Transcript Slide 1
Lobby Day Planning
Motivating the Citizen Lobbyist hidden in every member…
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Lobby Day Planning
How ABATE of Wisconsin
brought 500+ bikers to Madison on a cold March day in 2008. Not on motorcycles, but in chartered buses. Not to chant and circle the Capitol, but to walk the halls and visit with their legislators as true Citizen Lobbyists.
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Historical Considerations
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1977 50,000+ motorcyclists gridlock Madison WI, both houses vote to repeal the WI Adult Helmet Law. After bikers fought to override the Governor’s Veto, the new law goes into effect in 1978.
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Since 1978 Wisconsin Riders have not been faced with an adult helmet threat that has made it out of committee.
Complacency sets in…
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In recent years our Annual Lobby Day would draw an average of 60-120 members. Our Legislative Committee wanted to find a way to both fire up our membership and remind them of why we exist… …and to remind the legislators that the ABATE of WI State Officers that they see on a frequent basis are not alone: those officers represent thousands of bikers who believe in the mission of ABATE of WI and will come to Madison when called upon.
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Initial Planning Stage
September 2007 -
The decision to increase attendance at out Lobby Day was initially made within our Legislative Committee which meets prior to monthly Board Meetings and reports directly to the Board through our Legislative Coordinator The committee’s initial projected budget was $7,000, roughly $1 per member, which would cover the following costs Bus Contracts Publications Patches Command Center A Date was determined and the committee’s budget and plan was taken to the full Board for Approval ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
After Board Approval Early Steps up to December 2007
• Study Map and determine route • Chose Coordinator • Bus Leaders • Inform Membership • Develop Handouts & Supplies • Public Promotion
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
After Board Approval Early Steps up to December 2007 • • • • •
• Study Map and determine route
Chose Coordinator Bus Leaders Inform Membership Develop Handouts & Supplies Public Promotion ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
After Board Approval Early Steps up to December 2007 • Study Map and determine route
• Chose Coordinator
• • •
• Bus Leaders
Inform Membership Develop Handouts & Supplies Public Promotion
COORDINATOR: coordinate the event team, facilitate information flow, manage the command center, identify and supervise the BUS LEADERS: At beginning of the route, manage bus availability/contracts, determine stop locations, local promotion, training and information on the buses, fundraisers
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
• • • After Board Approval Early Steps up to December 2007 Study Map and determine route Chose Coordinator Bus Leaders • •
• Inform Membership
Develop Handouts & Supplies Public Promotion Nov 07 – Date Published in Newsletter along with “no experience necessary info” •How to make an appointment •Command Center Info •What to wear •Bus routes/who to contact •Work with other publications •Attend club meetings ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
After Board Approval Early Steps up to December 2007 • • • • Study Map and determine route Chose Coordinator Bus Leaders Inform Membership
• Develop Handouts & Supplies • Public Promotion
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008 •Professionally Printed “Talking Points” fact sheets •Coordination with other Wisconsin Motorcycle Publications •State Officers attend meetings of Clubs and other MC Groups •Legislative Agenda •Lobby Day Facts “Who, When, What” •Invitation to Join Us Member or Not •Sign up for Email Alerts
The Push is On – January 08- March 4, 2008
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Officers’ Training – our regional officers received:
• Bus reservation information, numbers were due to coordinator by 2/15 which would give us time to finalize bus size by route • Tips for Helping Members make their own or group appointments with their Legislator(s) • Fund Raising Ideas to use at meetings and on the buses to help us pay for all this
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Initial Email Alert
• • • • • • • • • • •
CALL TO ACTION
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day 2008- Tuesday March 4th Contact: Dave Dwyer, ABATE of WI Legislative Committee Chair [email protected]
ABATE of Wisconsin will be hosting a lobby day for will be assembling between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Inn on the Park prior to walking across the street to meet with our legislators in the Capitol.
all
bikers at the State Capitol in Madison. We Information and hand-outs for legislators will be available at our meeting area.
