Kansas Legislature Web Site

• Full text of bills
• Legislative Journal Search (daily summary of House/Senate session - voting records)
• House/Senate Roster
• House Agenda (committee meeting times, location, bills to be considered)
• Senate Status and Agenda (committee meeting times, location, bills to be considered)

The Data You Want: Reports and data being reviewed and used by legislators

• What will your district receive in new money for 2007-08? Check here!
• Legislative Post Audit Cost Study 
• KSDE Survey of Education Costs - the cost of educating a general ed student, an at-risk student, and a bilingual student
• Legislative Post Audit Study on Developing and Retaining K-12 Teachers and Administrators
• Legislative Post Audit Study of K-12 Staff Recruitment and Retention Strategies
• Legislative Post Audit Study on Alternative Models for Organizing High Schools
• Legislative Post Audit Study of K-12 Virtual Schools
• 2010 Commission Report to the 2007 Legislature
• At-risk Education Council Report to the 2007 Legislature
• Kansas Technical College & Vocational School Commission Report to the 2007 Legislature

Resources for Board Report on school funding strategies

• NCSL review of 2004 ballot initiatives
• NCSL review of school finance litigation
• ACCESS school funding reports
• Augenblick and Myers Suitability Study

Other Useful Links

• Kansas Legislative Research Department
• Federal Bill locator
• U.S. Department of Education

Communicating with Legislators

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator

Four Ways to Communicate

Letters

Personal letters that state your views on how the proposed legislation will affect your profession, schools, or community are the individual's basic communications tools.  Such communications should be addressed primarily to one's own legislator.  Timing of such communication is vital.  To be effective, they should be sent when the legislature is under - or about to come under - consideration in committee or subcommittee.  For more hints on effective written communications see the "How to Write Your Legislator" document.

E-mails

When speed is desirable because of imminent action on a piece of legislation, emails may be sent to a legislator.  For more hints on effective written communications see the "How to Write Your Legislator" document.

Telephone Calls

Several hints for phone contact with your legislator can be found in the "How To Phone" your legislator document.  In addition, here are a few quick notes to keep in mind. This form of communication is particularly effective when the person making the call worked in the campaign of the legislator or has established a personal relationship with the legislator.  Direct contact with the legislator is not always possible, but messages can be left with aides or secretaries.  It would not be appropriate to use this communication method exclusively.

Meeting with Legislators

The most effective communication, naturally, is that which takes place face to face.  You should plan to meet with your legislator as frequently as possible.  Opportunities for such meetings come between sessions and during recesses.  At campaign time, incumbents are generally eager to meet with groups of constituents. 
These meetings must be planned with care or else they will become merely platforms for political speeches by the Representative or Senator.  To guard against this, tell the legislator that the purpose of the meeting is to give constituents the opportunity to express their views on legislation and to ask specific major issues.  It may be helpful to get together beforehand and role-play these sessions to gain understanding of the issues and dynamics of the parties involved.
Meetings with newly elected Representatives and Senators and re-elected incumbents are particularly desirable.  Such meetings should be held as soon as convenient after the November elections.
In addition to personal or small group meetings with your legislators, you may want to plan at least one meeting a year at which the legislator meets with a larger group such as your site council or PTA/PTO.  Here again the meeting should be structured to give constituents the opportunity to ask meaningful questions on which they have been briefed.

