Current Shareware 1994 January/SHAR194.ISO/textfile/fija.zip/LOBSTORY.TXT

Text File | 1990-08-29 | 9KB | 217 lines

                   LOBBYING FOR FUN AND FIJA



     If you like to discuss, debate, argue, persuade, explain, or
otherwise promote a point of view, you'd probably be an effective
lobbyist, because that's the job description.  Tools of the trade
include the gift of gab, commitment, and the ability to get  down
to your state capitol on short notice.



     That means this article is written expressly for  committed,
extroverted  FIJActivists who live in (or within short  commuting
distance  of)   their state's capital.  This is  an  introductory
article   on  how  to  lobby--hopefully  at  least   sufficiently
instructive  to persuade a few persuaders to roll up their  cuffs
and wade in--for FIJA!



     First, if necessary (and it usually isn't,if you're unpaid),
register  yourself as a lobbyist with the secretary of state,  or
whoever  handles  that function in your state.   Registration  is
generally either free or costs a nominal sum, and may come with a
few useful handouts such as a legislative directory, rules of the
game, a map of the capitol building showing the locations of  the
various committee meeting rooms, etc. Even if you don't register,
you'll want to obtain these materials.



     Next, buy and wear a high-quality identification badge  that
gives your name, followed by position and organization: "Susan B.
Smith, Lobbyist, Fully Informed Jury Amendment."



     Get  to  work:  Make and keep appointments  with  the  right
people first.  These include the state senator and representative
from  your own neck of the woods, and the chairmen of both  House
and  Senate Judiciary Committees.  Also included is  anyone  else
they recommend you approach.



     Your job is to come up with the most relevant, respected and
powerful  sponsors  for FIJA that you can.  In  most  states,  it
takes  a two-thirds vote in each house to place a  constitutional
referendum on the ballot, so aim high.



     Start early.  Even prior to elections, it is appropriate  to
approach both incumbents and challengers with your ideas, and get
advice on what to do and who else to see.  The sooner you have  a
sponsor,  the  sooner that person can "get it  in  the  hopper"--
beginning  with  its submission to the  legislative  council  for
evaluation of implications, suggested wording and location for it
in the body of law it would amend, assigning a bill number, etc.



     Once  you have a sponsor, the next thing to find are  others
willing to "sign on" (which they literally do, right on a copy of
the bill which you pack around) as co-sponsors.  Generally,  even
though your bill starts in one house, it is appropriate to locate
FIJA sponsors and co-sponsors in both houses as soon as possible,
(optimally, members of the committee to which your bill will most
likely  be  assigned).  Again, the first signer  from  the  other
house is the bill's sponsor there, so make a thoughtful choice.


     Other significant co-sponsors include the members of related
committees in both houses (for example,  state administration  or
state government committees), legislators from points across  the
political  spectrum,  and anyone whose name keeps  coming  up  as
"someone you ought to talk to".  The total number of signers  can
be important, especially on a bill requiring such a high vote. At
some point, of course, the law of diminishing returns will apply.



     Then turn the signed bill in to your sponsor, who will  file
it with the appropriate secretary (house/senate), then  introduce
it to that body: its "first reading".  Afterward, the speaker  of
the house (or president of the senate) will assign the bill to  a
committee (for FIJA, expect judiciary committee), and a committee
hearing  date  for FIJA (and other bills) will be  scheduled  and
published.  Then tell time, room, etc. to those you've invited to
join you in testifying in favor of FIJA at this first main event.



     Here again, breadth is the key: recruit both Republicans and
Democrats, conservatives and constitutionalists plus liberals and
progressives,  criminal defense lawyers,  gun  rights  advocates,
minority representatives, environmental activists,  anti-seatbelt
spokespersons, your bill's sponsors, ex-judges,  both  pro-choice
and  pro-life representatives, victims of verdicts by  uninformed
juries,  guilt-ridden ex-jurors, nuclear power plant  protesters,
taxpayer rights groups, law school professors, peace groups, home
schoolers,  good-government  groups,  marijuana  decriminalizers,
right-to-die  advocates,  anti-helmet-law  activists,  Populists,
Greens, public defenders, civil libertarians--Americans!



