Fighting the Goliaths to Achieve Lobbying Success

Transcription

1 Fighting the Goliaths to Achieve Lobbying Success Debra Griggs, Founder, Animal Resources of Tidewater and President, Virginia Federation of Humane Societies Robin Robertson Starr, Chief Executive Officer, Richmond SPCA Your Company Logo Here animalsheltering.org/expo #AnimalCareExpo

2 Have the courage to speak up the animals need us to make their case for them despite our fears. No where is that more important than with respect to legislation and regulations. Never, never be afraid to do what s right, especially if the wellbeing of a person or animal is at stake. Society s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. Martin Luther King, Jr.

3 Nonprofits all exist to make the world better, safer and/or fairer for someone. For those of us here, it is for the animals. If you really want to achieve your goals to save and make the world better for animals then lobbying is an indispensable tool.

4 Parable of the rushing river: Once upon a time there was a small town on the edge of a river. The people there were good and life in the town was good. One day a citizen noticed a dog floating down the river. The person quickly swam out to save the dog from drowning. The next day this same person noticed two dogs in the river. He called for help, and both dogs were rescued from the swift waters. And the following day four dogs were seen caught in the turbulent current. And then eight, then more, and now cats were also in the river and the numbers grew at a frightening rate! The townsfolk organized themselves quickly, setting up watchtowers and training teams of swimmers who could resist the swift waters and rescue the dogs and cats. Rescue teamss were soon working 24 hours a day. But each day the number of helpless animals floating down the river increased. The citizens organized themselves efficiently. The rescue groups were now snatching many animals each day. While not all the animals, now very numerous, could be saved, they were doing well to save as many as they could each day. Indeed, the local priest blessed them in their good work. And life in the town continued on that basis. One day, however, someone raised the question, "But where are all these animals coming from? That person began to walk away and the others frantically called out to her to stay. They shouted at her, where are you going?!?!. She said, I am going to the head of this river to stop whatever is causing these animals to be thrown into the river in the first place.

5 Can you engage in lobbying as a 501 (c) (3)? YES! There are two ways for public charities to measure their lobbying: the insubstantial part test (about 5% or less of your overall activities) and the more clear 501(h) expenditure test

6 Some of the lobbying campaigns we have worked on: 2007: Achieved a Richmond ordinance banning the chaining of dogs and cats 2008: Worked with the HSUS to achieve passage of the Omnibus Animal Fighting Law in Virginia; achieved passage of improved definition of adequate water 2012: Defeated a bill that would have let abusers keep and sell their animals post conviction; Defeated a bill to downgrade the status of working dogs ; Worked unsuccessfully on a bill to prohibit breed discrimination 2013: took a case to protect people who care for feral cats to the Virginia Supreme Court and won 2013 and 2014: Worked with the HSUS to achieve the passage of a law phasing out fox penning in Virginia 2015 and 2016: Achieved and later defended from attack a bill requiring all private shelters to have a purpose of adopting pets to permanent homes 2015: Achieved a local ordinance banning the use of bullhooks on elephants 2017: Unsuccessfully advocated for a bill to limit tethering; Now focusing on the regulations being promulgated to enforce the private shelter purpose bill

7 Litigation may be necessary to ensure the right outcomes for the animals. Regulations to enforce new laws also require your intervention to ensure the law s intent is fulfilled.

8 If you feel outsized and outgunned, we understand. But you can still prevail no matter the size or wealth of your opponent. Sometimes winning is getting bills passed and sometimes it is preventing something from passing that would be harmful to animals.

9 In seeking legislation to protect animals and fighting bills that would hurt them, we have been up against: Feld Entertainment PETA and its seven paid professional lobbyists The cock fighters (who hired their own professional lobbyist) NRA and the Virginia Hunting Dog Association The American Kennel Club Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council And we have prevailed!

10 First rule: know how it all works and, if you don t know, take the time to learn. How bills get introduced Who should patron a bill for you party affiliation often matters a lot What the committee system is, who is on the committee your bill will go to and when the committees meet Watch how professional lobbyists and experienced people speak in committees mimic their techniques but bring your own personal style. Learn who may be influential but may be outside your orbit like Farm Bureaus and who might be your allies

11 The fundamentals are important: Be friendly, polite, and dress appropriately. Never be late. On the flip side, don t get offended if you have to wait to meet with a legislator. Never lie or make up information. Full Stop. Do your homework on whether the lawmaker has taken a position on the issue. If he or she is opposed to you, don t act like you are angry about it. All politics is local. Come armed with reasons for why the lawmaker should support your position related to his or her locality. Bring a constituent with you when you meet with the lawmaker. If you don t know the answer to a question, say so and then provide the information promptly in a letter, or call to the staff. There is strength in numbers and strange bedfellows. Build coalitions that are as broad as you can make them. Some lawmakers hate being inundated with callers who are not constituents; other welcome hearing from all citizens. Make sure you know the difference when you send out a call to action. Be a good listener. It will give you valuable information about the lawmaker s views and concerns. Don t do all the talking. Always provide a fact sheet on your issue to lawmakers and their staff. Staffers need information to write memos and statements for their bosses. Do the work for them. (Sample fact sheets will be provided at the workshop.)

12 The fundamentals continued: Press for a commitment on how he or she will vote. Always thank lawmakers for taking the time to meet with you even if they are not going your way. Staffers can make a huge difference for you so do not be offended if you meet with them instead of the lawmaker. If you are doing this without a lobbyist, you must be strategic with your time. Focus your efforts on the persuadable votes, not on unmovable opponents or reliable allies. Don t burn any bridges unnecessarily. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Polite persistence pays off. Don t let the tactics of the other side get under your skin. They win if you do.

13 Set aside your other views to work with whomever you can get on the animals side.

14 If you can afford the assistance of a professional lobbyist, it can be money well spent, especially if you are not experienced yourself. You can do it without a lobbyist but, if you do, be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

15 Pros of hiring a paid professional lobbyist: They have contacts and long standing relationships with legislators and their staffers that gives you access you otherwise would lack, They know how the system works and can save you a lot of time waiting for committee and other meetings, They can sometimes find a compromise that you would not have thought of, They can help polish your presentations, and They can predict obstacles and gotchas.

16 Cons of hiring a paid professional lobbyist: They can be expensive sharing this expense with allies can help a lot, They may not understand your issues in depth and so may not communicate them to legislators as well as you would, They can worry about protecting their long term relationships over the immediate matter that you care about, They may push you to make compromises that don t make you happy.

17 It is crucial to be able to mobilize your supporters to call and write their legislators and to come to speak before committee meetings. Be sure that legislators hear from their own constituents. Research who their donors are and make use of overlaps with your own constituents.

18 Use social media effectively it is a great tool to mobilize your supporters and level the lobbying playing field. A blog is a great way to convey more in depth information to your constituents. It will make them better informed when they call legislators on behalf of your issues.

19 Getting the support of your local newspaper s editorial staff is a huge help since legislators listen to them. Local News Media coverage can be a big help. Always be available when reporters want to interview you about legislation you care about. Return their calls, be available when they need you to be and be patient about educating them on the issues. Do not talk too long. Reduce your position to a couple of very short and easily understandable messages. Keep repeating those messages.

20 Once it is all over, hold lawmakers accountable to their constituents if they acted against the animals interests and generously praise those who have been your allies and advocates.