YMCA OHYG

LOBBYIST MEETING

1

AGENDA

• Welcome & Introductions
• Positions
• Role of a Lobbyist
• State Assembly Info & Prep
• Resources
• Q&A

Welcome & Introductions

• OHYG Staff
• Head Lobbyist
• Team Members
• Name
• Delegation
• Why are you interested in Lobbying?

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Lobbyist Positions

• Specialist & Advisors - Nate Elliot, Dottie Kervin, Mickey Quimby
• Head Lobbyist - Cameron Wilson
• Develops and communicates the overall vision for the Lobbyist team.
• Leads Lobbying training and daily meetings.
• Assist Lobbyists with crafting testimony.
• Keeps track of firm scores.
• Lobbyist Firms

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Lobbying Goals

• Overall Goals - OHYG Staff
• Understand how a bill becomes law and where lobbying fits in that process
• Recognize how citizen advocacy influences public policy
• Explain a policy position in concise, persuasive language
• Analyze legislation and identify key impacts
• Use evidence and personal stories to strengthen arguments
• Anticipate counterarguments and respond thoughtfully to questions and opposing viewpoints
• 2026 Goals - Head Lobbyist
• Get to know each other and the lobbyist system
• Help everyone do in depth research on their bills topic and argue the side that makes the most sense with the most information to back it up
• Make sure everyone is prepared and comfortable when giving their speeches
• Have fun!

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5

Lobbyist Ethics

• No Bribes - The state of Ohio has ethics laws for Lobbyists and the OHYG rules are similar. An example is that you can go to lunch with a legislator or the Youth Governor, but you can’t buy lunch for them.
• No Threats - This won’t do any good anyway. It might get you removed from the program and sent home if threats to others are reported.
• No Lying - Lobbyists are expected to conduct their activities with honesty and integrity, providing factually correct and accurate information to public officials. If you are caught giving inaccurate information, your reputation will be ruined on all issues.
• No Harassment - If someone is not coming over to your view, don’t make their life miserable, and remember everyone has a right to their own opinion.

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Role of a Lobbyist

• Attend all scheduled Lobbyist meetings (daily meetings where you will check in and take attendance)
• Represent topics and/or bills assigned to your firm.
• Testify:
• In committee
• Before the Governor’s Cabinet
• Speak individually with Legislators.
• Track your assigned bills and keep track of when and where you need to be present to speak on them.
• Attend a dinner with professional Ohio lobbyists (This will take place Thursday during the dinner hour. You will go to Due Amici and the meal is covered)
• Work with the media to champion your cause
• When not in the Lobbyist Office (Room 119), firm members will be working on assignments around the Statehouse.

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Lobbying Methods

• Meet with individual legislators.
• Especially during House/Senate hearings, it is important that you talk one-on-one with legislators letting them know about the issue you represent and a specific bill you are advocating for/against that is coming up on the docket. Be prepared with an elevator speech.
• Advertise your position through the media.
• Give testimony during committees or to the Governor’s Cabinet.
• This is when you are able to speak to the entire committee that determines whether a bill is debated on the floor of the House and/or Senate. You are given a few minutes to provide reasons why the bill being debated in committee should be passed or failed.
• You may also be called on to testify before the Governor’s Cabinet to give additional information that may sway the Youth Governor’s opinion on whether to enact or veto a bill.
• Influence the media
• Lobbyists regularly try to get articles written about their cause. At Youth & Government, we suggest that youth lobbyists work with the Media Team to advocate for their positions through articles, social media posts, videos, etc.

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Writing a Testimony

• Use:
• Factual Knowledge - Information that is verifiable and agreed upon by almost everyone. Be ready to provide references as needed.
• Statistical Inferences - Interpretation and examples of an accumulation of facts.
• Informed Opinion - Opinion developed through research and/or expertise of the claim.
• Personal Testimony - Personal experience related by a knowledgeable party.
• Think about:
• Who is your audience?
• What do they believe? Where do they stand on the issue? How are their interests involved?
• What evidence is likely to be effective with them?
• Quality, not quantity:
• Be concise. You have five minutes for your presentation, but you don’t have to use it all. Be wise and don’t confuse the issue with too much information. Select the best stuff and hold back-up information in case you need it during question and answer time.
• Answering questions:
• After delivering your speech, the chair will open the committee up to questions. Committee members may ask questions but if you’ve done your homework you should handle it no problem. THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE! Use your delegation members or fellow lobbyists to practice. Before you get put on the spot in a committee hearing, do your homework and find the answers to any questions that you were asked in practice debate.

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Writing a Testimony - Template

• Testimony Template
• Good morning/afternoon/evening Chair and members of the committee. My name is (say your name and delegation) representing the (say your firm). I would like to testify for/in opposition to bill number (insert bill number) I have a handout/flyer/factsheet to distribute (if you have any).
• My firm supports (or opposes) this bill for the following reasons:
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• Give legislators an example / story of what might happen if this bill passes or fails.
• Repeat to the committee whether you want them to vote Yes or No on the bill
• Thank them for their time!
• Remember you only have 2 minutes, so get to the point! Save additional information for questions.

