State Legislatures
National Citizens Review
Engaging Your State Legislature Webinar
December 7, 2010
National Conference of State Legislatures
(NCSL)
National membership organization:




Bipartisan
7,382 legislators
Numerous legislative staff
Offices in Denver and Washington, D.C.
Goals:
 To improve the quality & effectiveness of State legislatures
 To promote policy innovation and communication among State
legislatures
 To ensure States a strong, cohesive voice in the Federal system
Overview
Part 1. Overview of State Legislatures
Part 2. 2010 Elections
Part 3. State Budget Overview
Part 4. Engaging Legislators on Child Welfare
Issues
Part 5. Child Welfare Legislative Highlights
Part 1. Overview of State Legislatures
50 Examples of a State Legislature
 If you’ve seen one legislature—you’ve seen one
legislature!
 Variety of different powers, rules, political makeup, etc.
– California
• Full-time job, members earn >$100,000 year
• Large staff (nonpartisan, partisan, personal)
– Wyoming
• 40-day general session, 20-day budget session
• Members earn $150 day for short time
• No personal staff; few full-time professional staff
What Does Your State Legislature
Look Like?
 Largest chamber: New Hampshire House--400
members
 Smallest chamber: Alaska Senate--20 members
 Nebraska has the Nation's only unicameral,
nonpartisan legislature
Red, White, and Blue Legislatures
 Red: Full-time, well-paid,
large staff
 White: Hybrid
 Blue: Part-time, low pay,
small staff
Part 2. 2010 Elections
State Legislatures Pre-Election 2010
Republican-14
Democrat-27
Split-8
Nonpartisan
State Legislatures Post-Election 2010
Republican- 25
Democrat-16
Split-6
Undecided/Nonpartisan - 3
Governor Party
Pre-election 2010
Democrat-26
Republican-24
Governor Party Post-Election 2010
Democratic - 20
Republican - 29
Independent - 1
State Government Post-Election 2010
Republican-20
Democrat-10
Split-17
Nonpartisan/Undecided
32 States Under New Leadership
Part 3. State Budget Overview
State
Budgets!
Edvard Munch: The Scream 1893 (National Gallery of Norway)
FY 2009 Highest Budget Gaps
as a Percentage of General Fund Budget
Rhode
Island
Delaware
Puerto Rico
Less than 1%, n = 2
1% to 4.9%, n = 9
5% to 9.9%, n = 13
More than 10% = 20
Source: NCSL Fiscal Program
Not applicable, n = 7
Source: NCSL survey of state legislative fiscal offices, April 2009.
FY 2010 Highest Budget Gaps
as a Percentage of General Fund Budget
Rhode
Island
Delaware
Puerto Rico
Less than 1%, n = 1
1% to 4.9%, n = 3
5% to 9.9%, n = 6
More than 10% = 33
Not applicable, n = 8
Source: NCSL survey of state legislative fiscal offices, April 2009.
It's not over …
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post, August 20, 2009
AK
Pre-Enactment FY 2011 Budget Gaps
as a Percentage of General Fund Budget
WA
8.3%
VT, 22.0%
MN
25.5%
ID
WI
CA
13.4%
UT
15.8%
AZ
30.0%
0.1% to 4.9%, n = 4
5% to 9.9%, n = 10
10% to 19.9%, n = 16
More than 20% n= 9
Not applicable or not reporting, n = 12
KS
8.7%
OK
15.4%
NM
6.0%
PA
IA
19.6%
NE
4.7%
CO
6.1%
NY
15.3%
MI
13.0%
SD
WY
NV
45.0%
ME
21.6%
ND
MT
10.8%
OR
HI
22.7%
NH 8.3%
IL
OH
45.0% IN
2.2%
WV
VA
9.0%
5.0%
13.9
MO
%
KY, 4.5%
NC
7.2%
TN, 13.1%
SC
AR
11.1%
MS
TX
10.6%
Source: NCSL survey of state legislative fiscal offices, March 2010.
AL
MA, 40.8%
RI, 15.1%
CT, 4.1%
NJ, 33.0%
DE, 9.6%
MD, 17.2%
GA
6.9%
LA
11.1%
Puerto Rico, 11.1%
FL
10.0%
Part 4. Engaging Legislators in
Child Welfare Issues
Help Shape the Dialogue and the Recovery
As the state recovers:
– How can we improve the way we serve
children and families?
– How can we be more efficient &
effective? What are the opportunities?
– How can we keep children safe?
– Who can we bring to the table?
•Legislators!
Legislators are Generalists
 Dozens of topics:
 Agriculture

