May 1, 2024

Steps for a Successful Legislative Meeting

Advocacy Month, Take Action

Legislative meetings give you the opportunity to voice your support, concerns, and opinions through a structured meeting process.

Step 1: Find out who your Representative is.

Visit the Senate and Assembly website to find your California Representatives:

• https://www.assembly.ca.gov

• https://www.senate.ca.gov

Step 2: Do your research

Each member’s website contains a wealth of information: bio, contact information, office locations, committee assignments, etc.

Key questions to research about member:

• Republican or Democrat?

• Newly elected or a veteran? (# of terms)

• If a veteran, any leadership positions? Committee Chair?

• Is your representative Catholic?

• On a key committee that impacts women, children and families?

• Assembly & Senate: Education, Health, Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary, or other?

• Sponsor or Co-Sponsor of key bills?

• Personal Information…Profession? Name of parish? Spouse background?

If you can drop any of this information in your meeting request (or during the meeting), it will show that you have done your homework and want to have a substantial conversation.

Research the bill:

On leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, search the bill number. Has the member you are meeting with authored the bill? Already voted on it? Already passed their committee or house?If they have already voted in favor, thank them for their support and don’t spend time on that in the meeting.

Step 3: Contact the Office

• Call the number on the website and email

• You will request a meeting with the member or staffer (staff are experts on issues and advise the member)

When you call the office or email let them know your name and you are a constituent in their district participating in California Catholic Conference Advocacy Month, your title in your parish, the date you would like an in person meeting (May __, 2024), the number of people accompanying you, and the meeting focus on the following Bills: SB 1414 (Grove, R-Bakersfield), AB 2160 (McKinnor, D-Inglewood), AB 1968 (Jackson, D-Perris), SB 1001 (Skinner, D-Berkeley), AB 359 (Holden, D-Pasadena).

• Log confirmed meeting with your advisor/moderator

Step 4: Meeting

Introduce yourself and have group members introduce themselves and what parish you are from. The team lead should introduce what bills you will be speaking on.

• Transition smoothly between speakers, by introducing the next speaker.

• Deliver the “ask” smoothly. The “ask” is a summary of what you would like to see from the legislator, and a gentle reminder that you would appreciate the legislator’s support for the bills you have brought up. This should be the facilitator’s role.

• Write down if they commit to supporting the bills or need more time.

• Thank the legislator at the end of the meeting for their time and let them know that your group will stay in touch with their office.

• Leave behind any documents for reference.

• Ask to take a group photo.

Step 5: Post Meeting

Debrief with group and with CCC via zoom on May 22nd.