Event Archive

OAHCA Legislative Breakfast Meeting and Advocacy Panel Discussion
April 26, 2005

Our legislative breakfast reception and advocacy workshop was held April 26. We want to thank Rep. Dale Miller, Rep. Merle Grace Kearns, and NAMI-Ohio Executive Director Terry Russell for their participation in our meeting and a special “thank you” to all legislators and legislative staff who attended the reception.

During a panel discussion, Rep. Miller and Terry shared their experience and advice on techniques that work well when advocating health care access issues to the General Assembly and to administration officials. Following are some highlights from their discussion:

From Rep. Dale Miller:

• Don’t politicize your issue. Approach your advocacy in bi-partisan fashion and position it in ways that it will appeal to both sides of the political fence.

• Know your issue thoroughly. Know your mission what you’re trying to accomplish through lobbying.

• Lobby your issue top-down – make sure the leadership is aware. The most efficient way to move an issue is to get leadership on board first, and work from there.

• Build a full, statewide, grassroots organization that reaches into rural, urban, suburban bases. Reach legislators through supporters in their own districts.

• Make your information concise. Legislators receive enormous amounts of information to read. Summarize your issue to one, no more than two, pages and make a cogent, concise argument.

• Make your issues personal. How does your issue affect a legislator’s district? How does it affect people in their district?

From Terry Russell:

• Have a plan for advocacy. Know your goals and know your issue. Know who you need to have as fellow advocates and how to best reach individual legislators.

• As much as possible, join with fellow advocates that have similar advocacy goals. Speak with one voice and a common agenda for a more powerful, unified approach.

• Maintain relationships with legislators at all times. Even with legislators who don’t support your issue.

• Maintain relationships with administrative officials. This is important to get key supporters in departments such as Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Services, Ohio Dept. of Health, Ohio Dept. of Mental Health, etc…

• Do advocacy well. Legislators notice when lobbying is done well; when it is done poorly, it also gets noticed.

• Be passionate about your subject matter. Do your homework and know your issue thoroughly.

• Bring forward people who are affected by your issue. Help legislators to get to know these people and their stories.

• When dealing with legislators:

• be realistic;

• be timely;

• be polite; and

• be respectful.

• Say thank-you. Send a brief follow-up thank-you letter.

• Be able to answer these questions when lobbying:

• Who are you?

• What do you want?

• Who’s it going to affect?

• Have a precise message. Give the legislator nothing over two pages; consider writing your information as bullet points. You can provide more detail when you meet in person.