Be the Change You Wish to Seek

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Be the Change You Wish to Seek

• Advocacy and You

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Advocacy and You

• What is advocacy?
• Working to make change in public policy, laws,
  and funding.
• We engage in advocacy within the system and from
  outside
• Advocacy includes registering to vote and voting,
  working on campaigns, testifying at public
  hearings, talking to legislators and other public
  officials, and taking it to the streets, running
  for office, stay informed reading the paper,
  watching and listening to news programs
• Connect with advocacy organizations

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Advocacy and You

• Why do it?
• Change only happens when WE make it happen.
• You are the best person to tell your story.
• It makes a difference.
• YOU make a difference!
• Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
• President Nelson Mandela

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Advocacy and You

• Why else do we do it?

To dispel myths
and fight ignorance.
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Advocacy and You
Facts About the CT General Assembly (GA) The
Schedule The GA is part time. It is in session
for five months (long session) in the odd
numbered years and three months (short session)
in even numbered years. 2009 The session began
on January 7th and ends on June 3rd
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Advocacy and You

• Being a legislator is a part-time job. Most
  legislators have other jobs.
• First, you should remember that we have a small
  state and a large GA. These legislators are your
  neighbors.
• Once you have met your representatives, you will
  likely run into them in the supermarket and at
  the post office.

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Advocacy and You

• Membership
• There are 151 House of Representative Members and
  36 Senators in the GA. Democrats currently
  control the House and the Senate.
• The Governor, M Jodi Rell, is a Republican. The
  Lt. Governor is Mike Fedele. The Lt. Governor
  serves as the President of the Senate, meaning he
  presides over the Senate, but only votes if there
  is a tie.

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Advocacy and You

• The highest-ranking member of the
• Senate is the President Pro Tempore,
• Don Williams, a Democrat. He is elected
• by the membership of the Senate.

• The House of Representatives is presided over by
  the Speaker of the House, who is Chris Donovan, a
  Democrat. He is a member of the House and elected
  by the House members.

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Advocacy and You

• Committees
• The GA has joint committees with members from
  both the House and the Senate. Each Committee has
  a House and a Senate Chair. The number of
  Senators and Representatives assigned to each
  Committee is proportional by party and by house.
• Unlike Congress, members of the GA do not have a
  lot of staff. They also do not receive a lot of
  phone calls or mail on most issues.

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Advocacy and You

• How A Bill Becomes A Law In Connecticut
• 1. Proposed Bill - Ideas for bills come from
  lawmakers and constituents like you!
• 2. Bill Numbering - Bill title, number and
  sponsors printed in House Senate Journals
• 3. Sent to Committee - Bill sent to appropriate
  joint standing committee.
• The committee holds public hearings. The
  committee may report the bill favorably, defeat
  the bill or issue no report. Bills requiring
  action by another committee are referred to that
  committee.
• 4. Legislative Commissioners' Office - bill is
  sent to the LCO to be checked for
  constitutionality and consistency with other
  laws.
• 5. Office of Fiscal Analysis - This office adds
  an estimate of the bill's cost.

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Advocacy and You

• How A Bill Becomes A Law In Connecticut
• 6. Calendar - The clerk assigns a calendar number
  and it then goes off for final printing.
• 7. On the Floor - Lawmakers debate and draft
  amendments. The house may send the bill to
  another committee before voting. A "yes" vote
  sends the bill to the other house for placement
  on the voting calendar. The bill is then returned
  to the first house for concurrence if amended by
  the second house.
• 8. To the Governor - If not amended, the bill is
  sent to the governor.
• If The House and Senate cannot agree, the bill is
  sent to a joint conference committee. If the
  committee reaches an agreement, a report is sent
  to both houses. If one or both houses reject the
  changes, the bill fails. If both houses pass the
  bill, it is sent to the governor.

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Advocacy and You

• The governor can 1.) sign the bill 2.) veto the
  bill, or 3.) take no action.
• If the governor vetoes, the bill is returned to
  the house in which it originated. Vetoed bills
  can be reconsidered by both houses.
• The bill becomes law if 1.) the governor signs
  it 2.) the governor fails to sign it within 5
  days during legislative session or 15 days after
  adjournment from the day it was presented to him
  3.) the vetoed bill is repassed in each house by
  a 2/3 vote of the elected membership.

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Advocacy and You

• Legislators want and expect to hear from you.
  The best ways to have an impact on them are
• Meet with them at the Capitol or in-district
  (invite them to your program)
• Phone call or
• Email
• Mail

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Advocacy and You

• The AIDS LIFE Campaign
• Past successes
• Increasing funding for AIDS housing
• Restoring cuts to syringe exchange
• Increase funding for HIV prevention
• Funds to address loss of Ryan White funding

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Advocacy and You

• AIDS LIFE Campaign 2010 Agenda
• Protect all HIV/AIDS Funding
• Healthy Teens Act
• Overdose Prevention Bill

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Advocacy and You

• Making a Difference - What you can do!
• AIDS LIFE Campaign
• (Legislative Initiative and Funding Effort).
• Meets 4th Tuesday, 12 2
• Congregational Church in Meriden

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Advocacy and You

• Making a Difference - What you can do!
• Send letters you write to legislators to the
  editor
• Participate AIDS Awareness Day
• Sign up for and respond to advocacy alerts
• Talk to your friends and families about getting
  involved.

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Advocacy and You

• For more information or to get involved
• Shawn M. Lang CARC
• 860.761.6699
• shawn_at_ctaidscoalition.org