. So if you happen to begin too late, you may not be capable of get every little thing performed in time to really transfer your invoice. So as soon as you have recognized a coverage concept or a coverage resolution that you just’d wish to work on, you may then must draft up some language.
After which along with drafting up legislative language, you may additionally want a reality sheet that extra merely describes the invoice concept, what the issue is, what your resolution is, and once more, actually in plain language as a result of you are going to be utilizing this reality sheet to pitch your concept. However earlier than you go pitch your concept, you would possibly wish to examine in with different companions, different organizations that you just work with to see if there’s perhaps curiosity in working collectively on a problem as a result of generally it is useful to have a co-sponsor to share the load of labor.
So then the following step is to go and begin pitching this concept to legislative places of work. If you have already got a relationship with a legislative workplace, that may be a extremely good place to start out. You may additionally wish to think about working with a legislator who’s on a related committee. So if you happen to’re engaged on a healthcare concept, you can method members who’re on the well being committee. If you happen to’ve recognized a member on the well being committee however you do not know who the right staffer is, you may simply name up their legislative workplace and ask, “Hello, I am questioning who works on healthcare, who works on judiciary.” And the one that solutions the telephone provides you with the individual’s title, provide you with their e mail, after which you may comply with up with that staffer and have a gathering.
One other method to doubtlessly determine the place to get began is in case you have a relationship with the related committee employees. So for example, once more, you are engaged on a healthcare concern and you already know the well being committee marketing consultant since you’ve labored with them beforehand on one thing, you may at all times go to the well being committee marketing consultant and say, “Hey, now we have this concept. Do you suppose it is a good concept? Are you aware of any members who’re searching for invoice concepts?” As a result of usually legislative places of work will go to the committee employees and ask them, “Hey, have you learnt if anybody is engaged on XYZ concern? Do you may have any concepts for me?” And so the committee employees are actually invaluable companions on this work. And so as soon as you have had a gathering with a legislative staffer, they’ll then return to their boss, discuss to the legislator. And if that legislator is inquisitive about your concern and needs to work with you, the employees member will let you already know, after which you may be formally operating a invoice by way of the legislative course of.
We needed to present additionally a fast overview of among the instruments that usually get utilized in advocacy. And so the primary is the advocate portal. And so it is a screenshot of the advocate portal. This is step one for submitting letters, and that is particularly for letters associated to payments. Price range letters don’t get submitted by way of the portal, and so that is what the entrance web page of the portal seems to be like. If you happen to do not have already got an account, you will have to make one. After which whenever you go into the portal, as soon as you have signed in, that is what a screenshot of the within of the portal seems to be like.
And so there is a listing of the entire payments that you’ve got beforehand submitted after which you may see up right here in blue, submit a letter. You click on that and the web site will then immediate you to connect a file and full the method of submitting a letter by way of the portal. And you must submit a letter by way of the portal. You possibly can’t simply e mail your letter in anymore. That was how you’ll submit letters. In very uncommon circumstances, if one thing just isn’t working correctly or for accessibility wants or whatnot, a committee would possibly make an exception. However for probably the most half, you actually need to submit every little thing coverage invoice associated by way of the advocate portal. One other useful gizmo is the Legislative Info web site, and that is what the house web page seems to be like and that is the place you may lookup a invoice, in addition to search the code, which may be actually useful in researching a subject.
So we needed to supply a number of concrete examples of each price range and legislative advocacy so you will get a way of how these two paths are related but additionally work collectively, in some circumstances. I’ll flip it over to LAAC to start out describing the authorized providers funding request.
Lorin Kline: Proper. So authorized providers funding is a pure price range request. There is no coverage hooked up to it. It is not making any change to the legislation. It is simply funding. So pure price range ask purely runs on the price range timeline, no want to fret a couple of coverage invoice. There is a query within the chat about what it means to start out early for price range advocacy as a result of I stated the governor’s workplace begins engaged on the following yr’s price range, July 1st. If you wish to be advocating with the administration to get one thing within the first draft of the price range, which is troublesome to do, it is by no means too early to start out. Within the summertime, you can begin speaking to the administration, which might imply contacting the Division of Finance and attempting to get a gathering with somebody there. You may as well advocate with state businesses straight.