 Child Welfare
A to Z
 Hundreds of bills
 Corrections
 Can’t be experts in all
 Education
 Good News: Most
Legislators see
themselves as Students
 Health
 Housing
 Labor
 Transportation
 Zoning . . .
Engage Legislators
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Use your legislator as a resource
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Communicate effectively
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Personalize your issue
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Involve current and former foster youth - go beyond them telling their story - engage them in
a conversation with legislators about what they would recommend for the child welfare system
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Identify your problem, gather data, identify ALL the relevant stakeholders/policymakers,
develop a strategy/agenda develop a solution/recommendation
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Prevention , intervention programs, adoption subsidies – what are long-term costs of
cutting these programs
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Identify key legislators and legislative staff
−
−
Jurisdiction (committee involvement), interests, priorities, other responsibilities, personal
experiences/commitment, flexibility, schedule
Important to engage, educate, and include:
•
Appropriations members
•
Legislative staff
» Personal, policy, fiscal, research, Caucus
Dos and Don’ts You Already Know
 DO:
 DON’T:
 Get involved (year round)
 Assume you don’t count
 Be accurate, reliable, honest,
concise, and vigilant
 Mislead or give false information
 Build relationships early
 Reach out to new members
 Reach out to legislative staff
 Offer to be a resource
 Be inclusive of others
 Have written materials
 Involve youth/personalize the
issue/take a field trip
 Thank your audience
 Make enemies
 Wait until session
 Be too narrowly focused
 Refuse to compromise
 Go on and on . . .
 Give up
Powerful Messages
 Costs of Maltreatment
 Impact of Early Childhood Adversity on Child
Development and Adult Health
Effective prevention programs save
money and save lives:
•
Every $1 invested in substance abuse prevention saves $5.50 in costs
for health care, law enforcement, and incarceration.
•
Every $1 invested in quality early childhood care and education saves
$7 by increasing the likelihood that children will be literate, employed,
and enrolled in post-secondary education, and less likely to be school
dropouts, dependent on welfare, or arrested for criminal activity or
delinquency.
•
Every $1 invested in long-term intensive home visiting saves $3 in costs
for government assistance and criminal justice costs according to
evaluation of the David Old’s Elmira Prenatal/Early Infancy Project. It
can pay for itself in the first 4-years of a child’s life.
Prepared by the Prevention Pays Work Group © 2002
Competing for Legislators' Attention
A BLIP ON THE
POLITICAL RADAR
SCREEN
Your Role:
Be the "Blip" Enlarger!
Educate
Raise Awareness
Frame the Discussion
Provide Information &
Resources
Network with Others
Part 5. Child Welfare
Legislative Highlights
2009 Legislative Highlights
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Child fatality
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Child protection
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Arizona, Arkansas, Maine, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont
Utah established a “Sex Offenders’ Contract with Children” law.
Vermont established new crimes of sexual abuse of a minor.
Virginia established a “Child Protection Accountability System.”
Wyoming required multidisciplinary child protection teams recommendations for the courts
on the goals for parents to meet when planning to return children home or close the case.
Courts
–
Maryland prohibited a court from considering a parent or guardian’s mental or physical
disability when making dispositions for children in need of assistance.
– Missouri established the “Child Witness Protection Act” to protect children testifying in
certain judicial proceedings.
– South Dakota allowed the appointment of a special advocate in child abuse cases and
made permissible court statements by children younger than age 13.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=123&tabs=858,51,16#16
2010 Legislative Highlights

Prevention and Oversight
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Colorado created a differential response program and a Child Ombudsman Office.
Connecticut authorized the Child Poverty and Prevention Council leadership team to make
recommendations for the state's emergency response to children affected by the recession.
neglect.
DC authorized the sharing of health and human services information for specified purposes
through the creation of a single or combined data system.
Iowa established a statewide shaken baby syndrome prevention program.
Child Protection
–
Kentucky required foster parents, health care workers, child protection officials, day care
employees and others who work with children be trained on recognition and prevention of
pediatric abusive head trauma.
– Maine allowed courts, in child protection proceedings, to consider the wishes of the child in a
manner appropriate to the age of the child.
– Maine required the juvenile justice system to report on the status of coordinated and implemented
service delivery of initiatives to increase high school graduation rates, reduce the number of youth
in the juvenile justice system, reduce child abuse and neglect and increase employment
opportunities for youth.
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=123&tabs=858,51,16#16
Contact:
 Nina Williams-Mbengue
NCSL Child Welfare Project
303-856-1559
nina.mbengue@ncsl.org
 Child Welfare Project Website – legislation,
reports, newsletters:
http://www.ncsl.org/Default.aspx?TabID=123&tabs=858,51,16#16