The legislative issues of current concern to ABATE of WI are: -NTSB safety recommendations and their lobbying efforts in Wisconsin -Enhancement of the rules concerning right of way violations defined in Wisconsin Act 466 -Health Care Benefits Denial; while we have worked on lobbying for a HIPAA correction at the federal level, ABATE of WI now believes it’s time to introduce this in our state.
Bus routes have been planned to promote attendance at this event. Check out the routes in our current ABATE of WI newsletter or contact your ABATE regional representative. While we are not charging participants for the bus ride, donations will be accepted to help cover the cost.”
No experience necessary.
please visit our website at Someone will be available to join you when meeting your legislators. Appointments are your responsibility. Please check with your ABATE regional rep to see if an appointment has already been made with your legislator. To find out who your legislators are, www.abatewis.org
and click on the resources link. Broadcast to 1120 people on January 17, 2008 ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Second Email Alert
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LOBBY DAY Tuesday March 4th, 2008
ABATE of Wisconsin will be hosting a lobby day for all bikers at the State Capitol in Madison. We will be assembling between 8 a.m. and 4:30p.m. at the Inn on the Park prior to walking across the street to meet with our legislators in the Capitol. Information and hand-outs for legislators will be available at our meeting area.
The legislative issues of current concern to ABATE of WI are: -NTSB safety recommendations and their lobbying efforts in Wisconsin -Enhancement of the rules concerning right of way violations defined in Wisconsin Act 466 -Health Care Benefits Denial; while we have worked on lobbying for a HIPAA correction at the federal level, ABATE of WI now believes it’s time to introduce this in our state.
Bus routes have been planned to promote attendance at this event. At this time most buses are full. Check out the routes in our current ABATE of WI newsletter or contact your ABATE regional representative for more information.
People not riding the buses are welcomed to park their cars at the CC Rider’s MC Clubhouse on Parkside Dr (turn off of East Washington at the corner of E Washington and Lien Road (Wendy’s in on the corner) go one block to Parkside Dr, turn right, and the Clubhouse is at the end of the block.) We will be operating a shuttle from the Clubhouse to the Inn on the Park every half hour from 8 am to 4:30 pm. No experience necessary. Someone will be available to join you when meeting your legislators. Making the appointments with your legislator(s) is your responsibility. Please check with your ABATE regional rep to see if an appointment has already been made with your legislator. To find out who your legislators are, please visit our website at www.abatewis.org
and click on the resources link. For more information about our March 4th Lobby Day and bus routes go to http://www.abatewis.org/page.php?section=4&subsection=1&alert_id=97 Broadcast to 1268 people on 2/27/08 ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Appointment Tips
Although our members/attendees were asked to “make their own appointments” the following procedures and options were used to assist the Coordinator and her staff in the Command Center to determine that all Legislators would receive a visit on Lobby Day 2008.
•members were asked to state that they were with ABATE Lobby Day and would be willing to sit in on another appointment if one had already been made.
•Web Form for Tracking •Many of our Regional Reps made group visit appointments •Rural Considerations •Urban Considerations •Clubs and Other Groups ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Appointment Tracking
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– Making sure all Legislative Offices are covered
•A form was posted on our webpage allowing members to fill in the blanks with their appointment information and the form would automatically go to our Coordinator who kept an Excel File of appointments listing – Appointment list excel.xls
•Attendee’s Name, cell phone number for contact in Madison, email address for contact prior to the event •Legislator(s) they were visiting and time(s) of the appointment •Number of people in the appointment group People without web access could relay this information to the Coordinator by using the toll-free number at our office or by contacting their local Regional Rep who would relay it on to the Coordinator
How did we use this information?...
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Appointment Tracking On Site
Making Certain ALL Legislators Are Visited
We prepared folders in advance labeled for each Legislative Office to be picked up at the Command Center when people registered Legislator’s Name & Party Room #
Who is Visiting
Appt. time
Packet given to Rep. Sample (R) 24 W
Listing of the people pre-registered with appointments Time of appt.
