The 10-Step Program
Yes, the 2017 Florida legislative session is over. Unfortunately, bills that would have addressed texting while driving and other measures of public safety on public roads died in committee. Another battle lost, but the war continues, and it continues NOW. Here’s a 10-step program to educate your delegate for the next session:
Pre-Session:
- Your “ask”. Have a simple and clear objective, fact-based with stats and numbers to back it up. Have a consistent message. Blanket all legislators with the message – if your law-maker, tell a personal story.
- Your law-maker.
- Make contact. Visit, email, call. Meet the staff, equally as important as the elected official.
- Offer a ride or field trip to have them experience what you experience.
- Continue to contact. Follow up on any questions / concerns, update with new information.
- Follow your law-maker (“stalking”). Send a thank you if they made the news for a good thing, be friendly if you see them in public, always say HI. Get to know what they are interested in and their platform.
- Ask to sponsor or co-sponsor a bill that addresses your ask.
- Be prepared to testify at every committee the bill would go before.
Session:
- Continue #1 – #3 unless you have a bill sponsor.
- If sponsored and introduced, find co-sponsors.
- The bill.
- Follow which committees the bill will be heard, make friends with the staff of those committees.
- Reach out to all committee members to offer information regarding the bill, try to gage where they stand on the bill. Get assurances or give them more information.
- Plan to attend and testify at every committee meeting the bill is heard. Dress appropriately.
- Have a 3-minute statement and be prepared to answer questions with stats and facts.
- Numbers matter. Have as many as possible attend the committee meetings.
- Consider a PR campaign, press releases, etc.
- Follow the process in both the House and Senate.
- If passes, be ready to flood the Governor with correspondence in support.
- If signed, be ready to make it a PR moment for the bill sponsor.
- Send thank you notes to everyone.
- Stay engaged, always.
Visit our Advocacy page to read about our legislative platform and to subscribe to email updates. FBA members have access to these and other files at our Members Document Library.
Congratulations to our 2016 Annual Award recipients! Click here for a complete listing.
Do you have a bicycle story to tell? Photos to share? Be our guest and be our next guest blogger! Send your story and photos to Becky@floridabicycle.net.
Speaking of stories, our quarterly Messenger newsletter is available online for your internet reading pleasure. Visit the FBA website Home page or click here. Want a hard copy of our Messenger? Join Florida Bicycle Association or visit one of our bicycle shop members!
Complete Streets Savvy, or CSS, is a general bicycle educational presentation. The purpose is to provide basic information with regards to the Florida Department of Transportation’s adoption of Complete Streets policy and how cyclists and motorists can share the road safely. This presentation runs 10 – 15 minutes and is designed for legislators, civic organizations and other entities that meet regularly and need informative content. There is no fee. Make your request for CSS today!
Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association share a common cause in bicycle education for residents and visitors to the Sunshine State. Share the Road license plate proceeds benefit Bike Florida and Florida Bicycle Association to further these bicycle educational efforts. What’s on your motor vehicle? Get the Share the Road license plate!
