Legislative Advocacy 101: How to Make Your Voice Heard by Elected Officials and Have Fun Doing It

Recently, Jane Shey, Policy Associate for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, gave a workshop entitled "Legislative Advocacy 101: How to Make Your Voice Heard by Elected Officials and Have Fun Doing It" at the invitation of the Minnesota Pesticide Action Network (PAN).

Fourteen citizen advocates who work to support pollinators and butterflies gathered in PAN's office in Minneapolis to learn about the legislative structure, how a bill becomes a law, crafting a message and organizing a grassroots structure to educate and lobby their elected officials.

As one participant said, "Jane was fun to listen to, but she was also a wealth of concrete, experiential information.  I especially appreciated her common sense approach of getting to know the legislators and their aides and be known by them."

The three hour session included discussion on the participants' experience in contacting their elected officials and scenarios for successful and unsuccessful lobbying tactics. One final comment summarized the workshop. "It helped me understand that lobbying isn’t so mysterious, but it does take time and energy."