     Numbers  also count, which means you'll need to invest  some
of  your abundant persuasiveness in friends, other  FIJActivists,
and  political allies (including other lobbyists--with  whom  you
may  wish  to exchange appearances) to get them to  show  up  and
testify.   Obviously, this is homework which should already be at
least partly done by the time the session begins.



     After the hearing, at least several days will elapse  before
the committee meets again to discuss bills and vote on them.   It
is  during this period that you'll want to make contact with  its
members,  spending time with as many "undecideds" as it takes  to
form a majority when combined with those already supportive.



     Breakfast and lunch dates with committee members (your tab),
are  appropriate times to lobby, as are appointments made  during
the "office hours" most legislators post and try to keep. Be well
practiced  on how to answer "the hard questions", because  that's
what  you'll  get.  These "undecideds", remember, are  those  who
came away from your hearing incompletely sold on FIJA.



     If a majority doesn't come easily, you may have to change  a
few  words  to accommodate objections.  This can be  tricky,  and
it's  best  to  consult with your sponsor  and  your  state  FIJA
coordinator before changing the original wording.


     Assuming  FIJA  eventually makes it through committee,  with
or without alteration, it will go on the calendar of the house or
senate, as the case may be.  When the time arrives, your  sponsor
will open it for debate on the floor: its "second reading".   The
relevant homework is to have sent a one-page (maximum!) letter to
all  members  of the appropriate house a day or two  before  your
bill  goes to the floor for debate.  A punchy cover letter  which
hits  the high spots is all this should be, because  each  member
will already have a copy of the bill.



     Debates  and votes on any and all proposed  amendments  will
follow.   Lobbying during this time must be conducted by  sending
messages in to legislators via official page,  mostly comments to
your  sponsor on any fault you find with a particular  amendment,
alternative language that you'd prefer, concessions you can  live
with, etc.



     Then  comes the "third reading", and the vote. If  the  bill
passes,  it  will be transferred to the other  house,  where  you
repeat all of the above, with the sponsor from that house leading
the way through committees and floor actions.  If nothing--not  a
single word--changes in the process, and it passes again, it will
be sent to the governor (the bill is "enrolled").  If signed into
law, your work is done, except that you may be asked to help word
FIJA for the ballot, for voter information publications, etc.  In
any case, congratulations are in order!



     If  your bill fails in the first house, see if you can  have
it returned to committee for further debate, rewording, etc.--all
done  through your sponsor, unless another hearing is  scheduled.
If that doesn't work, your sponsor may be able to get it heard in
another  committee,  in either house.  Don't  quit  easily--every
committee is a new mix of lawmakers to talk to, and the main idea
is to get it out on the floor for debate.



     Very often, a bill will make it through both houses,  but in
slightly different language.  The usual procedure is for it to go
back  to the house of origin where, if the changes are  accepted,
the bill is enrolled.  If the changes are not accepted, the  bill
may be sent to a conference committee, containing members of both
houses.  Again, via your sponsor, you lobby for the best possible
compromise,  which will have to be accepted on the floor of  both
houses before it is enrolled and sent to the governor.  Even more
congratulations if you have to go through any or all of this, but
still manage to succeed!



     In summary, lobbying is an exciting mix of gab, organization
and  timing.  This brief sketch should be just enough to get  you
going, but 99% will be learned "on the job".  Never be afraid  to
ask  your sponsor, other lobbyists, or legislative personnel  for
advice and help.  They're almost always glad to give it. Remember
too that the upcoming FIJA Conference will feature a workshop  on
lobbying,  should you want to be more fully prepared before  your
legislature begins its 1991 session.