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Planning A Joint CCL Meeting With Your Member

Presentation Slides:

http://cclusa.org/ planning-joint-moc-meeting

Welcome to Citizens’ Climate University, a weekly webinar program of Citizens’ Climate Lobby that provides CCL supporters with access to in-depth training opportunities on topics relating to climate change and effective climate advocacy.

I’m your host Brett Cease and tonight’s topic is: Planning A Joint Virtual CCL Meeting With Your Member Of Congress. Join CCL leaders for a training that will discuss the details on how to best prepare for and plan a joint virtual CCL meeting.�

We’ll get started at the top of the hour.
In the meantime, follow us online.

FB: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby
Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

Welcome! Share where you’re calling in from and what brought you here for tonight’s training in the chat.
Tonight’s slides: http://cclusa.org/planning-joint-moc-meeting
CCL Community Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/461

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Training being recorded, available after in CCL Community

All lines are muted - pose your questions via the “Chat” icon

“Raise your hand” -click on “Participants” or *9 if on phone

If you need tech help call: 1-888-799-9666

Housekeeping

Format: Presentation and then time for Q&A

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Review:

This Training Page on CCL Community: [insert URL]. You can also find it by just typing the title into search and the recording is made available by the end of the next day.
We’ll review the presentation agenda shortly, but know there will be time for Q&A.
For the first part of our training, all lines have been muted and we recommend headphones to minimize feedback.
When we get to the Q&A portion, you can unmute two ways. If you’re joining on the computer hover your mouse over the Zoom application black toolbar and clicking the microphone icon (usually the far left side). If you’re joining via the phone simply press the asterisk or star symbol then six and it will unmute. That’s star six. In the meantime, feel free to type any questions you have in the chat window and we’ll start getting to them in the order we receive them during Q&A.
Lastly, if you are having any technical difficulties, we’re going to be too busy having fun to troubleshoot your challenges, so we recommend calling Zoom support at: 888.799.9666. We do recommend closing all applications if you have lower bandwidth and to download the Zoom application I’ll put a link in the chat to the website. [Put in chat: Need to download Zoom? Visit: https://zoom.us/download & look for “Zoom Client for Meetings”]

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About Our Speakers

Larry Kramer

Co-Liaison CA-49

CCL CA Orange County South Group Leader

Terry Quain

CCL IL Greater Naperville Area Group Leader

Liaison for IL-11

Alexa Foster

CA State Liaison Coordinator

Liaison For CA-45

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Three Learning Goals

How To Demonstrate the Grassroots Strength and Power of your CCL chapter

Where To Find Additional Resources & Support

How to Plan A Large Joint CCL Meeting With Your Member of Congress

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Our Agenda

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Steps To Plan Your Meeting

At Your Online Meeting

Additional Resources

Follow-up

Q&A Discussion

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Background

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Background

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CCL Pasadena Foothills Example

Bring In Local Elected Officials To Leverage Your Member’s Time

I had been stymied on how to approach Congressman Schiff after he supported HR 763.

With the pandemic, Danny felt we shouldn't try to push any legislation but talk about COVID.

So I contacted two electeds. The Mayor of West Hollywood, where I live and have enjoyed success in getting the councils support for HR 763 and other action items and councilman Dan Brotman from Glendale, who was just elected AND has been a member of of the Pasadena Foothills chapter of CCL.

And the plan was to connect the dots. I asked the electeds to talk about what was happening in their cities and how COVID affected citizens. They did a great job. I also asked them to make some statement that connected it ALL to climate. They did and it worked.

We had just introduced ourselves and Mayor Lindsay Horvath was just starting her presentation, when in pops Congressman Schiff. I stopped the Mayor and welcomed him and told him we were very happy he was there. I think he came on because he knows LIndsey, and Dan had approached him for an endorsement (which he didn't get). Schiff was happy he got elected.

I think that was key for the congressman to come on the meeting; two electeds.