So, authorized providers funding is within the judicial department price range. So you can be speaking to the judicial council concerning the elements of their price range as a result of the administration will make their first draft of the price range by speaking to the entire state businesses and saying, “What do you want within the price range subsequent yr?” So that is what beginning early seems to be like, if you happen to’re advocating with the administration. If you would like your price range requested to get in by way of the legislature, you do not wish to begin asking in the summertime. Legislative places of work are busy with their coverage payments. They have not even thought concerning the price range for the following yr but. You are higher to start out in mid to late fall, so late October, November after coverage payments are performed for the yr and legislative places of work are beginning to consider what shall be on their precedence listing for the next yr.
Yasmin Peled: So an instance of the place there is a price range ask and a coverage invoice collectively is one thing like older grownup rental help. And so it is a coverage that Justice in Ageing and quite a lot of our companions have been engaged on for quite a lot of years, and it was to create a rental help program particularly for older adults and folks with disabilities. And so, as a result of this was each going to require new funding in addition to creating a brand new program and a brand new coverage, we would have liked to do a invoice. And the latest invoice was SB 37, and we additionally needed to have a corresponding price range request. So we needed to be doing advocacy on these concurrently.
So we have been going to the coverage committee hearings to advocate for SB 37 and submitting letters and dealing with the coalition of supporters to get every little thing in on the coverage committee facet. However then we additionally needed to be advocating on the price range committee, the subcommittee facet, particularly. And each price range subcommittee now has a distinct course of for the way they take care of stakeholder requests. You just about must have a legislative champion to ensure that the subcommittees to even think about your request. That did not use to be the case, however now it’s good to have a legislator that’s championing it.
That is the place the similarities cease. Each subcommittee, inside even the Senate, has a distinct course of for learn how to transfer your proposal ahead. So some subcommittees may need a doc that it’s good to fill out details about your proposal and that should come formally from the legislator who’s championing the proposal. Possibly they only must have a letter or some subcommittees would possibly simply want a letter coming from the workplace to the committee saying, “Hey, I am championing this concern.”
It actually relies upon and truthfully varies yr to yr, relying on how squeezed the price range course of is. So it is necessary to achieve out to the employees of the particular subcommittee to seek out out what the principles are that yr. And the entire names and emails of the employees are at all times on the committee web site, so it’s fairly straightforward to at the very least determine the employees to speak to. And in my expertise, the employees is very easy to speak with and fairly responsive. So I would not be intimidated by that.
The following instance is one thing that is only a coverage invoice. So final yr, Justice in Ageing was a part of a bunch of organizations that co-sponsored a invoice to permit for the choice service of elder abuse restraining orders. And this invoice concept did not have a value related to it. So it wasn’t going to value the state any extra cash to implement this variation. And so it was in a position to transfer ahead simply as a coverage invoice. So we did not must have a corresponding price range request to maneuver. And so this simply moved by way of, as Lorin described earlier, the everyday legislative means of transferring by way of first the judiciary committee after which to the appropriations committee, then to the ground, after which it moved to the following home and it type of went by way of once more the identical course of. And I am joyful to say that that invoice truly did go and it is going into impact subsequent yr in 2027.
In order that’s, hopefully, a useful clarification of how a few of this, the overarching guidelines truly play out in real-life examples. We at the moment are going to maneuver on to some particular concerns for LSC org. So I will flip it over to Reann.
