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Lobbying for the Planet

Grassroots at the Statehouse

Become a Legislative Advocate for OH’s Environment

Goal: Encourage OH legislators to support important environmental legislation

• Legislators care about what is important to their local

constituents

• YOU can make a difference - your relationship with your

legislator is critical!

• Today you’ll learn how to form those relationships & be given the

tools to make that difference.

Be An Effective Volunteer Lobbyist

• First, it is important to understand the complicated

process by which a bill becomes law in Ohio

• It is also important to consider at what points in the

process we, as environmental activists, can have a voice

• We must prioritize the issues and bills which

matter most in order to magnify our impact

• Finally we must speak with one voice in order to be

most effective

Where Can We Have A Voice- State

• Bill Introduction
• Outreach to a legislator about the bill and asking for

her/his vote

• Committee Testimony
• Continuing to ask for our legislator’s vote as the bill

winds it way through the process

• Amendments on the House or Senate floor to

improves a bill can be effective

• Asking the Governor to sign the bill

Ohio: How to pass a bill

Where Can We Have A Voice- City Council

• Ordinance Introduction
• Outreach to a council member about an ordinance

and asking for him/her to introduce or for her/his vote

• Committee Testimony/ Citizen Forum
• Continuing to ask for a vote as the ordinance winds

it way through the process

• Amendments during a motion to improve an
• rdinance can be effective
• Asking the Mayor to sign the ordinance

Ohio: How to pass an Ordinance

Speaking with One Voice

• We cannot be effective if we do not have one voice

at the Capital as the Ohio Sierra Club.

• When we speak for the Club, we must have one

message about a bill (although adding our individual concerns about why the bill is important is very effective).

• Ask for guidance from Leg Comm members if you

have any questions about the content of your message.

Can I Influence A Legislator?

• How easy is it to get others to listen or change their

mind?

• Do you know of anyone who has influenced you?

Influenced others?

• What did they do?

Begin to Build a Relationship

• Thank legislator for meeting
• 1-2 minute summary of “you”

○ Where do you live & for how long ○ Size & nature of your family ○ 1 or 2 things that you really care about

• State topic of this meeting

The Appeal

• Appeal to their Heart

(emotion, personal, etc.)

• Appeal to their Head

(facts, data, district impact, etc.)

• Appeal to their Hand (ask

for their support, how will they vote, can they influence others too, etc.)

Mechanics of the Video Visit

• Make a virtual appointment

○ Let us know in the scheduler (coming soon!)

• Prepare for the visit

○ Have a virtual meetup with your team ○ Assign members of your team roles

• “I Don’t Know” is an appropriate Answer
• Make the “ask”
• Thanks and a picture (shot of computer)
• Report Out

○ Share discussion notes

Suggestions for lobbying Ohio Legislators

• About 95% of the legislators rely on staff to

receive and send information as well as make

• appointments. Try and get the aide's email as

well.

• Avoid "form letters" if you can
• Sending a lot of communication overnight or
• ver the span of a day to one office will certainly

bring their attention to a certain issue.

• Always let the office know if a constituent from

their district will be joining the meeting/lobbying day/whatever the event.

• Biggest suggestion is to keep it personal and

practical.

• Be direct and concise when you get a meeting

with your elected leader.

• Data and statistics are always a huge advantage.
• KNOW the legislators background and previous

positions

Lobbying Virtually- Social Media

• If they won’t make a meeting:

○ Social Media Response ■ Be Responsive ■ Be Brief ■ Be Consistent ■ Be a Follower

Lobbying Virtually- Gather Voices

• Gather Voices Tool

■ Sample from RF100 Chicago ■ Sample from RF100 National

Lobbying Virtually- Add Up

• Add Up

○ Petition ■ Collect signatures over time, and then deliver them manually all at

• nce to the target

○ Contact Officials ■ Supporters to send individual emails directly to you target(s) in real-time

Lobbying Virtually- Phone Calls

• Phone Calls Still Work!

