Legislative Advocacy in Difficult Times :Legislative Advocacy in Difficult Times November 7, 2008


In this presentation… :In this presentation… What are the responsibilities and powers of the Maine legislature? What is the impact of the 2008 election? How will the national economic downturn effect the next legislative session? What is the process by which the legislature makes budget and policy decisions? How can we effectively advocate for our programs in Augusta?


The Maine Legislature :The Maine Legislature 151 members of the House of Representatives 35 members of the Senate All serve 2-year terms, limited to 4 terms. Every legislator is up for re-election every 2 years. Biennial session Power of the Majority: Committee Leadership, Membership; Control of the Calendar; Membership of Legislative Council


THE ELECTION :THE ELECTION


Maine State Budget - Revenue :Maine State Budget - Revenue FY 08-09 biennial budget appropriates $6.2 billion in revenue 43.3% individual income tax; 30.8% sales tax; 5.9% corporate income tax; 5.0% cigarette & tobacco tax; 15% other revenue


Maine State Budget - Appropriations :Maine State Budget - Appropriations FY 08-09 budget appropriations: 39.1% Department of Education; 32.4% Department of Health and Human Services; 8.4% Higher Education; 4.9% Corrections; 15.2% all other expenditures


State Budget Process : State Budget Process JANUARY Governor issues biennial budget proposal Portions of General Fund Budget are assigned to Committees of Jurisdiction Appropriations Committee Begins Joint Budget Hearings with Committees of Jurisdictions FEBRUARY – MARCH Joint Budget Hearings continue Committees of Jurisdiction “Work the Budget” and “Report Back” MARCH Crunch time


FY 10-11 Budget - What to Expect? :FY 10-11 Budget - What to Expect? Structural Gap – How is it estimated? When will we know? What are the options? What can we do?


Budget Advocacy :Budget Advocacy KNOW THY LEGISLATORS Know when things are happening and what’s happening: Association memberships, Maine Can Do Better Legislative updates - www.fpam.org, etc. What is Your Compelling Story? Why is Your Program a Good Investment? Organize, Organize, Organize


General Legislation :General Legislation The 124th Maine Legislature voted on over 2300 bills between January 2007 and June 2008. In the first session, there are no limits on bills legislators may introduce. New legislators have been known to make interesting proposals. Is someone reviewing the bills? Every bill gets a public hearing - an opportunity to educate committee members about your program and the way it may be affected by legislation.


Ways to Pay Attention: :Ways to Pay Attention: Legislature Home Page: http://www.maine.gov/legis/Links to live video, audio, hearing schedules, daily session agendas, bill status search and much, much more. Find Your Legislator: http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htmLegislators sorted by town (soon to be updated)


Contact information :Contact information Kate Brogan, Vice President for Public Affairs Family Planning Association of Maine kbrogan@fpam.org 772-3841