Who we gave the packet to at the registration table
Sen. Madeup (D)
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Make Sure Your Room is
BIG ENOUGH And other mistakes we made…
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
We WERE NOT PREPARED!
For the number of people that did not have appointments
And/or those
Who didn’t know who their legislator was or even what District they lived in
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Our “Command Center”
Check In Here S-Z.doc
Need Help Before Your Appointments.doc
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
How Did we Pay for all this?
•Initial Budget from the Board of $7,000 from General Operating funds was off set by… •Donated Buses •Fundraising by the Regions/members locally and on the buses •Raffles on site in the Registration Room •Cash Donations from members who could not attend •Cooperation of CC Riders MC
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Expenses and Income
Original Budget $7,000 Actual Expenses: Buses Room Rental $5,448 $ 237 Printing and Publications $600.00
INCOME: Three buses and two vans were paid for by outside sources CC Riders Clubhouse parking/shuttle service eliminated downtown parking fees and bus parking fees $459 cash donations 50/50 Raffles on Buses $1,032 Membership Raffle on site $234 Other $308 ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Lobby Day Questionnaire – March 4, 2008 Results There were 386 filled out.
Question 1
How can the legislative committee improve your Lobby Day experience?
Comments to follow…….
Question 2
Were the busses helpful in getting you to attend?
Of the 386, aprox 15 said they drove, every other form said yes, absolutely yes, I would not have come if not for the busses, ect…..
Question 3
Was this your first time attending Lobby Day?
Aprox 350 said yes, aprox 40 said no
Question 4
Will you attend next year? If no, why not?
Aprox 370 said yes, probably, absolutely, without a doubt, etc. 1 person said NO Aprox 10 said maybe, depends on day & work schedules ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
Question 5
Who did you visit and please put down any thoughts or comments they may have had regarding our issues.
These were the most outstanding and possibly useful comments……….
Neal Kedzie – won’t support our health issues Rep Nygrens – expressed interest in sponsoring HIPAA if on state level Rep Ott – said if Dems introduce helmet law he would vote yes Marlin Schneider – will sponsor anything against insurance companies Sen Fred Risser – agreed to disagree about helmet legislation but would support health insurance exclusions Most others in agreement with our position, staff will pass info to Representative or Sen., or just took info
Question 6
Are you an ABATE of WI Member?
- aprox 300 - yes If yes, which region? - almost all regions covered only a few checked No. If no, is there a reason you would like to share with us.
I will become a member, just not today, unable to join but will be shortly, no money right now ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
7D 7D 6B 2H 4A 3A 2E 1H/7B 2H 3A 3A 3A 2H 2H 2E 1I 3A
Comments These are all exact quotes. Enjoy!!
I felt you did a wonderful job and think anything more would not improve the effectiveness of Lobby Day.
In the end, it’s the members meeting with all the lawmakers that really count. On that basis AAA +++ It is our duty to be here and make it a good experience .
Everything went well except some friggin coffee!! (It ran out) I was impressed with the committee’s organization.
Everything was good – direction signs would be helpful finding the way around the capitol.
Thanks for the bus ride, let’s do it again next year.
Appts were not always scheduled.
Larger sign up room Have more Reps available I would have attended either way.
Website was well maintained & updated, good articles & info Give more detailed info and history of the issues Good camaraderie Young people took notes – will they get our info??
Make sure legislators are available & current room #’s More time so those that work can have appointments If we can keep attendance like this year we will keep our contacts informed on our issues ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
7B 4C 3A 3A 3A 2E 4C 7B 2E 7B 7B 7B 7B 4A/7B 3A 1H 2B 2B 2B Keep having these I’m already getting excited for next year.
It would have been beneficial for ABATE to stress the importance of the Representatives meeting their customer. We put them in office we deserve the respect of being heard by the representative not some aide.
