NCJ Number
163557
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1995) Pages: 13-17
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper provides guidelines for law enforcement groups to use in lobbying for particular legislation at the State level.
Abstract
The paper first discusses effective legislative liaison. The goals of legislative liaison activities are to bring about targeted change, to be consulted prior to taking any legislative action and possibly in the drafting process, to promulgate a package of legislation that addresses priority issues, to inform organization members of the status of legislation, and to participate in the legislative process. Organization will be different for the achievement of each of the aforementioned goals. A committee should be established to supervise legislative liaison; the members on this committee should be geographically close to the legislative body, and they should be available to devote the necessary time to legislative liaison. Further, the committee should have bipartisan participation so as to avoid getting involved in partisan politics. A legislative effort should begin with freshman legislators. Grassroots action must be organized to contact legislators over the weekend, since legislators are too busy during the week. A network for grassroots action must be established well in advance of the legislative session. Legislators are most likely to be influenced if their interests are addressed. They are particularly oriented toward compromise as a means of avoiding controversy that leads to a legislative impasse. Alternative suggestions for legislation must, therefore, be developed. Guidelines are offered for testimony before legislative committees and for interacting with government employees.