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The Arkansas Citizens First Congress, a grassroots coalition
of 50 progressive Arkansas organizations committed to getting
reform legislation passed in the Arkansas General Assembly,
hosted a lobby training session at the Fayetteville Public
Library Saturday, Feb. 3.
Three
University of Arkansas groups who are members of the Congress--
P.R.I.D.E., Sierra Student Coalition, and Campus Democracy
Collective--helped organize the session. According to Fran
Free, president of the Sierra Student Coalition and member
of the Citizens First Congress, the session was put on to
teach citizens how to effectively talk to their legislators
and to promote the Citizen First Congress' five priority issues
this legislative session.
"I
think a lot of people have concerns that they would like to
bring up with their elected officials, but they don't know
how to go about it. They either don't feel comfortable talking
to them or think that their legislators' time is reserved
for professional lobbyists. Lobby trainings were set up to
dispel that myth and help citizens feel comfortable talking
to their representatives," Free said.
Brownie
Ledbetter teaches lobbying tactics.
(Photo:
Adam
Wallworth)
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Longtime
Arkansas activist and former executive director of the Arkansas
Public Policy Panel, Brownie Ledbetter, came up from Little
Rock to teach the lobby training. Ledbetter, a longtime proponent
of women's rights and labor in Arkansas, has over 20 years experience
lobbying the Arkansas General Assembly.
Ledbetter
gave those in attendance pointers on where and when to talk
to their legislators, how to approach legislators with their
issues, and ways to effectively listen.
"Put
the issue in front of your representative and then listen to
what he or she thinks about it,” Ledbetter said. “If you like
to dominate conversations, you'll soon be talking only to yourself."
Ledbetter
stressed the importance of making contacts with legislators
as personal as possible. She suggested a personally typed or
handwritten letter is much more effective in persuading legislators
than a petition or letter.
"Arkansas is a unique state," she said. "We're such a small
state it's easy to get to know your governing officials. Your
state or even federal legislators will know your name if you
keep in contact with them."
Ledbetter
told attendees not to give up if their senator or representative
isn't behind their issue in the beginning.
"You've
got to just keep going back, especially if they're against you
on an issue. Legislators can be persuaded to change their minds
if enough folks contact them, and keep contacting them. Believe
it or not, they do care about what their constituents think,"
she said.
Doc
Bradley takes notes at a recent lobbying seminar helt
at Fayetteville Public Library.
(Photo:
Adam
Wallworth)
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The citizens
First Congress encouraged those in attendance to take the information
they acquired during the session and apply it in the next few
weeks.
"The
Arkansas General Assembly is meeting now. We've got to work
on getting our issues addressed, or wait two years for the next
session," Said Free.
The event
was taped by Cable Access Television and will be aired within
the next few weeks.
For more
information on the Citizens First Congress go to www.CitizensFirst.org.
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