Communicating with Legislators

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator

Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying

(From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  

1. Politics is Consumer Driven.    Help your legislator understand why your position is important to his or her constituents.  Fight where the legislator lives through grassroots organizations at home.
2. Do Your Homework.  Know your stuff.  Understand your issue, the bill you support or oppose, and the legislative process before you approach your legislator.  Know who the players are, who decides what, and which issues are hot at the moment.
3. Information is Power.  The secret is the distribution of information to legislators and their constituents.  Be prepared to give the legislator information he or she can use, including what you are hearing from other legislators and from people back home.
4. A Little Professionalism Goes a Long Way.  Be credible, honest, and trustworthy.  Never threaten, lie, or conceal facts.  Stay calm - if you lose your cool, you lose the case.
5. Be Positive.  Always make your case without being critical of others' personalities or motives.
6. There are No Permanent Friends and No Permanent Enemies.  Don't take your traditional friends for granted.  Never write off a legislator just because of past voting record or party affiliation.  Don't make enemies of legislators - you may need them as friends in the future.
7. Build a Bond, Not a Gap.  Research things you might have in common with the legislator.  Use shared values to create easy, friendly, frequent communication with legislators.
8. Be a Partner.  Build coalitions and look for allies among other organizations.  Be accessible to legislators and other lobbyists if they have questions or need follow-up information.  Become known as a reliable source.
9. Rome Wasn't Built in a Day.  Aim for consensus rather for "victory."  Be willing to settle for making progress toward your goal, getting the bill passed, and fine tuning it in future sessions.
10. Stay Committed.  Remember - you are the expert!!  You have a compelling, energizing reason to keep fighting until you get what you need.

Communicating with Legislators

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator

How to Phone Your Legislator

To find your legislator's phone number, you can call 1-785-296-0111.  Be prepared to provide the name of the legislator or the district in which you live.  You can also get this information by visiting the KNEA website at www.knea.org and click on the legislative section.  Your legislator's information can be found by providing a zip code or address.  The KNEA website also provide easy access and simple steps to follow for sending an e-mail directly to your legislator.

Kansas NEA produces a weekly legislative update - members can find this at the KNEA website (www.knea.org) on the "Legislative" page.  You can also subscribe to have the weekly update automatically e-mailed to you.  KPAC members and UniServ leaders also receive a short daily update - you may wish to contact one of these persons to see if they would be able to forward the daily update to you.

During the legislative session, a hotline on which you may leave messages for members of the legislature by dialing 1-800-432-3924.  Hours of operation for the hotline are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on days when the legislature  is in session.  When leaving a message for a legislator, please follow these guidelines:

• Identify yourself to the person who answers the phone.  Be sure to say that you are a school district resident and a constituent in the legislator's district.
• Tell the legislator the issue or bill number you're calling about.  Give the position and reason for your position.
• Briefly explain the likely impact of a bill on your school district and on the legislator's constituents.
• Be polite.
• Keep party politics out of the discussion.
• Say, "thank you" for your legislator's consideration of your views.

If the legislator is unavailable, give the staff member your message.  Legislative staff are very good at relaying messages! ]]>http://www.nea.org/legislative/lobby-tips.htmlhttp://www.nea.org/legislative/lobby-tips.htmlMon, 30 Jan 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Communicating with Legislators

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator

Twelve Lobbying Tips

Lobbying is simply an attempt to persuade someone to accept your point of view through the sharing of information. What follows are some additional tips to help you present your case effectively.

1. Be informed.  The most effective lobbyist is one who is well informed about both the issues to be discussed and the member of the legislature, his/her voting record, background, and constituent concerns within the district.
2. Be prepared.  Have data - preferably three kinds of data:  a)  general statewide data, b) data specific to your district, and c) your personal story - what is happening to children and professionals in the classrooms in your school and district.  Know your position and the rationale for that position.
3. Be friendly.  Don't let persuasion turn into a threat.
4. Be open.  Be prepared to listen and to speak.  But be sure you structure the meeting so you have an opportunity to do both.
5. Be calm.  The better prepared you are in terms of having background information and rationale for a position, the better you will be able to maintain a professional demeanor.
6. Give examples.  Most members of the legislature are not educators by profession, so the more examples you can give of the impact of legislation on students, professionals, and schools within your own district, the more persuasive your arguments will be.
7. Don't argue.  If you find yourself in a disagreement with your member of the legislature, don't get embroiled in an argument.  Your responsibility is to present your case, not necessarily to win your case.
8. Don't apologize.  Never apologize or undercut your position.  Remember you are speaking for your school and your children.
9. Don't get sidetracked.  Don't let listening to the legislator's point of view turn into getting sidetracked on to other issues.  If a member of the legislature puts you on the defensive or asks you to prioritize among positions, don't let yourself agree to negative statements about a position of make seat-of-the-pants selections among education priorities.
10. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know.  Some legislators may intentionally attempt to deal with issues that you do not have a solid grounding in.  Some may ask specific questions for which you have no answers.  If you're not sure of an answer, say, "I'll check and get back to you."  Then, follow up - get in touch with KNEA and find out the answer and let your legislator know what the answer was.
11. Find common ground.  Even if a legislator does not support the position you are presenting, he/she probably believes in the value of public education.  But if he/she doesn't even believe in that, every legislator still has the responsibility of attending to the concerns of all his/her constituents.
12. Don't give up.  Continue to keep your legislator informed about the impact of an issue, even after it has passed.  If they voted to support a program that works, let them know how it works.  If they opposed a program that was successful, let them know it works.  If they opposed a program that wasn't enacted, let them know the need still exists.

