Posted on: 01/08/2010
Expired: 03/04/2010
The United 874K Coalition Advocacy Event is going to be different this year Instead of a one-day event at the Frankfort Convention Center, we will be hosting THREE Advocacy Days at the Capitol. In order to accommodate the coalition members and to focus on different groups of legislators each day, we have divided the state by CMHC/ADD regions (see attached listing of regions with their counties and legislators):
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 –Western, Southern and Eastern
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – Central
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 – Bluegrass and Northern
Last year’s event was successful in so many ways – overall attendance, representation of various parts of the state, quality and quantity of consumer speakers, and the attention of the First Lady. But our event was unsuccessful in the most critical area – contact and communication with legislators. Despite a 3-hour time span for attending, numerous invitations and follow-up calls, and a free shuttle bus from the Capitol Annex to the Convention Center, we had very few legislators attend the 2009 event!
For the past few months, the planning committee has been doing some brainstorming about how to best restructure the event to assure more attention from legislators – particularly with 2010 being a BUDGET session and the outlook for funding being especially grim. The solution, the planning committee feels, is to move the event back to the Capitol Annex and Rotunda, where coalition members can create the biggest “stir”, have multiple contacts with legislators and gain more media attention.
Because the coalition has far outgrown the capacity of the Rotunda, the planning committee decided to have three days in Frankfort in February and March which will give us ongoing visibility and much greater contact with legislators. Each advocacy day gives coalition members the opportunity to invite legislators to be at the event, to visit legislators in their offices, to attend legislative committee meetings, and to hear from legislators at the Rotunda. Hopefully, this gives the coalition a continuing presence in Frankfort during the critical budget session. We will need all of this and more to focus legislators’ attention on the needs of more than 874,000 Kentuckians living with a disability.
The planning team has made these arrangements for three advocacy days so that we can concentrate on contacts with legislators from certain parts of the state on each date, rather than all 138 at one time. It also gives the coalition much-needed recognition over a period of time, rather than on just one day!
Coalition organizations and individuals are invited to come to Frankfort on their region’s day, if possible, or on another event day if that is more feasible. You are also invited to come more than once to raise your advocacy voices! While coalition members are in Frankfort, you are encouraged to make appointments to meet with your legislators to share your personal stories, to observe legislative committee meetings, eat lunch in the Annex Cafeteria, and then to gather in the Rotunda at 1:00 p.m. to hear from policy-makers. Legislators will be afforded the opportunity to speak about how they plan to help and better serve the needs of Kentuckians with disabilities living in their communities. If you are able to stay after the Rotunda event, you are invited to go to the House or Senate chamber to see our legislators in action.
The KY Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) will again make the Consumer Involvement Fund available to reimburse individuals or organizations for travel expenses. Those participants having to travel more than 120 miles to Frankfort may apply for overnight accommodations paid for by the Consumer Involvement Fund through KCDD. We will circulate those forms in the next few days.
The Coalition has printed invitation postcards for each of the three dates which will be given to coalition members around the state to personally send to their legislators (see attached postcard instructions). These postcards are intended to be sent to legislators by their constituents with a note asking the legislator to attend the event on the date that his/her district is assigned – and hopefully, the date when the constituent will be in Frankfort to meet the legislator. Please contact me actionoffice@bellsouth.net to arrange to get your postcards.
We are asking that anyone who plans on attending any one of the three events send a post card to both of his or her state Representative and state Senator. We have compiled a chart for each CMHC/ADD region which lists the counties, the legislators and their home mailing addresses. You can download these from the website: www.advocacyaction.net or email me with your request. To identify your legislators, you can look at your county on the chart. If your county has more than one Senator or Representative, you can contact Project Vote Smart either by going online to http://www.votesmart.org/ or by calling 1-888-VOTE-SMART and providing your home mailing address or zip code. They will identify your Senator and Representative!
Each postcard will require one 28¢ stamp. If your organization needs help with postage, please contact Christin Miller at actionoffice@bellsouth.net or 1-877-894-0222.
We will also be alerting legislators and others in Frankfort to our advocacy events with an exhibit in the Capitol tunnel the week of January 25th. Thanks to the KCDD for taking on the designing and decorating responsibility!
Coalition organizations will be asked to give us a head count at least 9 days before the event so that we can have a sufficient number of boxed lunches available for attendees.
The following registration deadlines have been set for each advocacy day:
We will not be providing name tags this year, but can assist you with a template for you to use, if that would be helpful. We encourage you to have available a list of your attendees. You will need that when you check in at the security desk on the day of the event.
Please find attached an organizational endorsement form. If your organization would like to be listed as a member of the coalition and a supporter of these issues, please complete the form and return it to this office. The deadline for inclusion in the Advocacy Event program and media materials is January 27, 2010.
If your organization would like to have someone come to meet with consumers, family members, staff or board members to talk about the event, to assist with the postcard invitation campaign or to review talking points that might be made in a meeting with a legislator, please contact the office as soon as possible to arrange for some advocacy training / consultation!
We know that this is a lot of information to digest, particularly with the changes in format, location and activities. Please do not hesitate to email or call with your questions. The state is looking at a shortfall of as much as $1 billion and we need to make sure that the voices of 874,000+ Kentuckians with a disability are heard and the needs for services and supports are addressed!
Thanks very much,
Sheila & Christin
Sheila A. Schuster, Ph.D.
Mental Health & Health Care Advocacy
Advocacy Action Network
120 Sears Avenue, Suite 212
Louisville, KY 40207
Office: 502-894-0222
Toll-Free: 877-894-0222
Fax: 502-894-0635
www.AdvocacyAction.net
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KATS Network Coordinating Center
Charles McDowell Center
8412 Westport Road
Louisville, KY 40242
Local: (502) 429-4484
Toll Free: (800) 327-5287
Fax: (502) 429-7114