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Day on the Hill 2013 DAY ON THE HILL 2013 March 13, 2013 Massachusetts State House, Boston 9:30 am – noon 1 Contents President’s Message ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Day on the Hill Speakers ............................................................................................................................... 4 Why Lobby on March 13 at Day on the Hill .................................................................................................. 5 Tips on How to Lobby Your Legislators ......................................................................................................... 6 Talking Points Meeting Basic Human Needs ....................................................................................................................... 6 Bill #: S.37/H.93 – An Act to Promote Financial Stability and Asset Development Bill #: S. 1317 – An Act Improving the Earned Income Tax Credit for Working Families Bill #: S.35/H.114 – An Act Regarding Pathways to Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Education .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Bill #: S.208 – An Act Preventing Students from Dropping Out of School Bill #: S.254 – An Act to Involve Youth in Civic Engagement Election Process and Voting Rights ........................................................................................................... 12 Bill #: H.63 – A Legislative Amendment to the Constitution Relative to Qualified Voters of the Commonwealth Bill #: H.600 – An Act to Ensure Secure Voting Equipment Bill #: S.327 – An Act Reforming Election Laws Environment ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Bill #: S.354/ H.235 – An Act Relative to Healthy Families and Businesses Bill #: H. 2943 / S.1588 – An Act Updating the Bottle Bill Equal Rights ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Bill #: S.427/H.838 – An Act Providing Equitable Coverage in Disability Policies Good Governance ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Bill #: S.321/H.651 – An Act Relative to Disclosure of Political Spending/An Act Strengthening Campaign Finance Bill #: H630 – An Act to Close Certain Campaign Finance Loopholes Bill #: S320/H559 – An Act Relative to Accountability for Corporate Political Spending Health Care ................................................................................................................................................. 19 Bill #: S.515/H.1035 – An Act Establishing Medicare for all in Massachusetts/An Act to Provide Improved Medicare for All Bill #: S.572/H.1053 – An Act to Ensure Effective Health Care Cost Control Water Quality ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Bill #: H.805 – An Act to Mitigate Water Resource Impacts Policies Massachusetts Senate and House Committee Chairs ............................................................................... 21 Massachusetts Joint Committee Chairs ..................................................................................................... 22 Massachusetts Senators’ Contact Information ......................................................................................... 24 Massachusetts Representatives’ Contact Information ............................................................................. 26 2 To: Local Leagues From: Eva Valentine, President Subject: Day on the Hill – Lobby Information Enclosed are the materials that you need to effectively lobby your legislators on important League issues. The following suggestions will help make this Day on the Hill a great success: 1. Please review the packet thoroughly as it contains useful information, including talking points, for lobbying your legislators on League issues. 2. Packets including fact sheets were already emailed to legislators. 3. Please remember to send thank you notes to your legislators who attend the program and/or you meet with during the day. HAPPY LOBBYING! Eva Valentine LWVMA President 3 Day on the Hill Speakers Representative Thomas Conroy Tom Conroy is the state representative for the 13th Middlesex District (Marlborough, Sudbury, Wayland and Framingham), having served in this role since January 2007. He is the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. Tom has also been serving since 2009 as the Speaker of the House’s appointee on the Governor’s Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Advisory Council. Tom started his public service in Washington DC by helping craft a more effective and less expensive alternative to the Reagan military budgets. He then worked for Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) and served as a foreign policy and national security assistant for Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). His passion for helping those who were not in a position to help themselves led him next to Thailand, where he managed a refugee resettlement program for Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian, and Burmese refugees fleeing persecution in their home countries. He also worked in Cambodia during the United Nations occupation of that country in 1992. During 1993, he helped establish an in-country refugee interviewing center in Haiti for the Clinton Administration in order to prevent the further loss of life by stemming the tide of Haitians fleeing the country in risky boats. Elizabeth Saunders is the Massachusetts Director of Clean Water Action. She has worked with CWA since 2001 and has specialized in campaigns to prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals in consumer products. Her work has included grassroots organizing, lobbying, media outreach, educational workshops on toxic chemicals, and other campaign activities. Elizabeth currently coordinates the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow coalition in Massachusetts and the Multi-state Mercury Products Campaign. 4 Why Lobby on March 13 at Day on the Hill? As an organization devoted to encouraging informed and active participation in government, the League aims to ensure that the public’s voice is an important part of political dialogue. Far too often in the development of public policy, the needs and concerns of citizens are overshadowed by statistical data, political rhetoric and high-profile jockeying among powerful special interests. As members of the League, we are well aware that when citizens are closed out of the deliberations we can be sure that our true problems will not be solved – and that we will be dealing with the issues again before too long. Citizens are the guardians of democracy. Without citizen participation, we have no democracy. Why is Lobbying Necessary? Our legislators as decision-makers do not always have access to information on how a particular proposal/legislation might affect their constituents. It is our job as advocates to educate elected officials to make certain that they have the information they need to make the best decisions possible. What is Lobbying? Lobbying is part of participation in the democratic process. The lobbying process, an extension of the right to be heard and an exercise in democracy, reflects the heart of our American system. Lobbying is an important form of advocacy and public policy participation that involves attempts to influence legislators on specific legislation. What is the Goal of Lobbying? The goal of lobbying is to produce a vote by a member of a legislative body in line with our position. It is the League's attempt to promote and secure passage of our legislative objectives by the state legislators. Lobbying to convince any individual of the merits of your position requires an understanding of the rationale that supports that belief. The goal is not to threaten or antagonize, but to influence on the basis of your knowledge and understanding of the issue. Why is the League Unique When It Comes to Lobbying? There is no dearth of paid lobbyists and special interests who aggressively try to seek legislators to influence public policy. However, state legislators are most responsive to their constituents – people who vote in their districts. They like to hear familiar voices, see familiar faces, and they usually find it easier to communicate with individuals who live and vote in their home area. They also feel the need to know that a specific issue is a priority in their community, and it takes the people who live and work in the community to convince them. The same message has a very different impact depending on whom it is coming from. League members as constituents are the most credible messengers because the legislators are well aware that the League of Women Voters acts, advocates and lobbies on positions that have been established through study and consensus. Make plans to join us for Day on the Hill! Take the day off, switch workdays, take the morning off – do whatever you can to come and lobby your legislator in person! As citizens and voters it’s our job to hold our elected officials accountable. To be accountable, they must understand how we feel about the issues that affect our lives and those we care about deeply. 5 Tips on How to Lobby Your Legislator Lobbying
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