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Public Speaking Tips

• Other Helpful Hints:
• Talk, Chat, Converse, and Communicate: Think of it as a conversation.
• Be yourself: speak naturally and with good preparation.
• Smile when appropriate and genuine.
• Speak in a comfortable strong voice.
• Pause and take a breath: Don’t speak without thinking. The pause gives you a chance to think clearly so that what you say will be the best message you can deliver at that moment.
• Think Silently: Don’t use uh…ah…um….
• Be positive & honest.
• Talk with pride: You should be proud to represent your client and that should come through in your tone, words, and body language.
• Keep eye contact.
• Organize your material: Prepare! Outline, notes, manuscript.
• Take three deep breaths before you start speaking.
• Memorizing your testimony as much as possible.

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The Elevator Speech

• You will have the opportunity to speak with legislators one-on-one to convince them of your position. This will be especially important Friday after lunch when most sessions will be House or Senate sessions. Here are some helpful tips to dealing with people individually:
• Before contacting a legislator, be sure you know your stuff! By now you should be able to talk about your clients and bills in your sleep! Treat this as your ONLY opportunity to gain this legislator’s support.
• Your time with them is limited, so use your time wisely. Get right to the point! Legislators will not want to hear long speeches; they can go back into the chamber if they want to hear that.
• Prepare your information in a short outline format so you can quickly review your main points.
• Stick to the issues you came to discuss, don’t bunny-trail off into other subjects. Have an elevator speech prepared. This is a quick speech you could give to someone on your topic during the time it takes to ride an elevator with them.
• Legislators are entitled to have a different opinion than you – don’t become frustrated, angry, or take it personally. Sometimes you may need to “agree to disagree” and leave it at that.
• Don’t be afraid to admit that a problem exists. Rather than tear apart a bill and point out what is wrong with it, spend time discussing what the right approach to that issue might be. You can propose amendments to the legislator at this time but be sure you have a well-organized idea of what should be changed in their bill.
• Let a legislator tell their entire position – in other words, DON’T INTERRUPT THEM! Remember, you may not have all the facts on the issue or bill.
• Be sure to thank legislators for their time.
• Take notes on their comments including any suggestions they may have. Give answers if you have them; if you don’t have the answer, offer to get them. Understanding their view of the facts and where they come from will help you develop counter arguments.
• Be willing to compromise.

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Scoring

• Lobbying activities are tracked and evaluated on a point system throughout the State Assembly to determine the Most Effective Lobbyists award.
• When giving testimony in committee, speaking individually to a legislator, or presenting to the Governor’s Cabinet, you will have the Committee Chair, Legislator or Youth Governor sign a Lobbyist Activity Form.
• You will turn these in throughout the conference to the Head Lobbyist, who will tally the scores. If your firm has the highest score at the end of the day on Friday, your firm will win an award!
• Scoring Rubric
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State Assembly Prep - Equipment

• Lobbyist students are encouraged to bring a laptop or ipad to conference on which to write your testimony speeches. You can do this on your phone, but it can be more difficult.
• You can also use this device to track bills.
• Bring a notebook and writing utensils in case you want to take notes or develop a speech on paper.
• Bring a small bag that can carry these things to and from the statehouse (think a drawstring bag).

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State Assembly Prep - Practice!

• Public speaking is a fear of most people, but it’s also a really important skill. Practice, practice, practice!
• Give a practice testimony to others using topics you are passionate about, bills that your delegation wrote or bills currently being discussed in Ohio.
• Use note cards to help you organize your thoughts
• Be concise and clear, using simple language & short sentences
• Don’t fidget with your hair, clothes or papers.
• Give a practice elevator speech on a topic of your choice.
• Get feedback from the people listening to your practice speech! Did you fidget when speaking? How was your cadence and enunciation while speaking? What could you include to make your speech stronger or more persuasive?

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State Assembly Info - Tips & Tricks

• Bring a laptop or ipad if you can! It’s much easier to work on a laptop than your phone.
• Get used to talking to people you don’t know. You will be networking with people from all over the state at conference!
• Bring comfortable shoes and a coat. You will be walking a lot!

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Resources

• Lobbyist Manual
• Schedule
• Bill Book
• Bills organized by topic area
• Group Me (pre conference)
• Slack (This will be our all conference communication method during conference)
• Head Lobbyist Email: camjam0844@gmail.com
• Please feel free to email me anytime, I check my email very frequently!
• Conference guide document (from the head lobbyist)
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WPx4gk-YSXJh-qOI35HrnIvzK2sqCH49lZ0xSJiYYqc/edit?usp=drivesdk

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17

Questions?

Thank You!