Our objective is to establish a continuous presence in the capitol through the bulk of the 2006 session. Our “lobbyists” will present a unified voice in support of public education.

USA will assign a superintendent from each KNEA UniServ District to serve as co-coordinator with the KNEA UniServ Director.

Lobby days will be every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from January 24 through May 4.

Each UniServ District will be assigned two days – one early in the session and one late.

The task of the co-coordinators will be to assemble a lobby team of approximately 25 persons to come to Topeka for the assigned day. Each team should be a mix of school administrators, teachers, school board members, parents, and patrons. No one group should dominate the team.

On the assigned day:

• The team meets at KNEA at 8:00 am. A briefing will be conducted by representatives of USA and KNEA.
• Team members will be given lapel stickers to be worn in the capitol.
• The legislative calendar for the day will be reviewed.
• Talking points will be distributed.
• Team members will be in the capitol by 9:00 am. Their responsibility is to make their presence known generally and specifically to lobby legislators from their region.
• Team members are encouraged, with the help of the co-coordinators, to set appointments with legislators from their district.
• Team members will submit a brief report form to representatives of KNEA and USA.

Assigned Dates:

Co-coordinators of organizing effort:

UniServ Directors:

•  Alliance (N): Ward Symons
• Ark Valley (C): Vickie Nitsch
• Capital (I): Jack Williamson
• Cottonwood (A): Bob White
• KNEA Southwest (B): Kevin Scarrow
• Konza (G): Kevin Belt KNEA
• Shawnee Mission (M): Lisa Elliott
• Pony Express (J): Lily Kober
• Prairie Fire (O) Bruce Lindskog
• Six Rivers (P): Steve Lopes
• South Central (E): Dave Kirkbride
• Three Trails (L): Gene Neely
• UD 114(D): Kevin Riemann UniServ
• Southeast (Q): Tony White
• United Teachers of Wichita (F): Greg Jones
• Walnut Valley (H): Carolyn Schmitt
• Wyandotte United (K): Ollie Carroll

A map and contact information for each UniServ Director is available online at:

http://www.knea.org/about_us/local_map.htm

Administrative Contact for the KNEA/USA Lobbying Effort:

Uniserv Area                  Name                                        Position

Alliance                          Mr. Mike Slagle             Ex. Asst. to Supt. Blue Valley

Ark Valley                     Dr. Mary Jo Taylor          Supt. Stafford

Capital                          Mr. Mike Mathes            Supt. Seaman

Cottonwood                   Dr. Kent Otte                 Supt. Phillipsburg

KNEA Southwest           Dr. David Self                 Supt. Hugoton

Konza                           Mr. Steve Joonas           Supt. Barnes

KNEA SM                     Mr. Stuart Little              Lobbyist Shawnee Mission

Pony Express                Mr. John Severin            Supt. Hiawatha

Prairie Fire                    Mr. Jan Collins               Supt. Ottawa

Six Rivers                      Mr. Gordon Myers          Supt. Garnett

South Central                Dr. Craig Elliott               Supt. Maize

Three Trails                   Dr. Sharon Zoellner        Supt. DeSoto

UD 114                         Dr. Robert Goodwin        Supt. Southeast of Saline

UniServ SE                    Mr. Gary Price                Supt. Pittsburg

U T of Wichita                Ms. Diane Gjerstad         Lobbyist Wichita

Walnut Valley                 Mr. Marvin Estes            Supt. Winfield

Wyandotte United          Mr. Carroll Macke          Dir. Pub. Rel. KCKPS

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator
• The Citizen Lobbyist Powerpoint