Reann Pacheco: So I feel primarily based on the ballot, there’s about 33 of you on the market. So I feel it’s going to nonetheless be helpful to rapidly undergo some LSC restrictions and issues which might be allowed. In case you are an LSC org, you aren’t allowed to foyer. If you wish to talk about any laws, you are going to want one thing known as an invite to remark letter. LAAC collects these letters and notifies LSC EDs once we obtain these letters. And we additionally attempt to get these letters for you once we understand it is one thing that you could be wish to touch upon. We additionally attempt to educate the legislature about these letters in order that it turns into a step of their system, so once they do run a invoice, they’re already making a letter for y’all.
All that being stated, LSC organizations will not be completely restricted. If you happen to aren’t making an ask, then it is not lobbying. So you can and you need to do legislator training. Inform them about your work, share what you are experiencing on the bottom with their constituents, share your contact with them. All these items are allowed. Additionally, if you happen to’re an LSC org, you may foyer by yourself funding. So you don’t want a letter to speak about your individual funding. The federal authorities didn’t need any restrictions on you asking for funding from the state. After which if all else fails, I’d simply say err on the facet of warning and simply discuss to your ED. If you do not know what you may and can’t do, simply ask your ED.
Yasmin Peled: And I will additionally make a remark to of us which might be perhaps engaged on a invoice. If you happen to’re not an LSC org, however you need LSC orgs to have the ability to remark and ship in letters in your invoice, the earlier you ask your legislative champion to put in writing that LSC letter of invite, the higher as a result of it offers these teams… These teams cannot begin engaged on these letters till they’ve that letter of invite. And so it is necessary that if you’d like these teams to be engaged to get that letter.
Lorin Kline: And now we have a template for that letter. So if you happen to’re asking a legislative workplace for it and so they do not appear aware of the method, you may simply give them a template to fill out.
Yasmin Peled: So we’re not going to spend so much of time on this webinar speaking about lobbying guidelines, however I did wish to make it possible for of us have these assets. And so once more, the entire slides and hyperlinks are going to be going out to you after the webinar concludes. So I extremely encourage of us to learn the supplies from Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy venture. They do numerous trainings as nicely, and so they have recorded webinars. You possibly can invite them to return and do a webinar to your group. They’re very educated about, particularly, what nonprofits must know in California and the principles round nonprofit lobbying, which is allowed. And we even have the LSC lobbying guidelines right here linked for people who want it.
So we’ll discuss a little bit bit about our group’s 2026 priorities to once more provide you with a way of how among the advocacy methods play out into what we’re engaged on for this coming yr. After which I see some Q&A piling up within the chat. And so we’ll get to Q&A really shortly, as a result of there are some good questions in there. So I will flip it over to LAAC.
Lorin Kline: So so far as LAAC’s priorities for 2026 go, now we have some perennial priorities that information our advocacy yearly. And possibly our prime precedence yearly is to guard and/or enhance funding for authorized providers. So the state is dealing with a deficit price range, a reasonably dramatic deficit, so it is not a good time to be looking for new funding. Our prime precedence shall be to guard funding from any cuts, however we’ll nonetheless proceed to advocate for brand spanking new funding within the hopes that that shall be potential. We’re continuing strategically in gentle of this troublesome price range scenario, attempting to fastidiously choose some price range champions.
Some priorities that we’re as of now, relying on what we will get champions to assist, is a few funding that will give attention to healthcare entry. In gentle of federal coverage modifications, we anticipate numerous elevated want by way of with the ability to entry healthcare and different advantages. We are also bringing again homelessness prevention funding. This was a grant program that existed over a number of cycles, however within the final couple of years was accomplished and never renewed in gentle of the dangerous price range, however we’re hoping that is one thing that we will carry again.
One other perennial precedence for us is to do something that can defend or enhance entry to courts or entry to authorized providers. So a few issues we’ll be engaged on this yr are trying on the concern of courtroom entry in gentle of ICE presence in courthouses. And this can be one thing that we deal with legislatively or perhaps one thing that we attempt to deal with in different methods. We have been having some preliminary calls with this with of us at a number of organizations. If you happen to’re inquisitive about getting concerned, simply e mail us. We additionally, for a few years, have labored on the continuing concern of entry to a verbatim courtroom document when a courtroom reporter just isn’t obtainable or the litigant can’t afford a courtroom reporter. This advocacy has proceeded in lots of avenues, together with legislative, and is one thing that we’ll proceed to work on this yr.
