TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE

WE MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN.

George M. Spagnola, Ed.DChair, College of EducationArgosy University, Sarasota

January, 13, 2014

LOCAL…

Establish a rapport with your local legislator through off session meetings.

  Identify and develop two/three ideas and

legislative goals for FAPEL LEGISLATOR MEETINGS. Identify pertinent currently filed legislation that

addresses our issues. (IE., HB 1664) Find a piece of legislation that touches our issue(s) which

you have developed specific recommendations that you will discuss with members within the context of the currently filed legislation (ie. Support the bill as filed or have some concerns with the current language and propose amendments to the legislation).

KNOW THE STAFF…

Note: It is important to understand where the bill is in the process and if there is a companion bill in the other chamber (ie. how many committee stops are left,

is(are) the bill(s) moving through the process or is it likely that the bill will not be heard in its first committee stop (ie. It is most likely dead and will not pass this session),

what members have sponsored/co-sponsored the legislation,

what are legislative leadership’s and relevant committee chairs position on the legislation,

the position of the legislator with whom you are meeting. etc.).

The above points are important as the legislator and the staff will be aware of these processes and they may ask you about them. Avoid not knowing the answer.

GOALS AND AGENCIES

Tie specific FAPEL goals into larger ideas/issues that are present in the current legislative session, such as the Governor’s or the House and Senate leadership’s agenda as these policy ideas and agendas are what drive what happens during session (This will help increase the immediacy and relevance of your issues).

Understand the work being done by the agency that has jurisdiction over your issues. There is an important link to the work being done by both

the Florida Legislature and the state agency that oversees your issues and the interaction between the two.

This includes the rule promulgation process (this is especially pertinent for educational leadership issues).

You can rest assured the staff, at the very least, will know the answers.

MORE…

Understand what committees and subcommittees in each chamber have jurisdiction over our issues. Know the membership of each committee including political

affiliation, geographical location, issues of interest to the member, profession, etc.

Have ideas that could be presented as potential interim projects to be undertaken by one or more legislative committees during the summer after session has concluded (especially relevant given the busy schedule of each session). Good way to thoroughly develop a legislative proposal and to build

legislative institutional support and legitimacy. Go into the meeting knowing these points as they are and probably

will come up in the meeting with the legislator. They will most likely come up if you are speaking to a staff member.

Have appropriate language if you want to change something or make a general point…ie, legislation on principal requirements, or the brain drain of graduate and advanced graduate students to other states.

MORE…

Update on HB: Examples: HB_____ filed by Representative________ (R/D-

Manatee/Sarasota) Filed 09/19/2014 Referred to 4 committees on 10/3/2014 Withdrawn from consideration on 11/7/2014

SB ______ filed by Senator ________ (R/D- Jacksonville) Filed 10/13/2014 Referred to 3 committees on 11/2/2014 Withdrawn from consideration on 12/8/2014

Both bills are dead for this session  

MORE… Points: Bills which may effect us. Before you go into a legislator’s office, you must know

these things.     EXAMPLES WOULD BE:   Session is early-starts in March-Now in the 500s and by the time of session will be in the

2000s Not a lot of bills which pertain directly to us but there will be as the session progresses.

Thus, the importantance of staying abreast of the bill movements.   Example: HB 433 deals with competency based educator certification… No senate

companion at this time.   HB 113 and SB 66 deals with levying of taxes for State Colleges and Universities in that

county.   Governor’s budget which will be out in February should be read and action taken as

appropriate to our mission.    

Should we care about this proposal?

TEACHER SUPPLIES…The House K-12 Subcommittee considers a proposal to require school districts to annually estimate the number of classroom teachers who will be employed in order to receive money from the state supply assistance program. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday in room 17 of the House building.

Governor promises 'Florida standards' for curriculum

or this: Gov. Rick Scott and Republican Party of Florida leaders move to quell "Common Core" backlash among conservative GOP membership against the school curriculum standards that educators are due to implement this fall.

THANK YOU!!!

And LET US MAKE FAPEL A “HOUSEHOLD” WORD ON THE HILL!