Your Guide to LOBBYING the ALASKA LEGISLATURE 2018 Edition 1 Your guide to Lobbying the Alaska Legislature A Primer for Alaska School Board Members Whether you’re an activist, running a nonprofit grassroots organization, or simply interested in communicating effectively with lawmakers, this is a valuable primer. Updated January 2018 Copyright © 2018 Association of Alaska School Boards, 1111 West 9th Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America 2 Your Guide to Lobbying the Alaska Legislature 2018 Edition Behrends Ave. Tr TO AIRPORT oy Ave. JUNEAU & FERRY TERMINAL Downtown Area Map to Perserverance Trailhead and Glacier Ave. Highland Last Chance Mining Museum Basin Rd. Drive Nelson St. Gold Creek Spruce St. Spruce Cope Park Aurora Egan Dr. Evergreen East Boat Harbor Calhoun Gold St. Cemetery 7th St. Harris St. Harbor St. 12th St. Office = one-way 6th St. 11th St. street sections GOVERNOR’S 8th St. MANSION 5th St. = stairs F. 10th St. Seward St. 4th St. St. P = parking 9th St. TATE S 3rd St. i =Visitor FEDERAL CAPITOL CITY BUILDING Information MUSEUM AASB Center STATE OFFICE 2nd St. Harris Boat Harbor 9th Willoughby Ave. Whittier St. BUILDING ge W. 1st St. = Post Office rid B MUSEUM Franklin St. 8th S W. TATE Main St. Front St. = cruise ship CENTENNIALW 7th illoughby Ave. dock W. To HALL Douglas Gastineau Ave. A = AJ Dock Island i B = S. Franklin P Street Dock Egan Dr. C = Intermediate South P Marine Way Vessel Float D Franklin St. = Cruise Ship F Terminal i P E = Alaska Coast Guard Dock Steam Ship Dock E F = Seadrome Dock D i TRAM 1 mile from Tram to A.J. Dock 3 C B Thane Road A ©SARAHGRAPHICS AASB 2018 Calendar of Events JANUARY 16 Legislative Session Begins 3 NSBA Executive Directors’ Winter Institute & Liaison Committee - Washington, DC 4-6 NSBA Advocacy Institute - Washington, DC (President & Pres-elect) FEBRUARY 9-13 AASB Leadership/Legislative Fly-In – Baranof, Juneau, AK 15-17 AASA National Conference - Nashville, TN 23 June Nelson Memorial Scholarship Committee - Juneau, AK MARCH 24 AASB Board of Directors Meeting - Baranof Hotel, Juneau, AK 24-27 AASB Spring Academy/Legislative Fly-In - Baranof Hotel, Juneau, AK TBD NSBA Executive Directors’ Leadership Development Committee – San Antonio, TX APRIL 7-9 NSBA Annual Conference - San Antonio, TX 15 Legislative Session ends JULY 20-22 AASB Board of Directors Summer Meeting – TBD (required) TBD NSBA Summer Leadership Seminar – TBD (Pres., Pres-Elect, Past President) AUGUST TBD NSBA Presidents’ Retreat – TBD SEPTEMBER 15-16 AASB Fall Boardsmanship Academy – Pikes Waterfront, Fairbanks, AK 16 AASB BOD nominations due, awards nominations due, AASB officer OCTOBER TBD NSBA Pacific Region Winter Meeting – TBD (Pres., Pres-Elect, Past President) 8-11 AASB Annual Conference – Anchorage, AK (required) NOVEMBER 12 AASB Board of Directors Meeting – Anchorage, AK (required) 6-7 AASB Secretary Workshop – Anchorage, AK (Thurs/Fri) DECEMBER 7-8 AASB Winter Boardsmanship Academy - Anchorage, AK (Fri/Sat) AASB Staff Norm Wooten . Executive Director Timi Tullis . Director of Board Development & Field Services Lori Grassgreen . Director of Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement Bob Whicker . Director of Consortium for Digital Learning Lon Garrison . School Improvement Coordinator Diana Miller . Business Manager Steve Nelson . Public Information Coordinator/Project Coordinator Jenni Lefing . School Climate & Conference Coordinator Heather Coulehan . Social and Emotional Learning Coordinator Konrad Frank . Community. Engagement Educator Claudia Plesa . .Community Engagement Educator Laurie Miller . Accounting & Administrative Technician Glade Morales . Executive Administrative Assistant Jenn Larsen . Administrative. Assistant 4 Your Guide to Lobbying the Alaska Legislature Contents Preface . 6 AASB Education Priorities . 7 Chapter 1 .The Basics Of Lobbying: A Primer . 9 The Alaska Legislature . 9 Your Legislators . 10 The Legislative Process . 10 The Act of Lobbying . 12 Visiting the Legislator . 12 Before The Meeting . 12 At The Meeting . 12 The Confidence Factor . 14 Writing The Legislator . 14 Sample Letter . 16 Phoning Your Legislators . 16 E-mailing The Legislator . 17 Sample E-mail . 17 Public Opinion Messages (POM’s) . 18 Testifying At Hearings . 18 What will come of your efforts . 19 A Final Word . 19 Correct Form of Address for Government Officials . 20 Chapter 2 .A Step-by-step Guide Through the Committee & Voting Process . 21 Chapter 3 .Tracking Legislation . 26 Chapter 4 . How To Read A Bill . 33 Chapter 5 .Visiting the Capitol: Logistics & Protocol . .. 36 Chapter 6 . How to Use Your Legislative Information Office (LIO) . 38 Appendix I .Alaska Lawmakers Contact Information . 40 Appendix II . Senate . 