Reann Pacheco: After which our precedence will at all times be to assist your legislative efforts. So share with us what you are engaged on, come to our coverage calls, share with different advocates. We’re right here to amplify your voice and assist you. This contains our potential to coordinate the authorized assist group’s shared voice and facilitate involvement in our legislative advocacy. So there are numerous methods so that you can get entangled in our advocacy work. Like I stated earlier, you can be part of LAACS coverage advocates listserv, attend month-to-month conferences, after which come to our coverage retreats.
A pair occasions a yr, LAAC hosts particular occasions the place we’ll assist you meet along with your legislator like Dayan Zach, but additionally I will help you do this anytime of the yr. And now we have a brand new venture known as the Authorized Support Coverage Codex that shall be a community-sourced doc for all your coverage wants. So you can begin contributing to that. After which advocacy work overlaps considerably with communications. So be part of our community-wide communications efforts. Additionally, you need to at all times hunt down LAAC for any technical help. And in case you have any questions on any of these items, you may attain out to me and Lorin for extra info.
Yasmin Peled: Thanks, Reann. So for Justice in Ageing, a giant focus for us this yr goes to be HR 1 implementation. HR 1 handed final July. It is usually known as the Large Lovely Invoice. This very dangerous federal legislation goes to make massive modifications to the Medicaid program right here in California and likewise numerous different packages that older adults depend on. And so our focus goes to be guaranteeing that we mitigate hurt as a lot as potential. And so there’s numerous administrative advocacy and in order that wasn’t actually a spotlight of the webinar at the moment, however along with the executive advocacy, there’s more likely to be payments and budget-related gadgets in relation to HR 1 that we’ll be centered on.
After which partly as a consequence of HR 1, it is actually clear that we do not have sufficient revenues to assist our social security web packages and that the necessity for these packages is just rising and we will not proceed to be in a scenario the place we’re doubtlessly having to chop these packages after which finally making the scenario for individuals even worse. And so we’ll be very engaged this yr in a variety of efforts to try to get extra sustainable income for these crucial security web packages.
After which once more, a perennial precedence for us round older grownup homelessness prevention, older adults are the quickest rising group of individuals experiencing homelessness within the state. And so it is necessary that we proceed to construct up the training within the legislature and preserve constructing champions to work on this concern. That is an costly proposition, and so like Lorin stated, this being a troublesome price range yr, it makes having a price range ask harder, however we’re hoping that by persevering with to construct champions within the legislature and the training round these points, that we will get some funding, perhaps not this yr, however constructing the groundwork to get funding sooner or later.
So we now have loads of time for questions. Our contact info is right here, and I will begin going by way of the Q&A. And so if you have not already submitted a query, you may have one, please use the Q&A perform in Zoom. I will begin with a follow-up on the remark letters of invite. I believed we weren’t allowed to ask for the invitation to remark letters.
Lorin Kline: Proper. So I can reply that query. If you happen to work at an LSC-funded group and also you wish to touch upon one thing, you shouldn’t be asking the legislative workplace for an invite. When Yasmin was speaking about getting these letters, she was speaking about if you happen to work at a non-LSC-funded group and also you’re sponsoring a invoice and also you need LSC advocates to have the ability to touch upon it, you have to be asking for an invite to remark letter. If you happen to work at an LSC group and also you’re inquisitive about commenting on a invoice and you do not know if there’s already an invite to remark, attain out to me or to Reann. We’ve got a file or we preserve all of those letters and we will have a look for you.
Yasmin Peled: Thanks a lot, Lorin. One other query concerning the appropriations and price range course of, I see payments that we have tried and we expect they’ve little to no value after which they get to appropriations, after which they assign a value and so they die. Any response to that quandary? Which many people have skilled.