○ Pick up the phone and call your legislator letting them know your stances ○ Use HUSTLE to text other members about calling too

Lobbying Virtually- Town Halls

• Legislators have been hosting Virtual and

Tele Town Halls

• If applicable, submit your question or

issue before hand

• If on Facebook, you can type your issue in

the chat

Miami Group Contacts

• Rich Jordan, Legislative Action Committee

Chair, richard.jordan.oh@gmail.com

• Nicole Wolcott, Volunteer Coordinator,

nicole.edwards@sierraclub.org

• Please notify us if you would like to be on our

LAC email list!

Miami Group - Legislative Action Committee

Supports the Group’s overall policy & political activities by: ➢ Maintaining the Ohio Legislator Dashboard ➢ Serving as the Group’s trainers for Add-Up and Hustle texting campaigns ➢ Conducting future training sessions as new volunteers join committees ➢ Serving as the local agent for organizing SC national and Ohio chapter campaigns.

Lobbying activities all MG committees should plan to coordinate and partner in. (Essentials for building up reservoir of experienced lobbyists)

➢ Sitting in on meetings with lawmakers. ➢ Attend public hearings and legislative sessions. ➢ Submit written and oral testimony to legislative committees. ➢ Call and visit legislators, develop relationship with

• ffice and support staffers.

Expanding Energy Aggregation Participation

Ohio laws allows communities to form aggregated buying groups on behalf of their citizens. A local governmental aggregator chooses an

• utside supplier for all of the customer-members in its group.

Aggregations can be formed to buy natural gas, electricity or both. The Miami Group’s Energy Committee supports efforts that encourage local governments to establish community aggregation plans which include renewable energy sources.

Issue 1:

Expanding Energy Aggregation Participation

Miami Group Energy Committee’s current priorities include:

• City of Blue Ash - Developing support within the community for

adding an energy aggregation proposal to the 2021 ballot.

• Building a “fact sheets” resources file on the advantages associated

with community aggregation.

• Documenting the experience gained from the Blue Ash effort as the

basis for future campaigns.

Energy Committee Chair: Kaniz Siddiqui, kaniz1950@gmail.com

Issue 1:

Miami Group’s Clean Green Commute Campaign

The Clean, Green Commute Campaign is a project aimed at improving public transportation systems, in part by making those systems environmentally sustainable. Our goal is thus to support equitable and sustainable transit and the transition of transit fleets to clean electric vehicles powered by 100% renewable energy.

Issue 2

Miami Group’s Clean Green Commute Campaign

Learn more by attending the Miami Group’s virtual Innings meeting on Monday, June 1, 2020. Starts at 7:00 PM. Register to attend at the Group’s web Events/Innings web-page. Participate in the Clean Green Commute Add-Up Campaign

• Adds your voice to efforts promoting the campaign.
• Offer you the opportunity to recruit others to the

project.

Contact: Nathan Alley, nathan.alley@sierraclub.org

Issue 2

Issue 3:

Moving Ohio Past Plastics and the raw material used in production, fracked natural gas. Priority campaigns

• Veto of Ohio House Bill 242

Ohio Chapter contact: Elissa Yoder Mann (elissa.yoder@sierraclub.org)

• Passage of Cincinnati’s plastic bag control ordinance.

Miami Group contact: Marie Kocoshis (pskocoshis@cinci.rr.com)

You Are a Legislative Advocate for OH’s Environment

Goal: Encourage OH legislators to support important environmental legislation

• YOU can make a difference - your relationship with your legislator

is critical!

• Today you’ve learned how to form those relationships with your

legislator & you have the tools to make a difference.

• Thank You and go get em’

• Rich Jordan, LAC Chair, richard.jordan.oh@gmail.com
• Nicole Wolcott, Volunteer Coordinator, nicole.edwards@sierraclub.org
• Regular Transportation Committee Calls (Tuesdays at 5:30 PM) Contact

Nathan Alley: nathan.alley@sierraclub.org

• Join us on Monday June 1st at 7 PM for the Clean, Green Commute

Presentation! Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqcOCvqDwsG9GoFHab_

• 9AaFy0uIZfDkbL
• Kaniz Siddiqui, Energy Committee Chair, kaniz1950@gmail.com
• Any questions or comments? Contact Nicole or Rich!

Miami Group Contacts and Upcoming Meetings