41 Appendix III . House of Representatives . 42 2018 Edition 5 Preface Welcome, Education Leaders: One of the goals established for AASB by our Board of Directors is to strengthen the positive political influence of our membership organi- zation at all levels of government, while representing the diversity of interests that exist within AASB. This handbook was assembled for School Board members and others as a guide to strengthening our political influence and keeping it positive. If you are traveling to Juneau to visit the Capitol or contacting our rep- resentatives via letter, phone or the Internet, this handbook can help save you time and to be more effective on behalf of your community and students. Alaska is facing some enormous budget challenges in 2018. We can help our fellow elected leaders address those issues while we maintain and improve our delivery of public education. Stay positive! Norm Wooten Executive Director Association of Alaska School Boards 6 Your Guide to Lobbying the Alaska Legislature AASB Education Priorities 2018 The AASB Board of Directors has chosen the following six priority areas for its 2018 legislative advocacy focus. Supporting resolutions of the membership can be found in the document Where We Stand 2018 on the AASB website. Ensure Alaska’s future by investing in public education funding. The authors and signatories of Alaska’s constitution recognized that to ensure prosperity and posterity, the state’s most important function is to provide a quality public education to every Alaska child. The single most significant threat to this constitutional mandate is the lack of a long-term, sustainable state fiscal plan. AASB members and staff will ceaselessly advocate for the necessity of investing in public education at both state and local levels in order to ensure our future. For applicable AASB resolutions in Where We Stand see the section(s): Funding Provide a culturally responsive education for every student, every day. AASB supports and encourages the creation of culturally responsive learning environments that support high expectations and academic achievement for learners from all racial groups. AASB strongly encourages supporting sufficient resources for quality and relevant staff, including administrators. AASB currently collaborates with initiatives such as the Alaska Education Challenge, the newly structured University of Alaska College of Education, the First Alaskans Institute Education Council, the Educators Rising Standards, and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference on Education, in accomplishing equitable and relevant education in Alaska. For applicable AASB resolutions in Where We Stand see the section(s): Personnel, Education Programs Support Trauma-Informed Practices for Whole-Child and Whole-School approaches that build positive outcomes. AASB recognizes that Alaska students experience high rates of childhood and community trauma. These experiences disproportionately impact education, health, safety and employment outcomes of Alaskans. AASB supports whole- school and trauma-informed approaches that have been proven to reverse negative outcomes and can build resiliency of students, staff and families. Trauma-Informed Practices include: • School-wide approaches • An understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences • Integration of learning experiences for the whole child (social, cognitive, emotional, and physical) • Prepared adults • Caring relationships For applicable AASB resolutions in Where We Stand see the section(s): Child Advocacy, Personnel 2018 Edition 7 AASB Education Priorities 2018 continued Deliver equitable access to educational infrastructure for every student. An investment must be made in infrastructure to ensure that every student, regardless of the physical location of their school, has equitable access to all educational programs. Broadband capacity in many areas of Alaska is deficient and unreliable, making it nearly impossible to deliver quality educational content. Career Technical Education (CTE) could provide skills needed for opportunities of employment for high school graduates. AASB recommends that the state, in partnership with districts and communities, conduct a needs assessment in all school districts and facilitate the creation of a plan to develop an educational infrastructure that can deliver equitable learning opportunities For applicable AASB resolutions in Where We Stand see the section(s): Funding, Education Programs Prepare students entering school to be ready to learn. In the increasingly complex world we live in today, students cannot afford the luxury of wasting a single day from kindergarten through graduation. Many students enter