Lorin Kline: Yeah, I used to be simply going to say that that’s one thing that now we have skilled as nicely. And it is necessary to notice {that a} value getting assigned, that is one thing that could be a negotiation in and of itself, notably if there shall be a value to a state company. For instance, LAAC ran a invoice the place there was going to be some value by way of the Division of Justice, the legal professional normal’s workplace. And we engaged in a prolonged negotiation with the legal professional normal’s workplace itself about how a lot they thought it could value and the way a lot we thought it could value, and that influenced the final word price ticket that was placed on it within the appropriations committee. So I’d say just be sure you’re partaking in that dialog and negotiation relatively than simply ready for the appropriations committee to assign a value. However that could be a troublesome scenario to navigate.
Yasmin Peled: I’ve bought a query right here about what’s the easiest way to at least one monitor the two-year payments and, two, interpret the day by day schedule of the ground schedule committee hearings, et cetera. There is a couple other ways. The primary, there are providers you could, in case your group has the funds, and there are providers you could buy that monitor payments. A very talked-about one known as Capital Observe, however acknowledge that these may be value prohibitive.
There’s a method to monitor payments by way of the legislative information web site, truly. So if you happen to sort in a invoice that you just’re inquisitive about and also you go and click on into the invoice, there’s truly a method to click on to get updates and you may sort in your e mail. And you’ll get an e mail replace each time one thing modifications with the invoice. And so that may be one method to monitor them and particularly the two-year payments, which was your query. It may be particularly useful to have these payments tracked and get emails on as a result of you may usually overlook about them as a result of the method will begin in a single yr, cease, after which out of the blue it begins up once more doubtlessly in January very quick and fast. And so getting these emails is useful.
The opposite a part of your query about how do you monitor committees and hearings, a few of these paid providers will notify you when one thing is scheduled for a listening to. In order that’s a technique. However once more, if you happen to aren’t utilizing certainly one of these paid providers, you type of should do numerous guide work, sadly. So the primary is to go to the committee web site. The committee’s web sites will normally have at the very least the next week’s listening to schedule out and it will listing the entire payments which might be set to be heard in that committee listening to in addition to the date and time and site.
The opposite factor you are able to do is, at the very least for the Meeting price range, you may go on their web site and click on which subcommittee you wish to get updates on about hearings, and you’ll get an automatic e mail when that committee places up a brand new agenda or picks a brand new listening to date. And so you’ll get some automated emails from that. After which, lastly, there’s one thing known as the day by day file, which is on daily basis’s agenda for each homes of the legislature. So there’s each a Senate day by day file and an Meeting day by day file, and so they’re on the entrance web page of each of the web sites for each the Meeting and Senate.
And people are massive PDF paperwork you could undergo and any listening to that’s scheduled goes to be in that doc. I’ll say that these paperwork can change each day as a result of the day by day file that, as an illustration, at the moment got here out on Monday, perhaps may not have an entire lot of data in it, may not have all of the hearings. However perhaps tomorrow, one other committee figures out a part of their schedule, the day by day file will get up to date, and now there is a new set of committee hearings which might be within the Tuesday day by day file that weren’t within the Monday one. In order that’s one thing that you can get within the behavior of checking on daily basis doubtlessly, particularly within the busy occasions. That was an extended reply to your query.
Lorin Kline: No. I’d second your advice to examine the committee’s web sites as a result of that’s usually the primary place that I discover info. I discover it simpler to take a look at than the day by day file, although I’d simply flag that some committees are higher than others about posting their agendas in a well timed method. However you may usually depend on the truth that most committees meet at a daily cadence. So the Senate Judiciary Committee would possibly meet each Tuesday at 10. So at the very least when the conferences are going to occur, and when unsure, you may at all times ask. You possibly can at all times name committee employees and ask them when agenda goes to be posted or in the event that they know if one thing’s going to be on an agenda. That is at all times a backup that you are able to do as nicely.
