Sierra Club volunteers Elizabeth Dix, Kyle Huth, John Talik, and Jen Maffei, wait in Senator Jeff Golden's office in anticipation for their first meeting of the day.
Photo credit: Taylor Becker
The Legislative Committee took a small team to Salem on Monday, May 8th for our first in-person Lobby Day since before the pandemic. The team met with 18 state legislators who welcomed seeing the Sierra Club at the Capital again. We advocated support for our priority bills, caught up with legislators on issues, and extended support where we could. An air of urgency and uncertainty loomed over our meetings, with anxiety over the state budget and a Republican walkout threatening to stall the session's progress. Over a month since our Lobby Day, Senate Republicans are still blocking policy action that Oregonians across the state urgently need. Key areas include the housing crisis, billions of dollars in IRA funding to address climate change, wildfire prevention, drought relief and more.
Regardless of the impact of obstructive practices of the Republican walkout on our objectives in this current session, this experience was extremely helpful. Our work in the legislature builds our relationships with state representatives as we strive for our long-term goals. This year’s Lobby Day also served as a rust-busting experience for the team and we learned many ways to improve the experience for members looking to join us in future Lobby Days! We are looking to build off our experience this year to increase the volunteer attendance next year: the more folks that make it to a Lobby Day, the more of a presence we can field in the Capitol. We thank our community for support and encourage continued action through the legislative process at the Capitol, which could continue into the summer.
Our communications team caught up with Jen Maffei for a short interview to learn about her experience. This was her first time joining the Sierra Club in Salem for a day lobbying key issues. Our hope is that her story and experience will inspire others to jump in to the next Lobby Day, it certainly inspired us!
John Talik: Hi Jen! Thanks for taking the time to connect after Lobby Day! I understand that this was your first time participating in a Lobby Day. What drove you to jump in and volunteer?
Jen Maffei: I had one prior experience, about 7 years ago with the League of Conservation Voters, but it was a lot different. We were there for one specific topic and there were a lot of people, so I just kind of followed the herd!
The reason I wanted to participate is because it feels good to personally take action rather than going to meetings or zoom calls. I feel the need to be out in the world learning and meeting people.
John T: What was the focus for the team on the day?
Jen M: The focus was on several pieces of legislation, which were just a couple of our key priorities. They were lots of different factors weighing into which bills we would lobby for the day of. We were advocating for more environmentally responsible confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs); better labeling on child goods and products to help protect children from toxins; and a large building resilience policy package including heating and cooling for all, energy efficiency initiatives in commercial new construction, and rehabilitation of existing government buildings.
John T: What was your role as a volunteer on the day?
Jen M: My role was to meet with state representatives from the House and the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans. In our meetings, our small team would share details about the bills that we were advocating for. In particular, I shared how I personally identified with the legislation and why it mattered to me and/or Oregonians. I had a buddy, which was nice. I am glad I did not have to do it alone!
John T: What was your day like?
Jen M: I carpooled with two other volunteers from Portland to Salem, which was great. When we got there around 8:30, we met others from the Oregon Chapter and our National Support team. The organizing team was very experienced and had excellent tips and encouragement. There were donuts! And we talked about each piece of proposed legislation, what it meant, and how to talk about it. We also had a brief video-call with an organizer from the Building Resilience Coalition, who gave us more insights into some of bills we were advocating for. After that, we practiced our stories and prepped together for the afternoon. Before lunch, we dropped by the Capitol to watch the morning session from both the House and Senate galleries.
After lunch, we broke into small groups and made our way to the different legislator offices for appointments to meet for 10-15 minutes. In their office, we discussed details, shared our personal connection to the policy we were supporting, and asked for their support. In some cases we met with staff instead of the rep, and there were a few cancellations. There was a lunch break and time in between the meetings to refresh or relax. After a full afternoon of appointments and then debriefing with the team, our day ended at about 5pm.
John T: That is an incredible opportunity, what was your preparation like?
Jen M: I was not well prepared, which I would not recommend, but it all worked out! I crammed in the car with materials provided by the organizers. We spent a couple hours once we arrived to catch up and practice my "story" prior to the meetings. Once I was able to formulate my personal connection to the policies we were lobbying for, it was much easier to know what to say. The legislative team helped us craft our narratives and teach us about the bills.
John T: Getting face to face with a legislator can be daunting, what was that first experience like when you met them?
Jen M: It is daunting! I met with my two legislative reps the first time I lobbied 7 years ago, but this was the first time I personally spoke. Some were more inviting than others. Most were already on "our" side, so I feel like we got off pretty easy. It would be much more intimidating to speak with a legislator who had very different points of view.
John T: What were you personally hoping to get out of the day?
Jen M: I was hoping to build my own awareness about legislation being reviewed, connect with like-minded people, have a personal advocacy experience, and continue to build my confidence in supporting policy I believe in. The team that organized the Lobby Day fosters an experience that achieved these hopes!
To keep up to date and get involved, you can sign up here for email updates and action alerts directly from our legislative committee.
- Oregon Chapter Communications Team