The handouts and assistance for NEW participants were outstanding. Keep it up!1
Well organized & informative Map of Capitol – but managed Best ever in my 8-10 years of attending Make it easier to understand Inform people beforehand of appointments Better directions to rooms Don’t need to be there 3 hours before first meeting.
Bus was cold Have a larger group with seating Have 1 meeting for all legislators in area Make it in the summer so we can ride More Busses More handouts on issues to be discussed Coffee & Donuts Better talking points Give times to who we are seeing in case we get lost with the group ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
1J 2E 2A 4A 4A 4B 1H 2J 6B 5B 1J 1J 1A 3A/1A 6A 7B 1A Get Rep. to the meeting Improve Communication – leaders of groups, schedule lunchtime, gather info, sign in’s, missed a meeting so we could eat.
Would have been lost at the capitol but Bug kept me in tow.
Group meeting before and after More training in regions so each person can share views Prior contact with rep so they are actually at meeting The legislative reps were all young and I doubt that these young members don’t know the stats of motorcycle issues faced against our rights.
The committee did a great job working with the volunteers that were slow.
Free Beer Specific talking points so we don’t have to keep looking at the ‘leave behinds’ Promotes unity – someone already dropped off the packet and it discouraged those of us who waited for the 3:00 appt Did not like ‘sharing the day’ with the anti-smoking zealots – maybe can find out who’s going to be there the same day Notification when emergency caucus are made so meetings can be re-scheduled More time after arrival to coordinate the group Bus from clubhouse was good Combine some meetings Keep us informed as to where we can help One meeting with all would work better instead of 7 different appts My first Lobby Day and would like to get more information for future lobbing ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
1A 8D 7E 7D 3A 1F 6B 3A 7B 6B 1C 2J 2J 8A 8A 8A 8A 8A 8A 1A The legislative committee had it together, the only improvement would be to get more people involved.
Need to be more organized – who to see & what to do.
Being more informed Have a short group meeting beforehand so we are all on the same agenda For 1st time attendees an explanation of how this works would be helpful in advance. (small handout) I was impressed with the level of organization and how helpful everyone was.
It was a learning experience, I tend to be very cynical about our politicians Have our Rep there or be able to give a true good reason why not.
Free food, Valet service, Pole dancing, (just joking everything was very well done) Need an appointed person to give better time & who should see our Representatives.
I will recommend this to others who didn’t attend I had an excellent first experience (other than being lost a few times). So many were here (camaraderie) and union, and thought, & purpose. Good turn out.
Quite the experience I must say.
It was awesome to see the amount of brothers & sisters that came.
Gets better every year.
Make sure we don’t have to wait so long in-between. Make all appts at once – 4 meetings Bus timing could use improvements Have all Reps available to meet with us Did they know we were coming??
I am impressed – last year 3 people – today 2 dozen Busses were a very good idea ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008
* * * * * * * * * * * 7D is 1H 1H 7B 7B 1F 1B 2E I believe just your work in getting as large a number of members here as possible commendable & important. You did your job (Our job) Have a map/list of eating establishments in the area Great overall experience One meeting would be better instead of walking all over for ‘chance meetings’ with aides instead of the ‘Real McCoy’ Less meetings and larger rooms scheduled More time scheduled with Rep Let us know as early as possible again.
Well done Let people know that even if it seems that they didn’t talk to anyone that their presence was very important
Comments from non-members
Wasn’t sure who they were supposed to see or what my function was to be. A 1 page handout with brief explanation would have been helpful Listen to our demands – Hupy led us around Improve knowledge of biker questions Went well for my group Good Work Very informative day – you did a great job Capitol staff (police) still remembers a biker gathering in the early 90’s with respect to bikers for their attitude and helpfulness in a storm!!
The legislators should be the ones asking the questions about our statements. We proved our beliefs and ‘The MAN’ didn’t.
My first time attending, I thought ABATE should have gotten the word out a little more .
Very good that ABATE sponsors these rights Be more prepared for visit ABATE of Wisconsin Lobby Day Planning 2008