Yasmin Peled: There’s one other query concerning the legislative place portal. You must ship in… There’s truly quite a lot of questions concerning the legislative place portal. This may be each used for organizational letters, but additionally you as a person. If you happen to’re not part of a company and also you wish to ship in a letter, you must use the place portal. And in case you are not part of a company, you simply say you are a person, the portal will will let you submit a letter that approach. However it’s good to make an account and undergo that course of. Once more, you may’t simply ship in an e mail.
There is a query right here about, is the place portal higher than doing postcards or letters by way of the USPS? I might say, once more, it is completely different causes. If you wish to ship ready on a invoice and also you need your place to be famous within the document and listed on the evaluation as Justice in Ageing is in assist of AB 1, it’s good to ship in a letter by way of the portal for the committee employees to then listing your group as supporting the invoice. And so you must do it by way of the portal.
Now if we’re speaking about advocacy methods round exhibiting a grassroots motion and assist for a problem, a post-carding marketing campaign, letter marketing campaign to the particular legislator’s workplace, making telephone calls, all of that, I might put in a distinct bucket of advocacy. However these are all helpful instruments, doubtlessly. However when it comes particularly to taking a place on a invoice, it needs to be by way of the advocacy portal.
Lorin Kline: I noticed a few questions on income and advocating for brand spanking new income, and I do know that is one thing that Yasmin talked about because the precedence for justice and ageing this yr. I simply needed to deal with that briefly. Once we discuss concerning the funding requests that LAAC is making, that is making requests for funding from the state’s normal fund like now we have at all times performed and the place authorized assist funding has at all times come from. However this dialog about new income is occurring lots proper now as a result of the state price range is in such a deficit.
So LAAC shall be having a working group that can meet a number of occasions this yr to speak about potential new sources of income for authorized assist funding, particularly. So if you need to take part in that, e mail me, e mail Reann, as a result of we do see a necessity for extra income. But it surely’s additionally one thing, like I stated, that may be very standard proper now. You’ve got most likely seen some discuss of a brand new billionaires tax that will elevate extra state income, which the governor not too long ago got here out and stated he wouldn’t assist.
It is a very energetic dialog. So Yasmin might be able to share extra about what Justice in Ageing is pondering. However for authorized assist funding particularly, that’s advocacy that we wish to do sooner or later. However we’re in a stage proper now of getting a working group the place we brainstorm concepts, take into consideration new sources of income.
Yasmin Peled: And I feel to the opposite questions on income, there are numerous transferring conversations occurring proper now in Sacramento. And so there’s numerous concepts floating round. People would possibly keep in mind final yr the California Price range and Coverage Middle launched quite a lot of papers, evaluation about these company tax loophole proposals that will elevate a major quantity of income. And that by closing these loopholes, all that cash generated would go to the state normal fund. However we all know that due to the dimensions of many of those social security web packages like CalFresh, Medi-Cal, that these packages would get an actual profit from having an injection of funds into the state normal fund.
So I feel there’s nonetheless curiosity in these proposals. It is an actual negotiation between the legislature, the governor advocates, what finally ends up type of transferring ahead this yr and it will be an energetic space. And so I encourage of us, you may be at liberty to achieve out to me if you happen to’re getting inquisitive about getting concerned sooner or later, wish to hear extra. I am joyful to speak to of us offline about among the specifics and as issues come collectively and transfer ahead. There was an fascinating query about working within the district initially. And so, is doubtlessly working with the district employees initially after which transferring up from there, is that really helpful?
Lorin Kline: I can go forward and take a stab at that after which I might love to listen to, Yasmin, what you suppose as nicely. I feel that that is undoubtedly a viable technique. On the finish of the day, legislators are representatives of their districts and so they look to what’s occurring of their district to get concepts for laws. So in case you are creating a relationship with a district staffer and figuring out some downside that is actively occurring in your district, that may be a great way to persuade a legislator to tackle a problem. With a view to get something actually transferring in Sacramento, you are finally going to wish to attach with the capitol employees, however that’s an introduction {that a} district consultant might simply make for you.