Communicating with Legislators

• Ten Golden Rules of Lobbying (From the "NEA Educators' Guide to Lobbying")  
• Four Ways to Communicate
• Twelve Lobbying Tips
• How to Write Your Legislator
• How to Phone Your Legislator

How to write your legislator

Elected officials care what their mail says.  A logical courteous letter carries weight; it can change a legislator's mind, particularly when the legislator is wavering on an issue.  It is important that your message be written as effectively as possible.  Here are a few points.

Content:

• Keep it brief.  Be as brief as possible, but don't sacrifice clarity and completeness.  Two pages is a maximum but one page is best. Use your own words and not form letters.
• Identify yourself.  Let your legislators know that you live and/or work in their district.
• Keep it focused.  Limit the correspondence to one subject.  Otherwise, you decrease the force of your argument and complicate your legislator's efforts to act.
• Get to the point.  State your purpose at the outset and use the remainder of the letter to expand your views.  Be constructive suggesting alternatives or better solutions, if possible.  A few strong, well thought out points will be more influential than a long laundry list of reasons.
• Use facts.  Issues you write about may be emotion-laden, but beware of the nonfactual argument.  It will make your legislator less willing to consider your point next time, too.
• Relate it to home.  Emphasize the effect of the legislation in question on your legislator's own constituency and/or school districts.  Give facts and illustrations - use your own knowledge and experience to inform the legislator.  Legislators seldom change their decisions because of a philosophical argument but well-reasoned examples carry tremendous weight. 
• Provide background as needed.  Don't assume that a legislator is as well informed as you about a problem.  A legislator can't keep abreast of everything.  Explain the situation, what you think and why.
• Make specific recommendations. 
• Keep it positive.  Your attitude is important.  A polite, positive-sounding letter is more likely to impress than one that is negative, rude, or threatening.  Avoid being antagonistic.  Point out the benefits of your position.
• Use KNEA Resources.  It is a great idea to check the "Talking Points" section of the leader site or visit the "Legislative" information section of the KNEA web site to get valuable support and rationale for education issues.
• Close with a friendly appeal, regardless of the action you urge. 
• Allow for follow-up.  Include contact information and offer to act as a resource should the legislator (or staff) have questions or need additional information. Where appropriate, indicate in the letter that you will follow up with a phone call.

Format & process:

• Correct address.  Use the correct name and address for your legislator.
• Follow etiquette.  Addressing correspondence to legislators requires particular etiquette.  Every legislator is called "Honorable" on the envelope and inside address.  In the salutation, address house members as "Dear Representative _________" while senators are called "Senator ________."  Spell the name correctly.  During a legislative session, send correspondence to their office, otherwise send to home or business.
• Return address information.  For letters, be certain that your name and address are on the envelope and letter.
• Reference bills by number.  Refer to all bills by name and number when possible.
• Write legibly or type.  Make sure to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  Do not depend on spell check or grammar check to catch all errors.
• End cordially.  Thank them for their help and consideration.  "Sincerely," is an appropriate closing.
• Follow up thanks.  Send a note of appreciation if your legislator supports your issue or a note of disappointment if they do not support the issue.  If they send information you request, also send a note of thanks.
• Don't give up.  To be truly effective, sending more than one letter during a session is a good idea.

Using E-Mail

E-mail can be an easy and effective tool for communicating with legislators.  The tips above for letters also generally apply to sending e-mails.  In addition, e-mails should:

• Avoid informal language.  E-mail to a legislator should be treated as seriously as a traditional (snail-mail) letter.  Resist the temptation to use the informal language and symbols often associated with e-mail communications.  Never use impolite language or make "demands."
• Include your full address and zip code.  Make sure the text of your e-mail includes your full name and street address, including zip code.  Many legislative offices at the federal level screen e-mails for address information identifying the sender as a constituent.  E-mails that may appear to come from outside the district are unlikely to be read and might be blocked by filtering programs.

Addressing written correspondence: