August 17, 2017
Make Your Voice Heard this Summer and Fall
The New York State legislative calendar is short — the 2017 calendar shows that our state lawmakers are in session 60 days of the legislative year, running from January to June. During the other 305 days, state senators and assembly members are often in their home districts attending public events and meeting with the constituents they’re committed to represent. This is an opportune time for us as environmental protectors and advocates to meet with our elected officials to let them know the concerns we have, and the legislation and policies we support or oppose.
Environmental advocacy takes place not only when the legislature is in session during those 60 days of drafting and voting on bills, but also during the summer and fall when legislators have the longest break, from late June through the rest of the year. At this time, many also have re-election on their minds, whether actively campaigning for the coming fall election or for future election cycles. For this reason, the summer and fall legislative break is likely the most favorable moment to make sure our voices are heard by speaking directly to elected officials on environmental issues.
At the federal level, we know that the environmental policy landscape is abysmal, with climate chaos deniers, and friends and allies of corporate polluters at the helm — both in the White House and in Congress. In New York, we’re fortunate to have leaders who have decided not to wholly accept federal policy, but to set their own agenda and act to defend the residents of this state. This occurred most recently when Governor Cuomo joined the governors of California and Washington state to form the United States Climate Alliance in response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. This year, Governor Cuomo’s administration has also made unconventional and forward-thinking decisions to protect the environment, including denying key permits that halted pipeline construction projects, investing in agricultural projects for local sustainability and supporting renewable energy infrastructure projects.
Make no mistake, however; we still have a lot of work to do to move New York forward to protect the environment and public health, and build sustainable networks and systems. The power of the corporate lobby and its money is a powerful opponent that too often drowns out the voice of us as constituents. We need to make sure that this summer we constituents show up and make our message louder and more compelling than that of corporate campaign contributions and their lobbyists.
The idea of speaking to an elected official and before an audience at a town hall-style meeting, or even a personal one-on-one meeting, may seem daunting. But the reward and influence of doing so is worth it. As a social activist and Buffalo native advised, “Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind — even if your voice shakes.” In fact, corporations and lobbying teams count on us being too scared, too busy, or too disillusioned by the whole political structure to show up and speak our minds. We are the ones who can make sure they’re wrong.
So this summer and fall, we hope that we can, as Sierra Club members, take advantage of the presence of state senators and assembly members by setting up constituent meetings, attending public events, asking questions, and writing to local media. Whether you have never met with your elected officials or attended a public meeting, or whether you’re experienced in such efforts — anyone can benefit from openness to learning and refining strategies, or trying new ones.
These days, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the ongoing assault on the environment and public health, related policies and democracy in general — but if we stay focused, united and coordinated to make sure that our elected officials continue to hear from us on important issues, we have a chance in New York to offer our contribution to continuing the progression toward a better world — even as federal policymakers insist on regressing. This is truly a battle of endurance and effective strategies, and I am confident that we can prevail. Of course, what other choice do we have?
Erin Riddle is Chapter Chair, Chair of the Chapter’s Farm & Food Committee, and involved with the Susquehanna Group. She lives in Owego.
Editor's Note: Apply online if you would like to get involved and volunteer as a Chapter lobbyist. This and other current opportunities are also posted on our website--visit http://newyork.sierraclub.org and click on the link for "Volunteer with the Sierra Club" on the right column. For more information on lobbying on NYS legislation, visit the Chapter website's Legislation page.
It is important to keep in contact with Chapter staff, Roger Downs and Caitlin Ferrante, and our volunteer Chapter Legislative Co-Chairs, Gale Pisha (soygale@verizon.net) and Susan Lawrence (shlawr2@aol.com) as you develop your lobby plans and take action.
Lobbying 101
- Meetings are just communicating. Use this meeting to discuss the benefits of your position. You do this every day, with virtually everyone you come into contact with. Charm, tact, patience, reasonableness and listening are all important skills you’ll need when meeting with legislators. Don’t forget that at the end of the day these meetings are all about building relationships.
- Be prompt and be patient. Legislators run on very tight schedules. Show up on time for your appointment, and be patient — it’s not uncommon for legislators to run late or to be interrupted during a visit by other business. Don’t be discouraged if you meet with staff. Most legislators rely on their staff to learn the issues and to advise them. Expect each meeting to last 15–30 minutes.
- Know your target and keep your focus. Know the official you’re meeting with, their role in the system, and how they can help. Doing this will help you keep your focus and stay on track.
- Keep it short, simple and on track. Identify yourself and everyone in the room, thank the official for meeting with you. Assign each speaker a part of the presentation and be clear on your information and your asks. Keep an eye on the clock and be sure to leave time for open discussion. Expect each meeting to last 15–30 minutes. Don’t hesitate to bring and take notes, and remember to make your asks!
- Keep your cool. Like any other form of communication, you can be frustrated if you feel that the other person isn’t listening or doesn’t (or doesn’t want to) understand. Always be respectful and attempt to find mutual agreement or ways to forge ahead. Ask questions to try to understand what their concerns are and what conditions would have to exist to get their support. In rare cases, you may find a legislator is simply unresponsive to your issues. If that’s the case, thank them for their time and leave.
- Get a commitment. If the legislator immediately expresses support, then ask them to try to do something concrete to demonstrate their support. Ask if they know of other members who might also be supportive, or if they could help to convince less supportive members. Your representative can also help persuade leadership (the speaker of the Assembly, the Senate majority leader), and members serving on committees to which a particular bill has been referred, especially committee chairs.
- Leave written materials. Present a one-page summary of your message points just prior to leaving. Make sure your materials have your contact information on them so the legislator can follow up. Credible sources are valuable, but if they are long, make sure to highlight the important parts for quick and easy reference.
- Follow up! Send the office a letter documenting your discussion and any commitments that the legislator made. Thank them again for their time, and be sure to keep in touch.