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Legislative Effectiveness & State Government Committee

Meeting Summaries

December 2005

Meeting Session:		Writing to Your Constituents
Overview & Presenters:		Whether it’s email, newsletters, web sites or traditional mail, legislators need to be creative and effective writers to connect to their constituents.  This session provided tips on how to hone your skills and develop a consistent message in your written legislative communications. Moderator:  Representative Susan Westrom, Kentucky Presenter:    Gene Rose, Co-Director, Communications, NCSL,          Colorado
Summary:		Representative Westrom began the session by sharing some of her communication tips.  She makes extensive use of postcards, which she writes during the many little breaks in the action on the floor of the House.  She strives to provide written material that constituents will keep, so she often includes key government resource contact numbers in her materials.  She also includes a piece in her newsletter on “My Life as a Legislator” to help combat the view that legislating is not full-time work.  She introduced Gene Rose. Gene Rose started by describing some surveys of the public.  Generally, they want information from legislators in formats and language that are easy to understand.  Those citizens say they don’t hear from their lawmakers and that their limited experiences have not been good. For letters, Gene said to give citizens personalized attention, keep the language simple and verify spellings of name and other contact information.  For newsletters, keep them short and simple, use graphics and bullets, be creative and interactive, and make sure the focus is on them, not you.  For web sites, include bill summaries and voting records, provide links to other government sites, use an open and friendly tone, and make it easy to contact the legislator. Gene provided a series of writing tips: Write in the active voice. Use vivid images. Be honest and straightforward. Write for the seventh-grader Your first draft will not be your last draft Make it accurate. Avoid more than three numbers in any one sentence. Gene concluded by describing a “toolkit” publication that is available through NCSL (request through an email to gene.rose@ncsl.org).  The publication helps legislators explain representative democracy to adults and children and gives specific communications advice about using the telephone, newsletters, the Web and other opportunities.

Meeting Session:		What is a Good Staffer?
Overview & Presenters:		For years, legislatures relied on strong nonpartisan staff offices providing drafting, research, fiscal and other key services.  Recent years have seen greater gains for the partisan and personal staff.  The session examined what this trend means for legislatures.                                                                      Moderator:  Gwen Bailey, Assistant Clerk, Senate, Virginia Presenters:   Senator Sheila Kiscaden, Minnesota                       Terry Anderson, Director, Legislative Council Staff, Wisconsin                       Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Texas
Summary:		Gwen Bailey started by explaining that legislatures are seeing winds of change involving the increasing importance of partisan staff.  If nonpartisan staff are not meeting the needs of legislators, we need to know about it.  She then introduced the panelists. Senator Kiscaden described Minnesota’s situation, which has a long history of a strong nonpartisan staff.  That staff handles responsibilities related to bill drafting, fiscal analysis, research, information technology and personnel.  However, there are caucus and personal staffs as well.  The growth in partisan staff is directly related to the legislature getting more partisan.  It is helpful to note that there are three levels of action going on simultaneously in legislatures: Policy---debating policy options. Partisan---competing political philosophies. Personal political aspects---constituent service. This is like three-dimensional chess, all playing out at the same time.  As legislatures get more partisan, loyalty to the leader is getting more and more important. In all this, there are certain key characteristics staff should possess: Be flexible and adapt to the chaos. Give the legislator good advice. Know who the key contact people are. Respect confidentiality. Provide the pros and cons in a tactful manner. Be able to provide perspectives from other states. Build relationships with legislators so you know what they like. Senator Kiscaden had words of advice for nonpartisan staff.  You need to make your services known to legislators.  It takes legislators some time to learn all the different staff agencies and you need to make your staff stand out.  You can do this in part by doing a better job of new member orientation.  Legislators must, in turn, appropriately reward and support staff in doing their work. Terry Anderson noted that Wisconsin has had nonpartisan staff for more than 100 years.  Nonpartisan staff need to adjust and they are in danger of becoming dinosaurs.  Gone is the day when they can depend on legislators to drop in to request services.  Central nonpartisan staff have to be strategic to stay valuable today: Increase your expertise. Keep your entire written work crisp, concise and clear. Provide legislators information on key issues---briefing books, for example. Fill the needs for legislator training. Be a resource on personnel law. All of this connects to seeing the legislative landscape and acting to address the needs.  Terry’s agency has created a speaker series, where they have brought in a series of national experts on topics like health care, demographics and economic development.  They have also started the previously mentioned briefing books.  Directors need staff who can take complex issues and clarify them in a clear and concise manner.  The staff must never push their own personal views.  There will always be a place for good quality unbiased research. Senator van de Putte explained Texas’ system, which is more staff intensive than either Minnesota’s or Wisconsin’s.  She had her own view on key attributes for staffers: Love what you do. Love people. Be able to handle the long hours. Speak your mind, but be discrete. Follow the rule of “no surprises.”  Make sure the legislator is not blindsided. Know the legislator’s motivation and district. Take initiative. As a legislator, she doesn’t expect perfection from her staff, just that her staff should do things better than anyone has done it before.  Legislators have responsibilities to the staff as well.  They have to share the vision of why it is a privilege to do the people’s work.  Legislators must remember the “attaboys” and “attagirls” for jobs well done and take the time to celebrate successes together.