I tried something similar for the June meeting, but couldn't get any electeds on. I used our constituents titles from former jobs (most are retired) and one who is a psychologist (added some great info). Since the DC LA was on the in-district call I said we were continuing the conversation about COVID but this time connecting it not Only to climate but jobs (as Danny had said to do). I loved that idea. It did not elicit another visit from the congressman.

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Steps To Plan Your Meeting

Coordinate with CCL chapters in the District
Identify an appointment setter/meeting planner
Select a topic, create an agenda and pick a date
Work with liaisons to create an invitation
Collect everyone's questions in advance and select the ones you will ask during the meeting.
Have a dress rehearsal to practice roles
Confirm whether you can record/take photos

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CA Orange County South

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Practicing Video Conference Security

Don’t share your Meeting ID on social media
Update to the latest version
Practice claiming host/assigning co-hosts
Mute all lines, decide how to unmute
Security settings like screen share, removing participants, enabling a waiting room
Have a dedicated separate group chat
Assign roles (chat monitor, waiting room, unmuting)

To review/practice ahead of time with your team:

Don’t share your Meeting ID on social media or public websites
Update to the latest version to make sure you have the most recent Security Settings
Claiming Host and assigning Co-hosts
Muting All Participants (and disabling ability to unmute themselves)
Security Icon Settings

Disabling Screen Share
Removing Participants
Enabling Waiting Room or Locking Meeting

In your Settings:

Consider Disabling join before host or adding a simple password like the bill number

Set up a plan with your team co-leads to have a dedicated group chat (i.e. on your phones, Google Chat, etc.) to be able to communicate live-time during the meeting if something goes wrong or needs to be privately communicated with each other.

Right before the meeting

Login, claim host (if needed) and assign co-hosts to your tech team and any speakers
Review final shared responsibilities:

Someone monitors chat and waiting room
Someone monitors participants to help unmute for Q&A and check for inappropriate names/videos to remove

Welcome people as they come on

As the meeting begins

Mute all lines (and consider disabling participants being able to mute themselves)
Enable the waiting room feature (if so your co-host will need to watch for latecomers and admit them)
Hit record and walk through instructions on how to participate (i.e. chat, raise hand (*9 if on phone), to unmute click microphone icon or use *6 to unmute, etc.)

If someone disrupts your meeting

Keep talking (see below) to help keep featuring your audio/video instead of the disruptor.
Mute the offending participant or remove (whichever you can do fastest)
Lock Meeting and have your co-hosts scan for any other bad actors to remove

As you practice removing a participant, practice saying the following phrases so if they are needed in any incident it’s an automatic process.

During the interruption:

Repeat saying - “I’m sorry everyone, we’re going to remove them for this unacceptable behavior. This person is being removed.”

After the interruption:

"I’m sorry for the interruption. We had an incident, the person has been removed, will be reported and now we're going to proceed to not let them disrupt us further. If you’d like to process this please reach out to me after our meeting."

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What To Talk About?

Work with chapters in your district to settle on a main topic, tailored to your member’s interests:

Climate, energy, conservation and the environment
Bipartisanship in Congress
How has your office adapted to the pandemic
How can we keep working with you?

Lay the groundwork for your December Lobby Meeting
If your member is retiring...

Work with chapters in your district/state to plan a Zoom meeting with your Representative and/or a Senator. Decide who will select which MOC to focus on, come up with a date, and work with the liaison to create an invitation. Be sure to include a main topic in your invite, tailored to the interests of your MOC:

Climate, energy, conservation and the environment
Bipartisanship in Congress
How has your office adapted to the pandemic and how should we work with you

Republicans in particular will likely need a range of topics to feel comfortable attending.

What to talk about?

"Lay the groundwork for your November lobby meeting"

what advice do we give to volunteers during the lame duck ?

"if your MOC is retiring ..."

