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Why Advocate?

State and federal laws that affect public school funding and operations are constantly changing due to legislation being passed at both the state and national levels. It is important that educators, school board members, and the public get involved in the legislative process to ensure that lawmakers understand how current and proposed legislation affects local schools. 

 School board members have an important role in the legislative process. Members of the legislature who live in your local community should be invited to schools and advised of the local impact of proposed school laws and rules. In addition, boards can be assured that they always have a voice on important legislative matters by selecting a board member to serve as the Legislative Liaison for the district. 

Board Members and Advocates

School board members can help their districts by building collaborative relationships with their legislators. There are many ways to do this: 

  • Invite them to your school and to a board meeting. Show them the good things that are happening in your schools. Explain the challenges your district faces and show them areas where your district needs additional support. 

  • Explain how the proposed legislation would affect your district. Give actual data and reasons specific to your district. Give them a reason they should support or oppose the bill. Tell them about any unintended consequences you perceive to be in a bill. 

  • Offer to be a source of reliable information or a sounding board for the legislator on education-related bills. 

  • Acknowledge and thank legislators for their hard work and the actions they take during a legislative session. 

  • Communicate both the positive and negative aspects of a bill. 

  • Treat legislators with respect, and remember to disagree agreeably.  

During a legislative session, check the ASBA Bill Tracker frequently; this will help you keep up with education bills so you can speak to your legislators. Due to technical issues on the service provider's end, the live Bill Tracker website is currently unavailable. This link will take you to a list of ASBA's currently tracked bills and their most recent status update. We are actively collaborating with the Bill Tracker website provider to restore access to live tracking as soon as possible.

Be Specific and Informed

Legislators typically have specific areas of expertise and interest. As an education proponent, give them specific reasons, real-world examples, and statistics that they can use when they discuss the bill with others. 

It’s helpful to understand the data overload legislators face during a session. While those of us in the education community can focus our attention on education bills, legislators ultimately are responsible for voting on every bill. 

The sheer volume and variety of material a legislator must know well enough to cast an informed vote is daunting. During a regular session, 1,500 bills or more are filed. Many bills get changed (amended) during the process of debate, often more than once. Each amendment can change important aspects of a bill or even the whole bill. 

Regardless of how conscientious and dedicated legislators are, it is a challenge to know the full effects of each bill. They often rely on others to educate them about a bill. Your informed comments about pending legislation can have a real impact. 

Legislative sessions are very hectic and fluid. Bills can go from stalled to awaiting the governor’s signature in a hurry, and it can be difficult to affect a bill once it has momentum. 

Learn about the Legislative Process

  • The legislature meets every year.

  • Sessions in odd-numbered years, which are referred to as a Regular Session, are for a minimum of sixty (60) days and address all issues affecting the state.

  • Sessions occurring in even-numbered years, which are referred to as a Fiscal Session, are for a minimum of thirty (30) days and are designed to address only appropriation bills, although a 2/3 vote of the legislature allows it to consider other issues of its choosing. 

  • Additionally, many meetings occur while the legislature is not in session (interim meetings) to examine issues that are referred from the previous session, are ongoing and need continued discussion, or are emerging and time-sensitive. 

  • The discussions at interim legislative committee meetings generally are more informative, congenial, and thorough in nature than meetings during the heat of a legislative session. Committees often invite expert witnesses to testify to help legislators understand the intricacies of the issues. 

ASBA Legislative Team

  • The ASBA Legislative Team attends legislative committee meetings to stay on top of the issues and provide accurate information to our members on what is occurring at the legislature. 

  • ASBA asks each school board to select a member to serve as their Legislative Liaison. That advocate is tasked with keeping the local board informed of legislative activity. During the legislative sessions, ASBA sends out regular Legislative Updates to the Legislative Liaisons about bills that impact K-12 education. 

  • Each day during a session, the Legislative Team identifies which bills apply to K-12 education and crafts a summary of the bills’ contents to be provided to the Legislative Liaisons. 

  • ASBA's mission is to promote student-focused leadership in public education through training, advocacy, and service for local school board members. We believe we can help accomplish this mission by providing accurate information to our members regarding the legislative process and bills that may impact K-12 education.