Practical Tips for Working with the Governor’s Legislative Unit

Practical Tips for Working with the Governor’s Legislative Unit By Chris Micheli

            In talking with staff from the Governor’s Legislative Unit the past few weeks, there are some practical tips that were shared with me for those working with the staff members of the Governor’s Legislative Unit. While some of these recommendations may seem obvious, many of them bear repeating.

The following are some of the suggestions shared with me these past few weeks:

·         Always identify the client(s) you are engaging on behalf of, the topic, and the position when requesting a meeting. In addition, provide the meeting participants in advance.

·         Submit your support or opposition letter, or a request for signature or veto, to the following email address: leg.unit@gov.ca.gov,

  • The earlier you communicate any concerns about a bill, the better. In other words, the first time the Governor's Office is hearing about an issue with a bill should not be when the bill arrives at their desk. Remember that about 2,500 bills get introduced annually and roughly 1,000 of them reach the Governor’s Desk.

·         At the end of Session, the author’s letter, sponsor’s letter, and other letters of support should be submitted to the Governor’s Office within three days of the final floor vote.

·         You do not need to attach any additional documents to the request letter when the bill is in enrollment. Instead, only send the letter requesting a signature or veto.

·         Letters should be addressed to the Governor with a subject line requesting a signature or veto of a single bill. Do not include more than one bill in your letter.

·         Your letter should be concise, but detailed. The letter requesting a signature or veto should address (1) the problem being addressed by the bill; (2) whether or not a change in law is necessary at the state level; (3) whether this proposed law change can be implemented; (4) whether the cost of the bill, if there are any, impact the state budget.

·         It is often helpful to include a real-world example or two of the problem that is being addressed by the bill and explain why a state solution is needed.

·         Always include contact information in your letter so that a Legislative Unit employee can contact an actual person with any questions.

·         It is important to engage early with the Governor’s Office and executive branch entity. For example, if you know you are going to run legislation on an item that will impact an agency or department, begin outreach in the Fall. Larger state agencies and departments may have hundreds of bills they are looking at during session and so early engagement will be helpful to you and the executive branch entity.

·         Approach the relevant department and agency before the Governor’s Office, as the Governor’s staff will just push folks back to meet with the department and agency. Remember that the Governor’s Office and agency staff speak on a regular basis.

·         Keep the communication going as the legislation moves through the process. However, do not assume that a legislative deputy can have multiple meetings on the same legislation with the same people.

·         Make sure that your meeting request is timely and provide new or updated information in any subsequent communications or meetings.

·         Don’t take the term “that’s interesting” as agreement that the legislation is a good idea.

·         If a legislative deputy says that a meeting is not necessary, do not read anything into that. For example, they may not have any questions about the legislation, or they have already discussed the bill with other holding the same or similar position, or with the author or the author’s staff.

·         The email deluge is real. In addition to emails related to their job functions, staff inboxes are often full and they appreciate email etiquette. Your email should provide a clear subject line; put emphasis on the important points; make the “ask” clear; put all relevant info in the body of the email, and don’t include attachments unless they are imperative.

·         It may be helpful to meet with executive branch staff at the beginning of the year to discuss the upcoming session and policy interests, as well as your client priorities.

·         Don’t tell committee consultants that the Administration supports your bill language.

·         Return phone calls and emails from the Governor’s Office staff promptly. There are some lobbyists who have a bad habit of either not responding or responding after it is too late to be helpful. When Governor’s Office staff reach out to you on a bill, they are doing so for a reason and are usually under time constraints. It is also important that the contact person for a bill be available at the conclusion of Session in case the assigned legislative deputy has any additional questions.

·         If the Governor’s Office is suggesting amendments, they are not likely suggestions. 😊

·         Every bill will not have technical assistance amendments from the Administration. If a bill has technical assistance, it does not mean the bill will be signed.

·         Be straightforward about a bill’s strengths and weaknesses. No bill is perfect, and staff understand that any bill comes with trade-offs. Avoid puffery or excessive doom-and-gloom statements.

·         If you have a great idea for a bill, but it is unfunded, consider pursuing it through a budget request or evaluate options to fund your legislative proposal. Despite the policy merits, the Governor’s Office takes feedback from the Department of Finance seriously.

·         Don’t try to hide the backstory on your bill. For example, if a legislative proposal comes from an executive branch action or a lawsuit, or it was previously vetoed, disclose that fact. These facts always come out and, if they don’t come from you, you will lose credibility with staff.

·         At times, it can be helpful for an organization to share all of the bills and their positions, but that should occur prior to bills reaching the Governor’s Desk.

·         If you happen to have a staffer’s phone number, don’t abuse the privilege.

·         Treat everyone in the legislative process with respect.

·         Above all else, be honest.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Another Reason to Limit Bill Introductions?

Another Reason to Limit Bill Introductions?  By Chris Micheli             As I did my final review of Governor Newsom’s actions on the 1,046 bills sent to him after the 2023 Legislative Session, I noticed that some of the Governor’s veto messages provide additional rationales for limiting bill introductions.             Out of 156 vetoes from the 2023 Session, the number one reason for the Governor’s veto was budget concerns or cost pressures. In fact, 41% of the vetoes used that basis. That by itself is not a reason to limit bill introductions, but another statistic may provide such a reason…             By my count, just over 1/3 of the bills vetoed by Governor Newsom likely should not have been sent to his Desk and, arguably, should not have made it through the process at all. In fact, perhaps they should not h...
Read more

Frequently Asked Questions about California’s Budget Process

Frequently Asked Questions about California’s Budget Process  By Chris Micheli             What are the main parts of the California state budget? They are the Budget Bill, Budget Bill Junior, Trailer Bills, and Supplemental Reports.             What is the Budget Bill? This bill contains the appropriations and “Budget Bill Language”. Note that only a Budget Bill (or BBJ) can contain multiple appropriations. It requires a majority vote for passage and the bill takes effect immediately. There is just one Budget Bill. What is the “Budget Bill Jr.”? This is the bill that amends the main Budget Bill by making changes to multiple appropriations. There are often multiple BBJs. What is a Trailer Bill? This bill makes the statutory changes needed to implement the budget. It is the same as any other bill, but it takes effect immediately with a majority vote if it contain...
Read more

Can Any Bill Call an Election?

Can Any Bill Call an Election?  By Chris Micheli             In June 2024, we saw two bills that contain a provision to call an election.             Both bills contain a “plus” section at the end of the bill, which is an uncodified statute, stating the following: “this act calls an election within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect.” Such a measure only requires a majority vote, unless some other constitutional provision requires a higher vote threshold (e.g., a tax increase). What is the basis for this statement? Section 8(c)(3) of Article IV of the state Constitution provides: “ Statutes calling elections, statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for the usual current expenses of the State, and urgency statutes shall go into effect immediately upon their enactment.” However, there is no further gui...
Read more