Lutheran Lobby Day 2022
The Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California hosted our annual Lutheran Lobby Day on May 18, 2022. We met with 22 legislative offices and virtually to pray, learn, and urge California legislators to lead with moral and spiritual callings.
This year, we supported legislation that centers on children and their families, regardless of immigration status. Our keynote speaker was Public Policy Director at United Ways California and Pacific Lutheran University alum Anna Hasselblad. You can watch her keynote speech above.
FAQ
A legislative visit is a meeting with a legislator or their staffer. A meeting with a staffer is just as valuable as a meeting with a legislator because they often are more in the weeds in particular policy areas and legislators rely on staffers for information. All meetings will be virtual.
You might meet with your legislators, but we will be spreading our network out to meet with key decision makers for the particular bills we are following. This means focusing on legislators on certain committees and who might be on the fence on their vote.
If you are not able to meet with your legislator during Lobby Day, you can always schedule a meeting, call, or email to share your thoughts. Because we have more political power when we come in numbers, organizing a small group of 5-10 people from your church can increase your impact on your representatives.
Please plan to have access to a computer and a reliable internet connection. You will need to download Zoom on your computer to participate. You can download Zoom here.
It is possible to dial in with a phone number as well or to use your phone for audio while on the Zoom call. The Zoom meeting link will be sent to you via email.
Right now, we are not providing any translation services, however please reach out to nicolenewell@loppca.org if you would like access to translation services.
For legislative meetings, we are still working out what technology can best coordinate smooth transitions and clear directions for everyone involved. We appreciate your patience as we prepare integrations to manage the many meetings links for legislator visits.
Please join us for as much as you can. You do not need to be on video (although we love seeing your faces) and are free to step out if needed to tend to professional or personal matters. Please make a note in your registration form if you cannot join us for the whole day.
We will offer workshops throughout afternoon for you to participate in when not in visits with legislators and staffers. Each workshop will be 30 minutes long. Register for Lobby Day to stay tuned for access and workshop details in your inbox.
Lobbying is a form of advocacy work that involves directly meeting with political decision-makers, whether elected or appointed. Many of us have heard of lobbyists in Washington, DC, and while we tend to think of lobbying as something only corporations do, anyone can lobby. Lobbying is simply talking with your legislators about your priorities and asking them to listen, and bringing your network to the table to back them up when decisions get hard, and stakeholders pull legislators in multiple directions.
California has two legislative houses, the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. Both base representation on population, but the Assembly has 80 members and the Senate has 40 members.
Find your representative here.
Bills may be introduced in both chambers. Each bill must pass through the first chamber’s committees before being voted on by the whole chamber “on the floor.” After passing the first house, the bill moves through the same process in the other house. If successful, the bill goes to the governor’s desk. The governor can sign or veto a bill.
We suggest wearing what you would wear to the Capitol–business casual–something you feel comfortable in.
You need to have a notebook and pen or pencil to take notes. You may want to have this website up for reference during your legislative meetings. Otherwise, just bring your interest and enthusiasm!
Got other questions?
Please email Nicole at nicolenewell.loppca@gmail.com.