The Ohio legislature is currently negotiating the biennial state budget bill that will determine funding for vital public services and supports over the next two years. Passing a new state budget presents a big opportunity to advocate to strengthen Ohio’s families and communities. Over the next several months AOF and our partners will focus on helping Ohioans be safe in their homes, afford the basics, and find good jobs that ensure family stability. Webinar speakers Tara Britton and William Tarter, Jr. of The Center for Community Solutions discussed how the state budget is negotiated, where to find budget resources and how to use them, what it means to be an effective advocate, and ways to get involved in efforts to strengthen Ohio’s human services programs.

1. State Budget 101
What It Means for Ohio and How to Get Involved

2. a statewide coalition of over 485 organizations and thousands of
individual advocates.
Advocates for Ohio’s Future is…

3. Ohio should be a great place for ALL Ohioans to live
and work.
Participate in
the economy
Be healthy and saf
e
Afford the basics

4. Advocate with us!
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• Unsubscribe at any time

5. Webinar Presenters
William Tarter, Jr.
Policy and Planning Associate and Community Advocacy
The Center for Community Solutions
Tara Britton
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy
The Center for Community Solutions

6. State Budget 101
Advocates for Ohio’s Future
March 28, 2017

7. State Budget Process
Budget bill returns to full
Finance Committee, changes
are made, substitute bill
reported to House of
Representatives
Different issue areas of
budget heard in House
Finance Subcommittees
(e.g., Health & Human
Services, Education,
etc.)
Governor introduces budget proposal
(Late January)
Budget bill (H.B. 49)
introduced in House,
referred to House
Finance Committee
(February)
House of Representatives passes budget bill
(Mid-to-late April)

8. State Budget Process (continued)
Budget deliberations are
heard in Committee OR in
subcommittee
Changes made in Senate
Finance, substitute bill is
reported out to Full Senate
House and Senate concur
with changes made in
Conference Committee
Budget bill introduced
in Senate, referred to
Senate Finance
(Late April)
Senate passes budget bill
(Early June)
Conference Committee
deliberates and agrees on
changes to budget bill
(Mid-to-late June)
Governor signs budget bill, likely with line-
item vetoes (By June 30)

9. House Finance
Tuesday, March 28
Public Testimony
9:00am
Statehouse
Rm. 313
Wednesday, March 29
Public Testimony
9:00am
Statehouse
Rm. 313
Thursday, March 30
Public Testimony
9:00am
Statehouse
Rm. 313
Contact Chairman Ryan Smith’s office at
taylor.stepp@ohiohouse.gov to submit testimony
and for more information about the committee
and the schedule.

10. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
A nonpartisan agency providing the Ohio General Assembly with drafting, research,
budget and fiscal analysis, training, and other services

11. LSC Homepage

12. Budget Bills and Related Documents Page

15. Comparison Document
• A document prepared by the Legislative
Service Commission staff, commonly
known as the “compare doc,” that
compares the current version of an
operating budget bill, provision by
provision, with one or more versions of
the bill that were produced at preceding
steps in the legislative process.
Arranged alphabetically by agency, the
comparison document includes
estimates of each provision’s fiscal
effects but does not include the line-item
appropriations, which are available in
the Budget in Detail. Specialized
compare docs are available for
conference committee deliberations.

16. Redbook
• An analysis (named for its red cover)
prepared by the Legislative Service
Commission staff at the beginning of the
legislative budget process that examines
the executive budget proposal for an
individual state agency. A redbook
typically contains a brief description of
the agency and the provisions of the
executive budget that affect the agency;
a detailed analysis of the executive
budget recommendations for the agency,
including funding for each appropriation
line item; and attachments of the COBLI
section and the LSC budget spreadsheet
for the agency.

17. Why Advocate?
• Service is not enough
• Government policies affect
everyone
• Government controls
funding for important
services
• Policymakers care about and
need your expertise

18. Advocacy Definition
 Public support for or recommendation of a
particular cause or policy
 Advocacy is used in the promotion of a cause or
principle, often times that lead to a selected goal
 Advocacy is just one way to approach a problem
 Advocacy does not necessarily involve
confrontation or conflict

19. Advocacy Do’s and Don’ts
• Do advocate for legislation and issues
• DO NOT advocate for candidates
• Do encourage voter registration
• DO NOT tell people who to vote for
• Do meet with elected officials
• DO NOT attend fundraisers as an official
representative of your agency

20. A Survey of Congressional Staffers
Asked What Types of Advocacy is
Most Effective
“If your Member/Senator has not already arrived at a firm
decision on an issue, how much influence might the following
advocacy strategies directed to the Washington office have on
his/her decision?”

21. What Types of Advocacy is Most Effective
Postcards
Petitions
Form Postal Letters
Your Office's Social Media Platforms
Groups Social Media Platforms
Form Email Messages
Visit From a Lobbyist
Letter to the Editor Referencing Your Boss
Phone Calls
Comments During Telephone Town Hall
Local Editorial Referencing Issue Pending
Individualized Postal Letters
Individualized Email Messages
Contact from Constituents' Reps
In-Person Issue Visits from Constituents
A Lot of Positive Influence Some Positive Influence
94%
94%
92%
88%
87%
87%
84%
83%
83%
56%
51%
50%
50%
49%
42%

22. Policymakers Find it Easier to Say “Yes” to Your Advocacy If…
 They have a relationship with you and your
organization
 They have reason to trust the information
you present
 They know who you speak for
 They know how you relate to their
community & constituents
 They know you have strong media
relationships

23. Three Advocacy Methods
1. Personal Phone Call
2. Personal Letter
3. Personal Visit

24. Personal Phone Call
 Don’t expect to speak to the legislator
 Be pleasant to the staff (ask for their name)
 Let them know if you are a constituent (phone ID can tell
them that already)
 Try to sound like yourself
 Know your expertise/What gives you credibility?
 Keep it short
 Be a good listener
 Have a clear “ask”

25. Personal Letter
 Personalize the letter
 Relate your experiences
 Keep it short
 Address one issue
 Hand written is preferred
 Always include your home address
 Always ask for a reply

26. Letter Example
• The Honorable __________________
• (governing body if sending to office )
• address of governing body
• Spell their name correctly!!!
The Honorable Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge
United State House of Representatives, District Office
4834 Richmond Rd # 150
Warrensville Heights, OH 44128

27. Personal Visit
 Schedule meeting in advance
 Schedule meeting with legislator and other constituents if
possible
 Dress appropriately
 Be on time, early if possible (but don’t be surprise if you have to
wait)
 Start with compliment and thank them first
 State briefly, clearly, and concisely what issue(s) you want to
discuss
 Personalize the issue
 Be a good listener
 Have a clear “ask”
 Invite legislator to visit your organization

28. Social Media
 Don’t be afraid to talk to legislators via social
media
 Tag them in posts to start conversation or to
inform
 Encourage your followers to share or retweet your
posts or to talk to legislators directly
 Use graphics, tables, photos or video to
accentuate your points
 If using emails, do not use all capital letters

29. • You’ll receive a follow-up email with links to video, slides and resources
• Join the conversation on social media:
• @Advocates4OH
• Facebook.com/advocatesforohio
• @CommunitySols
• @CCSPolicy
• Facebook.com/CommunitySols
Next Steps

30. Find Your Legislators

31. AOF Advocacy Resources
 Latest Resources
 Ohio Poverty Snapshot
Resource Card
 State Budget Issue Fact
Sheets
 Resource Archive
 Advocacy Toolkit
When you talk with people, highlight how public investments in Ohio’s human services benefit Ohioans at
all income levels.

32. Thank you for joining us today!
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