Yasmin Peled: Sure, I completely agree with Lorin. I feel beginning on the district stage is typically an underutilized pathway, particularly in case you have a relationship there. The place you may have the connection is typically the perfect place to start out. And so if that is on the district, that is nice. Even when you do not have a relationship on the district stage, generally, particularly within the fall, when issues are quieter and the legislators are literally again residence of their districts within the fall, beginning there might be an excellent alternative and also you would possibly truly get a chance to doubtlessly meet with the legislator, relying on how issues go. I feel particularly creating relationships on the district stage can actually translate to your work within the capital. And so the district employees are additionally generally extra keen to fulfill with you than the capitol employees, particularly in busier occasions.
Lorin Kline: And if you happen to’re inquisitive about assembly with district places of work however do not know the place to start out, we will assist you on that. Reann has an entire toolkit that she will be able to present to you about assembly with employees and legislators within the district. So, undoubtedly attain out to us.
Yasmin Peled: So there is a query right here about price range asks and payments. So a price range ask simply wants a legislative champion and doesn’t want a invoice if it is solely a price range ask. I’d say sure. Nonetheless, generally individuals will do payments as nicely as a result of it is generally simpler to rally round a invoice and set up round a invoice, regardless that the actual, what actually must occur is the price range ask. So generally what you may see is that folks could have each a invoice and a price range ask, and if the price range ask, if you happen to get your price range funding in June on the finish of the price range cycle, then the invoice type of goes away. They will not transfer ahead with the invoice anymore. In order that can be a method. I do not know if Lorin and Reann had extra so as to add to that.
Lorin Kline: No, I completely agree. And if it was complicated in any respect that we talked about price range payments, the price range invoice is basically one big invoice that has the entire state price range. So there’s not a bunch of little price range payments for each price range ask, if that is smart. And it does get sophisticated. There’s a couple of price range invoice. Typically the price range comes out in a number of items. There’s price range trailer payments, which might be a subject for a deeper dialog. But when it was in any respect complicated to listen to us discuss price range payments, that is as a result of the price range itself comes by way of in a single massive big invoice.
Yasmin Peled: After which there’s one other fascinating query right here about how we have been capable of finding a champion for the coverage invoice, however then these staffers say we do not wish to do each coverage and price range request on the similar time, regardless that it actually does require having each. So any methods for addressing that with employees?
Lorin Kline: That is a troublesome query. I’ve not come throughout that earlier than, however I feel that simply having a dialog with the legislative employees about why they’ve that resistance could be useful. You do not wish to find yourself within the scenario the place you go a coverage invoice after which it will get vetoed as a result of it has no funding hooked up. So I might say expressing these issues to the legislative employees, attempting to grasp why they do not wish to have a price range ask as nicely could be necessary.
Yasmin Peled: The opposite factor I might add to that’s that if they’re actually, for example, you are working with Meeting Member Jones, I am simply selecting a random title. Meeting Member Jones. Meeting Member Jones is keen to do your invoice however would not wish to do the price range request, you can ask, you can say, “Okay. Nicely, we’re joyful to work with you on the invoice, however would it not be okay with you if we went to Meeting Member Smith to be the champion on the price range request?”
The one that’s doing the invoice would not essentially should be the person who’s doing the price range request. It is simpler for you because the sponsor in the event that they’re the identical individual as a result of it simplifies your individual work. But when it’s good to have a distinct meeting member doing the price range request, once more with the blessing of the opposite meeting member, that can be doubtlessly a risk. However once more, you have to get the blessing to try this as a result of generally legislators can get type of turfy about their points.
Lorin Kline: Yeah, I feel that is nice recommendation, and I feel that is most likely an excellent second to spotlight that completely different places of work function very in a different way and completely different staffers function very in a different way. Once you’re sponsoring laws, you’ll come throughout places of work and staffers that have already got an entire technique in thoughts for the invoice. They wish to take the lead on it. And in different circumstances, they actually need you to do the legwork and also you to design the technique. So simply one thing to concentrate on whenever you’re excited about sponsoring a invoice and speaking to completely different places of work is that, your stage of involvement within the technique might look very completely different relying on the invoice and the yr and the workplace.