Meeting Session:		Share Your Humorous Legislative Story
Overview & Presenters:		Legislative chambers have seen it all from classic storytellers to a buffalo in the state house.  Members and staff need time to enjoy the humor in their work and this roundtable discussion session provided attendees with the chance to share their favorite legislative stories. Moderator:  Senator Don Balfour, Georgia Presenter:   Senator Dori Connor, Delaware
Summary:		Senator Balfour started the session with a few stories including one about a colleague who had been a part of a lobbyist-paid golf outing that had involved young women and some drinking.  The legislator, a Democrat, along with three Republicans, had enjoyed the outing at a very nice resort.  The key to his weathering the bad publicity was his ability to poke fun at himself.   He told the press “I’ve apologized to my constituents and they’ve forgiven me for the women….they’ve even forgiven me for the whiskey.  They just couldn’t forgive me for being with three Republicans.” Senator Connor mentioned that in one of her early campaigns she met one of her volunteers at a polling place on election day.  The volunteer, Stan, had supported Dori’s husband, Bob, and Dori for many years.  He was the type of volunteer who would do anything: lit drops, yard signs, whatever was needed.  She asked Stan if he had voted yet that day.  “Yes, I voted the straight Democrat ticket, just like I always do” he said proudly.  “Well” Dori replied, “What were you thinking…I’m a Republican.”  The incident did prompt her to come up with the slogan “Cross over for Connor” to help her Democrat supporters remember not to vote the straight Democrat ticket if they wanted to vote for her. A Wyoming legislator mentioned that in his first year in the legislature, he noticed this one guy who would always stand up in the back of the chamber against the door.  Assuming this guy was a doorman, the legislator asked his seatmate about why they didn’t have a similar doorman by their door. “ Oh, that fellow back there, he’s a legislator.  It’s just that he’s seated next to this tough old bird and whenever she thinks he voted wrong, she punches him.  He’s just trying to stay out of harm’s way.” A young Kentucky legislator told the group about the benefits of sometimes being viewed as not old enough to be an actual lawmaker.  This legislator had played a key role on setting a tough penalty for littering, which ended up being a controversial bill that sparked strong feelings among the state’s citizens.  One of those angry citizens, in an obviously intoxicated condition, showed up at the legislator’s doorstep.  The drunken fellow took one at the young legislator and said “Look, son.  I don’t want any part of you…get out of the way so I can whip your dad.” The group shared stories that indicated that humor is critical for the mental health of legislators.  It helps them keep perspective, release the tensions and develop a sense of camaraderie with their colleagues.  The session was attended by a group of Russian interns who will each get a one-year placement in U.S. state legislators.  They mentioned that humor is equally important to the legislators in their country.

