VOTE Groups Roll up Their Sleeves and Get to Work

Across the West, VOTE groups, still glowing from their successes in last fall's election, are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on issues before their state legislatures. Legislatures are grappling with the effects of a prolonged economic crisis that has run revenues to the ground even while families across their states need assistance at unprecedented levels. At the same time, progressives are also seeking to make progress at the state level on major issues that the new Obama Administration will be pursuing at the federal level: fair and humane treatment of immigrants, health care reform, the fallout from two prolonged wars that have drawn soldiers in large numbers from rural communities, and advancing human and civil rights. 

There's a lot to do, but an unprecedented number of people who want to build on the electoral excitement of 2008. VOTE groups are ready to make sure that legislators hear from constituencies who were fired up in 2008 and are now ready to go create the kind of change they voted for. Let's take a look at how grassroots groups in four states are building on their successes from 2008 and working on wins for their communities in 2009.

Washington State: Poverty Action and Allies

This year's People's Summit and March in Olympia brought over 500 leaders from a dozen grassroots groups together on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to continue the legacy of Dr. King's work to end poverty. After the rally, participants went on to meet with their legislators.

Poverty Action brought people together around five issue priorities:

• Responsible lending
• Healthcare for all
• Affordable housing
• Access to citizenship
• Improvements to income supports

With partners including Real Change, One America, and Washington Community Action Network, the Summit organized people from 35 state legislative districts all across the state. Participants were eager not only to learn more about lobbying but to put those new skills right into action and take their communities' issues directly to state lawmakers. Poverty Action's Legislative Agenda on the web.

Oregon: Rural Organizing Project

Rural Organizing Project (ROP) is activating its network of rural community leaders so that they can tell the legislature directly how the bills they're considering will affect rural Oregonians. With leaders in their ranks from every legislative district in the state, ROP has a unique opportunity to persuade legislators to pay attention to rural communities before voting on bills.

Amy Dudley summarizes ROP's approach: "We work within a broad framework that lays out what we care about, with local, statewide and federal organizing components based on what's important to rural communities. Right now, that means saying 'yes' to rebuilding Oregon, and 'no' to the cost of war. We've been building on this agenda for several years, and this session, we're looking for opportunities to support services that meet human needs and protect the most vulnerable in our state." Their framework has led them to focus on these key campaigns in the legislature:

• Bringing the Oregon National Guard home from Iraq
• Tax fairness proposals to end loopholes and raise the corporate minimum tax, which currently allows many to pay a mere $10 in Oregon!
• Rolling back or modifying implementation of invasive "REAL ID" laws

With their big statewide caucus/lobby days in Salem March 15th and 16th and some targeted bills on their screen, keep an eye on ROP this spring.

ROP's legislative agenda on the web (Requires Acrobet Reader) Look for them at the Oregon Capitol: March 15-16

Montana: Montana Women Vote

For the third consecutive year Montana women leaders have converged on the state capitol to teach each other how to be effective in moving state policy. The Women's Policy Leadership Institute brought together almost 100 people to learn how the legislature works and how they can influence legislators.

Montana Women Vote staffer (and Center board member) Alysha Goheen-Jannotta explains the event: "It's speaking to a need, an interest. There are a lot of women passionate about state issues and curious about the policy arena, and they haven't been invited to participate very often. But when they hear that there is an opportunity to do more, they respond."

The Institute is the first big event of a busy legislative season for Montana Women Vote. They'll follow it with a February "Learn and Do Day" at the capitol, an International Women's Day event, and a series of legislative updates in communities across the state. With each of these they will reach a widening group of women who might otherwise be left out of the policy arena in the state.

Wyoming: Equality State Policy Center

Equality State Policy Center brought some 70 leaders together for a "Citizen Lobbyist" training in Cheyenne in mid-January. Current and former legislators explained how to be more effective in lobbying them. More experienced grassroots lobbyists shared tips and missteps that are helpful for people unaccustomed to testifying before a committee or setting up a meeting with a legislator. Wyoming has a number of human rights issues coming up this session that will affect Wyoming residents, including:

• A bill to add sexual orientation to Wyoming's existing non-discrimination state statutes
• A bill that amend the Wyoming Constitution and direct the state not to honor marriages in other states or countries if the two married partners are of the same gender.
• State support for children's health care (through the federally subsidized Child Health Insurance Program)

On the heels of this successful lobbyist training, Equality State Policy Center is considering trainings outside of Cheyenne to help Wyoming residents in scattered rural communities understand how they can have their voice heard in the state capitol in these tough times.

In an encouraging sign of people's enthusiasm, the bill against marriage equality attracted a 30-person picket recently at the Capitol (photo at right), with more attention likely to come over the next month. And the non-discrimination bill has already cleared a key House committee.