Commonwealth Prevention Alliance
Nittany Lion Inn
State College, PA
June 6, 2012
Clay Yeager
 How
to Become a Great Advocate (When
Good Isn’t Good Enough)
 How the Legislative Process Works
 How a Bill Becomes a Law
 Tools for Connecting to your Legislator
 Effective Communications
 Strategies for Engaging the Media
Skills and Qualities Necessary
 Knowledge
of the Legislative Process
 Knowledge
of the Issue(s)
 Personal
commitment to the Issue(s)
 What
are YOUR expectations in becoming
involved in advocacy?
 What
do you want to accomplish?
 What
are the biggest barriers to getting
involved?
 How
have you already engaged in
advocacy?
 1st
 1st
- Prison Built in US (Eastern State Penitentiary)
– Highest Rate of Juveniles in Out-of-home
Placement Among 10 Most Populated States
(OJJDP, daily census)
– Among 10 Most Populated with
INCREASED out-of-home placements between
2001 and 2010 (OJJDP, daily census)
 1st – Number of Juveniles Sentenced to ‘life
without parole’ (Human Rights Watch)
 1st – Largest increase in new inmates to state
corrections (Pew Center, 2009)
 1st

$ 2 Billion – 2011/12 Budget for State
Corrections System
Million – Services to Delinquent
Youth in PA.
 $500
1.3 Million – proposed 2012/13 Budget
for Evidence-Based Prevention and
Intervention Programs
$
 About
60-75% of adult inmates have
juvenile records
 $2
BILLION is 2,000 MILLIONS
 DAILY
cost of prisons is $5.4 MILLION
 DAILY
cost of evidence-based prevention
is $5 THOUSAND
 More
$ is spent between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm in
ONE DAY housing 52,000 inmates than is spent
during AN ENTIRE YEAR on proven programs
designed to keep prevent them from entering
Incarceration Rate - Pennsylvania
1980-2010
(number of inmates per 100,000 residents)
1980
1990
2000
2010
69 per 100,000
188 per 100,000
299 per 100,000
405 per 100,000
If the same rates of incarceration from 1980 were
applied to the 2010 state population, the current
prison population would about 8,764 inmates

In states, it would rank #2 behind public
education

At federal level, it would rank #6 – behind social
security, national defense, income security,
Medicare and Medicaid

Federal and state governments spend 60 times
more to clean up devastation of drug abuse and
addiction on children as they do on prevention
and treatment

Y.F.C. # 2
$142,715.00

Y.F.C. # 3
$156,220.00

Y.D.C. @ Loysville
$162,060.00

Y.D.C. @ Cresson
$180,310.00

North Central Secure
$189,070.00

Y.D.C. @ New Castle
$198,925.00

South Mountain Secure
$213,890.00
$177,598.00 average annual cost per youth
YOUR county places 6 juvenile offenders in
state operated facilities
Annual Price tag
$1,065,588.00
(for 6 kids)
Program
Number Served
Multidimensional
Treatment Foster Care
60+ youths in care for seven months
100+ families enrolled for THREE Years
340+ families taught the curriculum series
1,000+ high risk children matched
5,100+ schools trained
P.A.T.H.S.
33,000+ elementary school students
taught social and emotional regulation
142,000+ students taught peer resistance
and conflict resolution skills
‘People who love
law and good
sausage should
never watch either
being made’
German Chancellor Otto von Bismark
1815-1898
Legislature – Two Bodies
(Chambers): House and Senate
 Bi-Cameral
– 50 members elected for 4-year
terms; headed by Senate President Pro
Tempore
 Senate
– 203 members elected for 2-year
terms; headed by Speaker of the House
 House
Republicans control the House, the
Senate and the Governor’s Office
30 Republicans in Senate
112 Republicans in House
20 Democrats in Senate
91 Democrats in House
is the 2nd largest legislature in the
country (behind New Hampshire)
 Pennsylvania
 Each
legislator represents about 60,000
residents
 Pennsylvania
is the largest ‘full-time’ legislature
in the country
 Members
are paid $79,613 annually plus per
diems while in session
Coalition (def.): ‘an organization of
organizations’ working together to affect
change on similar issues or concerns’.
Advocates build coalitions to build the
power necessary to do something not able
to be done by one group alone
 Advocacy
with legislators is about
persuading them to do what you want.
 The
first step is building a strong
relationship with them and their staff. You
need to earn and nurture their respect
 Be
prepared, know the subject, do not
overload them and stick to the issue(s)
 Respect
their time restraints – summarize
clearly
 Research other issues they are involved
with
 Present both sides so they can anticipate
the opposition
 Compliment them on anything – a little
‘thank-you’ goes a long way
 Get to know their aides – they are a key
to access
 Provide
positive public and media
opportunities through awards programs,
‘photo ops’, annual meetings – anything
to get them noticed
 Honor them – give them public
recognition with a special award
 Remember their birthdays and other
milestones – send a handwritten note
 Only provide them with useful
information – facts, data, outcomes, cost
savings
The most important thing to remember is
that elected officials are just like everyone
else. They appreciate people who show an
understanding and respect for the
individual legislator’s personal philosophy
and issues and they take note of coalitions
that have a clear strategic vision.
 Confront, badger
 Take
or challenge
up too much of their time – respect theirs
 Lecture
them – instead a provide clear, concise
message to leave with them
 Threaten
 Become
them with negative consequences
a Jack Abramoff
 Letter Writing/e-mail
 Telephone
 Face-to-face
 Public
meetings
Hearings
 Testimony
 Be
clear about what you want
 Letters
should be less then one page
 Be
precise about what you want – get
right to the point
 Only
address one issue at a time
 Send
letters only when it’s necessary
 Trying
to initially drum up support for an
issue
A
vote on a bill of importance is looming
 The
legislator has done something
advocates want to praise
 The
legislator is undecided about an
issue
 Be
very clear about the issue and what action
you want them to take
 Address the letter properly (see guidelines)
 Personalize the issue. Tell them how the issue
impacts you, outcomes for youth and families,
cost impact
 Do not ramble
 Thank them for their attention – ask for a
written response and their position
 Include your full name and address to assure
them you are a constituent
 While
nothing is better than a face-to-face
meeting, calling assures that someone will
answer
 If
the member is not available, it is equally
important to convey the message on the
issue to the appropriate staff person, e.g.
policy director
 Prepare
your message before you call
 Identify yourself as a constituent
 Say exactly what you are calling about –
use bill numbers or issues
 State specifically what you would like your
legislator to do
 Leave your name and contact information
their capitol office – has more impact.
During recess, call their local office
 Do not criticize or debate
 The call will likely be about 2 minutes –
critical to get your message across
 If unable to speak directly to member,
staffers have the ear of the boss
 Conclude by thanking legislator or their
staff for their time and attention
 Call
Every citizen has the right to seek a
meeting with their elected officials
A
face-to-face meeting is the most effective
way to get your message across
 You can meet several in the Capitol and
also in your home district
 Make
appointments as far in advance as
possible
 Dress professionally
 Arrive early and be prepared to wait
 Keep the group small
 Choose a spokesperson – preferably a
key, visible leader or someone with a
personal connection
 Ensure the group is diverse; able to
address issue from multiple sides
 Be
informal, but not disrespectful
 Do not use jargon or acronyms (CTC,
SPIF-SIG, PCCD, DPW, EPIS, D&A,
ODAP,) they do not speak your language
 Learn in advance with whom you are
meeting; if staff member, it’s okay as they
convey message to member
 Be specific about what you are asking of
the legislator; (cite bill # or line item)
 Be
prepared to answer questions
 Bring packets of information to leave,
include brief synopsis of issue – one sheet
fact sheets are best
 Make yourself available to the legislator as
‘experts’ on these issues
 Follow-up; send thank-you letter
immediately, along with your contact
information
 Generally,
public hearings are held after a
