What does a lobbyist do, and why you need one:

 Most effective organizations have a vision statement and a mission statement. For Virginia Retired Teachers Association, those statements are:

Vision: all retired school personnel will be safe, productive, informed and financially secure in retirement.

Mission: to be the voice, resource and connection for all retired school personnel.

These are some of the lobbyist’s primary tasks:

• Gather information. Sign up for government-sponsored email alerts. (Bills have already been filed! Note civics bill)
• Keep up with the news: national, state, and local.
• Communicate with all interested parties: the client, the decision makers, the staff.
• Write letters, visit, call legislators and others in all branches of government.
• Meet with client groups, attend board meetings, learn priorities.
• Learn and follow the codes of ethics and code of conduct for lobbyists. Closely guard the reputation of the group and its members.
• Keep up with schedules: legislative committees, government agency meetings.
• Network with other lobbyists and interest groups, both friends and “foes.”
• Keep up with the thousands of bills and budgets. Follow them as they change (are amended) going through the system.
• Report to clients on a regular basis and when emergencies must be addressed.
• Coordinate lobby days.
• Coordinate press releases, press conferences, press relations.
• Attend receptions—not to eat and drink—but to get access to the people who can help you.
• Use media to advantage, by writing stories, letters to editors, consulting with media.
• Be a “watchdog” for the organization.

These are some of the tasks based on initiatives of the organization. We are living at a critical juncture for these issues.

• Follow any proposals or changes that affect retirement, e.g., state government “borrowing” from Virginia Retirement System accounts, or moving investments.
• Conversations involving public and private education. Examples are: funding sources and allocation, school rating systems, performance plans, such as the “Every Child Succeeds Act” (ESSA).
• School funding formulas: Virginia’s formula is now 52 years old. How long will it take to change this? The so-called “millionaire’s tax.”
• “Project 2025”: What does that mean for education? Will the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled?
• “The Nation’s Report Card”: The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that two-thirds of fourth and eighth graders aren’t proficient in reading.
• Absenteeism nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023.
• Math scores have dropped 13 points.
• Eighth graders may need a full year to catch up to pre-pandemic levels.
• And it’s still here: the “school to prison pipeline” and how schools and help to alleviate racism, crime, and poverty.
• School safety: both from shooters and from fires.
• School choice: What forms does it take? What effects does it have?

• Nursing home reform. Jared Calfee will address this topic later today.
• Virginia has experienced some of the most serious shortcomings.
• The proposed Congressional Review Act: how would it affect nursing home standards?

“Housekeeping Tasks”: These are things that are cumbersome and expensive, but you get in trouble if you do not follow them precisely.

• Register every year with the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Obtain an identification card.
• File disclosure statements every year.
• Take updated training course in bill monitoring.

Extra things a lobbyist does to enhance his political capital:

• Learn legislators’ voting records.
• Learn which legislators can swing the vote.
• Learn which legislators are on key committees.
• Study seniority and leadership in parties and in caucuses.
• Study where the money comes from, i.e., campaign contributions.
• Study where voting blocks come from.
• Study geographic characteristics. (E.g., Northern Virginia is very different from Southwest).
• Study the population and economy of each district.
• Learn where power lies.
• Study political party ties.
• Get well acquainted with staffers.
• Study rising stars.
• Develop strategies: when to be noisy, when to be quiet, long-term plans, contingency plans.

Remember that successes often take YEARS. Example: Health insurance credit for eligible non-teacher school division retirees.

The Legislative Committee needs 5 constituents of each state senator and delegate.  If you are willing to contact your legislators when there is a special need, please fill out the Legislative Liaison form and mail or email it to Bea Morris or Tina Whitaker as soon as possible.  We do not need a form from every member in a unit, but we need at least five.  Bea or Tina will call you with the information you will need to communicate.