update 4-11-2022
The time is NOW, the person is YOU. Get involved and DO. What can I do to help children, Fathers and Families?
How to Grass Roots Lobby
1. REGISTER to VOTE including in a political party.
2. VOTE in every election and primary.
3. BE ACTIVE but remember that it will take time, even years, so pace yourself accordingly.
4. LEARN the process, how laws are passed and who controls the parliamentary process.
The expression that all politics is local applies to grass roots lobbying. The most important contacts you can make are the people who are your representatives in your district. This includes local, county, state and national representatives. Additionally, advocates often focus their attention on the legislatures first and then the executive branch. Often forgotten it the judicial branch and the agencies operating under the executive branch.
What party do I register in?
The choice of a party to register in is a personal choice. However, if you want to maximize your impact as a grass roots lobbyist the party that is in power in your district is the best choice. Many representatives are voted in year after year and often when one retires the party in power will win the general election based upon party enrollment. Some states (like Mississippi) are open primary states where you do not have to register with a party. Most are closed and you need to register with a party, often at the time of registering to vote.
The more firmly entrenched a party is in a district the less they need your vote. Often, the party primary will have multiple people running and the winner of that will be virtually guaranteed to win the general election. Also, we most often send the incumbent back in the general elections, but this is not always true in primary elections where less people participate and it is easier to challenge an incumbent.
Should I get active in party politics?
While it is not necessary to be active in party politics to achieve an end the fact is the more involved you are the better the chance that an elected representative will advocate for your issues. There are two things of equal importance in party politics. They are money and volunteers. So both contributing to a political candidate, whether it is time or money, will elevate your standing with them.
Why Vote in every election and primary?
It is important to vote in every primary and every election because the fact that you voted is recorded. While politicians don’t know who you voted for, they do check voter records to see if a person votes. So when you meet with a legislator they can see if you are an active voter. If you don’t vote they are less inclined to value your input as when they need a vote you can’t be counted on as you don’t show up.
OK, where do I find more information on what to lobby for?
There are many organizations, at both the state and national level, that you can affiliate with and advocate for their positions. Many people think that there needs to be one organization that takes a position forward, but in fact the more organizations you have advocating for an issue the stronger your position is. MORE IS BETTER, but you have to make sure that they are all working for the same thing.
Additionally, you might decide to not formally affiliate with an organization but that doesn’t stop you from using their information in support of legislation and/or policy that you agree with. Remember, the most important thing is THE PERSON WHO VOTES FOR THE POLITICIAN. Many legislators won’t even meet with an organization unless they can produce a person who votes in their district.
How do I learn how the process works? (Read on)
State Legislation
Lobbying includes not only having legislation passed but blocking legislation which is bad for you and your organization. The main way an organization supports or opposes a piece of legislation is by submitting a Memo in support of or a Memo in opposition to a piece of legislation, or individually you write a letter, or use a web based comment section. These organization memo’s often become part of the official record of legislation and are placed in the “bill jacket”, the official record on that legislation.
A piece of legislation has a sponsor, this is the person who authors the legislation (actually, bills are written by staff in each house). The sponsor will get multi-sponsors and Co-sponsors to sign onto the bill. The more Multi and Co-sponsors you have the better, especially across party lines.
To move a piece of legislation it is important to know both who supports it and who is opposed to it. It is easier to block apiece of legislation than it is to pass a piece of legislation. So you have to learn who is in opposition to your bill and also, who are they pressuring to have the bill stopped.
Executive Branch
The executive Branch includes the Governors Office and the agencies under his control. Each agency is headed by a Commissioner. The Agency which oversees child support is different in each state, just search “Child support” and your state to find the agency.
Judicial Branch
Often overlooked for lobbying purposes, the Judicial Branch of government is the one we beat dead, dead broke, disenfranchised dads usually meet first. Each state is different on which court handles divorce, child custody, and support matters. We are also subject to the criminal courts for violations of court orders and for (most often false) domestic violence charges. All courts are overseen the some type of Administration who set the rules of (un) fair play.
The Federal Government:
The Executive Branch
The Federal Executive Branch includes the President of the US and the Cabinets under him. Although protected by the 9th and 10 amendment to the US Constitution, and not authorized to meddle in these areas the executive branch has seen fit to do so. Federally child “support is handled by the Office of Child Support Enforcement under the Administration for Children and Families in the US Dept. of Health and Human Services. You can address correspondence to the Director of OCSE direct or to the Director of ACF or or the Commissioner of DHHS.
Legislative Branch – Congress (House of Representatives and Senate)
Just like the Executive Branch, Congress is not authorized by the Consitution to meddle in family affairs. But that has been unlawfully done with Title IVd of the Social Security Act (child support). Often federal representatives will tell you it is a “state issue” but the enforcement of parental rights is a federal issue. Don’t be swayed by their “not my problem” response. Each representative has home offices in their state/district and you can access them (or their staff) there.
Federal Judiciary
While we as disenfranchised dads are not often in the federal judiciary, much of what is occurring in unconstitutional. As of this date there has not been a valid case brought before the judiciary, not for lack of merit, but for lack of resources. This is possibly an avenue for us to pursue in the future. I myslef write to the US Supreme Court hoping to catch the attention of a staffer or clerk who recognizes parental rights in the Constitution.