Meeting Session:		Legislative Leadership in Crisis
Overview & Presenters:		American state legislatures have faced some emotionally charged tragedies in the last few years.  Whether it has been terrorist attacks, school violence or natural disasters, state legislators have demonstrated critical leadership to their constituents and colleagues in highly troubled times.  This session explored the key attributes of this leadership. Moderator: Hannah Shostack, Principal Research Analyst, Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey Presenters:     Representative Rob Eissler, Texas                       Representative Percy Watson, Mississippi
Summary:		Hannah Shostack began the session by noting that the legislative role in a crisis is often overlooked.  People tend to look to the executive branch---the President or the governors.  The legislative role is critical and we have some positive examples in the stories shared in this session.  Hannah introduced the panelists. Representative Watson described the Mississippi House response to Hurricane Katrina.  Following the lead of Speaker Billy McCoy, the House followed a four-prong philosophy in dealing with the hurricane: Take an active role in the process Develop a clear sense of the public need resulting from the crisis Understand the recovery environment in which action must be taken Develop a full range of options for consideration and public debate. To implement this philosophy, the speaker created a Special Committee on Hurricane Recovery, which included the chairs of the applicable committees that dealt with issues raised by the storm.  The committee created a report that identified needs, revenue sources and priorities.  It highlighted 14 critical issues for consideration, such as revitalization of the gaming industry, financial assistance to school districts and relief for homeowners.  Important in all this was the image legislative leaders had to provide to help bolster public spirit: ·        We are knowledgeable ·        We are problem solvers ·        We are prepared to act ·        We will not rest until recovery is a reality Although there has been increased partisanship in recent years in Mississippi, the response to Katrina has been bi-partisan.  In the problem solving, all ideas have been welcome and the emphasis has been on finding common ground.  Pragmatic vision has been essential. Representative Eissler talked about the Texas’ response.  Originally with Hurricane Katrina, they were a receiving state, affected most by the effort to help hurricane victims from other states who came to Texas.  Texas bent over backwards to truly embody the role of “good neighbor,” taking extraordinary measures to assist the victims.  However, with Hurricane Rita, they got a storm of their own.  Representative Eissler felt that it was important for Texas legislators to lead in an open fashion and in a way where people weren’t trying to claim credit. The Texas experience shows that the legislature must work with the executive branch to make sure the state is prepared for emergency situations.  Particular areas of concern are evacuation plans and routes, fuel availability and potential shelter.  Legislators must convey a sense of knowledge, preparation and orderliness, a strong antidote to worry or panic.  They must emphasize the issues of the bottom line: what will ensure the safety of the citizens and the state?

Meeting Session:		Committee Business Meeting
Overview & Presiding Officer:		Committee officers and members discussed plans for committee sessions at the Spring Forum 2006 and committee work products. Presiding Officer: Committee Chair: Senator Dori Connor, Delaware
Summary:		The committee made plans for sessions for four available time slots at the upcoming 2006 Spring Forum April 5-8.  The committee sessions will likely take place Friday, April 7.  The approved sessions are: 1.        How to Run a Top-notch Intern Program.  This session would focus on how you attract talented interns, train them and run the program so that it is meaningful for the legislature and the interns. 2.        E-Democracy: Are You Ready to Play Your Part?  (Possible shared session with the Communications, Technology and Interstate Commerce Committee). This session will look at how legislatures are incorporating information and communication technologies in their e-government efforts, especially as it relates to promoting citizen online engagement and deliberation. 3.        Legislative Powers Under Attack.  Some recent lawsuits have taken aim at key legislative authority, such as the responsibility to seat legislators and the right to make drafting records confidential prior to bill introduction.  What are legislatures doing to preserve their power?  (Possible shared session with Economic Development, Trade and Cultural Affairs Committee). 4.        Committee Business Meeting.  The committee officers and members will finalize plans for the 2006 Annual Meeting committee sessions. The committee also made preliminary suggestions that it will hold sessions at the annual meeting on: ·         Using Technology to Your Advantage ·         HR: a Hiring Guide for Legislators and Staff ·         How a Bill Becomes a Law: What Really Happens (examine the roles of all the different staff---potential “mega-session” with Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee).  The committee officers and members heard reports on their project to create a “How to be an Effective Committee Chair” CD and on participation in the RedBlueUS project to let people connect online with a counterpart from the “other side” of the political spectrum.  They also discussed the opportunity to bring Donna Zajonc, a former legislator and a current author and trainer, to the annual meeting to lead some legislator skill building sessions.