Forum Post: https://community.citizensclimate.org/discuss/viewtopic/2781/6519?post_id=14534#p14534

Here are a few great reasons to meet with retiring members:

Ask for advice or support. What else we could be doing in the district to gain support? Who should we be talking to? Who are key influencers in the district? Could they introduce us or help us with contact info?
We know constituents pay attention to what their member of Congress says. The MOC may also feel more free now to show support.
Any thoughts of what they can do to move things forward on climate in the next session?
Advice on what we can do to further support for the Energy Innovation Act in Congress?
Ask staff about their future. Are they staying on the Hill? What questions do they still have about the legislation?

CCL2020 Legislative Plan: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/459

History with H.R. 7173 and S. 3791 Always chaotic after an election Flip of President, House, or Senate

Legislative Backlog Staff turnover Moving offices New Members It’s a time of transition and uncertainty

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Republican Office - Example Questions

Do you believe it’s important for Republicans to provide more leadership on climate policy?
Check-in on RECLAIM Act, USE IT Act, Climate-Safe Fisheries or Growing Climate Solutions Act - thoughts/plans for support?
Who are organizations you enjoy working with and who is important to passing innovation/market-based policies?

Hi Group Leaders.

I asked our DC team for some examples of questions that could be used if a MOC attends a CCL meeting, as suggested in the July action sheet. Those are below.

In addition, it's fine to ask about other things you know the MOC might be interested in, or about environmental issues broadly, and about what it has been like for them and their staff during the pandemic.

For Republicans:

How has Leader McCarthy’s Jan 16th party-wide meeting on climate has played out within the party as the pandemic has temporarily reshaped American Life? Do you believe it is important for republicans to provide more leadership on climate policy?
CCL advocated for several climate-related bills at our recent lobby day: the RECLAIM ACT, Growing Climate Solutions Act, the USE IT act, the Climate-Safe Fisheries Act, and of course the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend act. All were bipartisan. Do you have any thoughts or plan to support any of these bills? How are you working to protect the environment?
CCL has been working with several groups to help advance our priorities, including environmental groups, local businesses, faith leaders [groups could consider entering specific names here that are of greatest interest in their district/state]. Who are organizations that you enjoy working with, and who you think would be important to passing the kinds of innovation and market-based policies that Republicans can get behind?

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Democrat Office - Example Questions

With the Trump Administration’s dedicated damage to regulatory apprioach, how do we create durable solutions that survive successive administrations?
Where have you seen bipartisanship work well and what were the important factors that helped?
Who do you like working with?

For Democrats:

President Trump has shown that a dedicated executive can do severe damage to regulatory approaches to reducing emissions. How do we create durable solutions, that can survive successive administrations?
CCL has had success in encouraging bipartisanship in Congress. For us, it’s important that climate be a bridge between the parties, rather than a wedge. It’s hard to see examples of bipartisanship in today’s politics. Give us some hope; where have you seen bipartisanship work well, and what were the important factors that enabled that bipartisanship that we might try to recreate?
CCL has been working with several groups to help advance our shared priorities, including environmental groups, local businesses, faith leaders [groups could consider entering specific names here that are of greatest interest in their district/state].. Who are organizations that you enjoy working with, and who you think would be important to passing the kinds of policies that both Democrats and Republicans can get behind?

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IL Greater Naperville Area

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How Is It Different? (Than Lobby Meetings)

Lots of CCL attendees
Only a subset of these attendees have roles
Different goal: Showing your member of Congress the strength of CCL
Topic may not be legislation

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How Is It The Same? (As Lobby Meetings)

Respect, admiration, appreciation
Questions are decided in advance
Lots of listening
Advance the relationship
Celebrate together afterwards!

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CA Orange County Central

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Time For Questions

Click Participants & Raise Hand Or *9 If On The Phone

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https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics

Share online, with social media, and with your chapter, family and friends!

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Thank You!

Brett Cease email: brett@citizensclimate.org

Questions or Experiences? Share on CCL Community’s Forums: https://community.citizensclimate.org/forums

www.citizensclimatelobby.org