Yasmin Peled: There is a query right here particularly about methods for people who find themselves in Southern California to make use of to develop relationships in Sacramento. And I feel I’d return to our feedback concerning the district employees. I feel that that is actually an effective way, particularly for folk who aren’t near Sacramento, to begin to develop relationships with the legislative places of work. So to make use of that as a method to begin. And there are numerous teams. I’ve labored with numerous of us which might be primarily based in Southern California, however they nonetheless sponsor laws.
I feel it is change into lots simpler publish COVID with Zoom, and numerous conferences now are occurring on Zoom. You used to should do all your conferences with the legislative employees. If you happen to needed to speak to the employees for who you are working with or whatnot, you’d have to enter the capitol and go meet with them. That is not the case anymore. Zoom makes it lots simpler. But, you must be in individual for hearings. There are not any extra digital or distant listening to choices, in order that makes it tougher to have interaction in individual, however it’s potential to be in Southern California and nonetheless be capable of do the Sacramento advocacy.
Lorin Kline: Yeah, I feel COVID actually modified the sport on that. You would not be capable of do a bunch of conferences by Zoom earlier than, like Yasmin stated. And by way of creating relationships, I’d say that something you are able to do to assist a legislative staffer to create some type of forwards and backwards is nice, relatively than simply having a gathering the place they sit and hear and also you discuss. Something that you are able to do going ahead, you will get them info that they may discover helpful that got here up in your assembly, you will get the phrase out about one other invoice that they are doing. Something that you are able to do to assist them and foster the connection, whether or not you are in individual or not, I feel is actually useful for sustaining ongoing relationships.
Yasmin Peled: After which I feel our final query right here goes to be, how do skilled of us dissect these price range drafts? There are such a lot of numbers and acronyms. The price range and coverage heart glossary ebook is useful, however was questioning if there’s another recommendation in dissecting all of this price range wonkiness. I can begin, however Lorin and Reann, be at liberty so as to add on. I feel one factor that is useful is that each the Senate and Meeting price range committees put out summaries of the governor’s price range, and that’s normally at the next stage. And so that may be a useful abstract that perhaps explains it another way that wasn’t as clear because the governor’s abstract paperwork.
I feel having a relationship or constructing a relationship with the price range committee employees and with the ability to discuss to them and get their learn on it, and in order that approach you do not have to determine every little thing else out your self, it is somebody you may ask inquiries to is beneficial. After which being in coalition, in coordination with companions, I feel we’re all… Nobody figures it out by themselves. Everyone seems to be counting on companions and others to assist perceive what is going on on. Everybody’s an skilled of their small space, however not essentially every little thing. And so with the ability to share that with others, it is a staff effort, I feel price range, undoubtedly.
Lorin Kline: I completely agree. It is undoubtedly a staff effort and I’ll validate your emotions that it is complicated as a result of it’s complete gibberish. This can be a nice cause to be on LAAC’s coverage advocates listserv. That is the precise type of query you may ask of us like, “Hey, I do not perceive learn how to learn this. Who will help me?” The Price range and Coverage Middle that you just already highlighted has nice assets and so they’ll usually present technical help. I’ve chilly known as them on a number of events simply to ask a query. I do not perceive what this doc means, and there is usually somebody there that may assist you.
Yasmin Peled: So we’re coming to the tip of our time at the moment. Thanks once more to all of you for becoming a member of us. Thanks to Lorin and Reann for co-presenting. As a reminder, any questions that went unanswered at the moment shall be adopted up on through e mail. And please remember to finish the post-webinar survey. Your suggestions on these webinars is actually necessary to us. Thanks a lot and have an awesome remainder of your day, everybody.