bill has been introduced and assigned to a
committee in either the House or Senate
 Hearings
are held to give individuals and
groups the opportunity to interact and
exchange information and to seek
comments regarding a proposed bill
A
chance to tell your story (10 minutes or
less)
 Provide facts and data – Legislators want
hard data, costs, numbers, research,
outcomes and impact
 Start by introducing yourself, the group you
represent, the bill # or issue
 Be brief and precise – avoid lengthy
clichés or philosophizing
 Use
personal (and local) examples to
prove your points
 Do not make claims you are not prepared
to defend
 Prepare a written copy of your testimony to
leave with committee members, staff, the
media and other attendees
 End by thanking the committee and
legislator for the opportunity
Any member of
House or Senate
can introduce a
bill
After
introduction,
measure
assigned a # and
referred to
committee
Bills introduced
in House are
assigned to
House committee;
in Senate to
Senate committee
Committee Chair
(majority party)
decides what
bills move
forward
Bills before
committee are
reviewed and
debated
Committee may
hold hearings and
solicit testimony
Not every bill gets
a vote – 4 possible
outcomes
Committee
approves and
sent to full
House or
Senate for
consideration
Bill amended
and sent to full
House or
Senate for
consideration
Bill tabled
rendering it
inactive
Bill voted down
or never
reported out of
committee,
nullifying it
Approved bills
go immediately
to respective
Appropriations
committee
A ‘fiscal note’ or
detailed financial
impact is
included
Bills can meet
any of same 4
outcomes
After committee
approval, House or
Senate considers
bill
MUST be
considered on three
separate days
before voting
1st Day – bill is read
on the floor to
report as original or
amended; no
amendments, no
debate, no votes
2nd and 3rd Days
– Amendments
made, debate
offered
All legislators
present must
vote on bill – no
abstentions or
proxies allowed
Bill passed or
rejected
Bill approved in
House or Senate,
must go through
identical process in
the other chamber
Example – if a
House bill is
approved by full
chamber is then
moved to Senate
Referred to
appropriate Senate
committee, then to
Appropriations
committee for fiscal
note
If Senate changes
bill, it must go back
to House for
concurrence to
Senate changes
Identical versions of
bill must be passed
by House and Senate
Bills approved by
both chambers then
sent to Governor for
signature – Assigned
‘Act #”
The process can
take months
Bills not enacted
during 2-year
session MUST be
reintroduced
If not enacted,
must begin the
process again
Issuance of
Budget
Instructions &
PPG’s
August-Sept.
New Fiscal Year
Begins
July 1st
Legislative Review &
Budget Enactment
February-June 30th
Governor’s
Office &
Budget
Office
Review
November-January
Governor Budget Address to General
Assembly - February
The primary purpose of working with
the media is to influence public
attitudes about the same issues you
advocate. Public opinion is a powerful
tool in advancing the issues
to coverage – develop and
nurture relationships with reporters
 Become an expert resource – Reporters
need story ideas, so help them develop
stories about your issue
 Read, watch, listen – Get to know the local
media reporters for each ‘beat’ – crime and
justice, education, health, public policy,
government
 Respond
the local media – you can make
their job easier
 Cultivate
Advisory – announcing an upcoming
event or announcement
 News
Release – Provides more detailed
information about an issue
 News
activities – meetings, forums,
announcements, reports with media in
mind
 Plan
 IF
media responds, inform policy officials,
legislators and key leaders aware
 Create
opportunity to highlight policy
makers in front of media
 Develop
an always ready media (press) kit
handy, including:
 Cover letter
 Press release – who, what, where, when
and why
 Fact sheet – one sheet
 Brochures
 Relevant materials, i.e. third party
testimonials, research findings, impact on
outcomes and costs
Board meetings – most will print
editorials on selected issues
 News stories – cultivate relationships with
editors and contacts
 Features – photos and in-depth
information
 Letters to the Editor – be direct, distilling
issue, cite examples; signed with title,
address and contact information
 Editorial
 ‘Never
get into an argument with someone
who makes ink by the barrel’ – you will
lose
 Never be condescending or dismissive
 Never say ‘no comment’
 Never neglect to follow-up if you said you
would
 Never lie or misstate information
Goals
Organizational
Constituency
Long Term
What resources
can you put in?
Who cares
about this
issue?
Intermediat
e
Short Term
How will you
organize?
What internal
problems might
you experience
along the way?
Targets
Who has the
influence to
give you
what you
want?
How are others Who are
organized?
your
secondary
targets?
What power
do they have?
Tactics
Press releases
Letter writing
Visits
Capitol Day
Meet with
legislators
Letters to the
editor
media
"In all forms of government
the people is the true
legislator.”
Edmund Burke
 www.pa.gov
agencies
- for a complete list of state
 www.legis.state.pa.us
- for a complete listing of
all members of the Pennsylvania House and
Senate, committee assignments and contact
information
 www.budget.state.pa.us
- for a detailed
description of the budget process and annual
timelines for submission
 Pennsylvania
717.236.6984
Legislative Services –
Special Edition - Preventing the Big Five
Teen Pregnancy – Drug Abuse – Delinquency – Violence – School
Dropout
Pennsylvania
Reduces Out-ofHome Placement
and Costs at Record
Rate
Credit Goes to
Commonwealth
Prevention
Alloance
June 2014
PREVENTION
PROGRAMS
Blueprints for
Violence Prevention
SPECIAL EDITION
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Doing it Right – Model Fidelity
Complete Cost Benefit
Analysis, p.16
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Thank-you for your time and attention
today
Please feel free to contact me:
Clay Yeager
717.870.2144
cryeager@comcast.net