Sustainable Earth

Design a system change that could lead to a more sustainable Earth. Pitch a concept for a bill on climate change to a state legislator.

RNR 150 - Sustainable Earth

Assignment 4 Instructions: Draft of State Legislative Concept Letter (20 pts)

Signature Assignment for Digication ePortfolio

Assignment Learning Objective: Design a system change that could lead to a more sustainable Earth.  Pitch a concept for a bill on climate change to a state legislator

Note: I’m Just a Bill might be helpful to learn about how bills become law in the US

Assignment 4 Instructions:

1. Search the web (e.g. use google search engine, terms like who is my state legislator arizona) for which state legislators represent where you are registered to vote or live most of the time. Government officials represent all residents of their community, voting or not. If you are struggling to figure this out, use the UArizona campus address (district University of Arizona is in then use the district to find the right legislators). Of your options, see which committees your representatives serve on and choose a legislator who might be interested in your idea. For example, I live in District 9 in AZ, and my senator and representatives serve on Human Health and Education committees so I went with someone in District 10 who serves on the Natural Resources and Energy committee instead. 

As an aside, you will find it is hard to find out who your legislator is via the web, I know I did. Something to ponder when considering who to vote for, how can I access this person when I have an important issue that needs to be addressed? Is this fair to all people who live in the US, how and how not? How can it be improved and by whom? 

• Frequently, state legislation is adopted from a bill in another state who proposed and/or passed it last year. Go look at the UN Foundations recent summary on how State Legislatures are impacting Climate Change. Choose a bill (AKA legislation) in one state that you think could also work in Arizona or your state. This will likely be energy, transportation, technology or human health related. Remember to address your letter/email to your legislator you identified in step 1.
• Write a one page letter that would be sent as an email to your state legislator stating your concept for legislation is (what, where, why) in a one page document, single spaced 12 point font using links to what  might be helpful for the legislator to turn your idea into a sponsored bill replicating what other states did. See RNR150-Assignment4and5-Example and RNR150-Assignment 4 And 5-Notes for more.
• Upload your assignment to the D2L Dropbox by the due date and time with the naming convention RNR150-Assignment4-LastName.docx

RNR 150 - Sustainable Earth, Assignments 4 and 5 Example

May 3, 2020

Representative Mark Finchem, Arizona House District 11 

email: MFINCHEM@azleg.gov

Dear Representative Finchem:

I am writing today to thank you for your long-standing interest in renewable energy and the environment and to suggest related legislation for possible consideration in the next session of the Arizona State Legislature.

The energy- and climate-related legislation you and your colleagues sponsored during the 2019 Session made several important improvements to Arizona's laws. As you are well aware, the transportation sector is now the largest component of Arizona's greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting electric vehicles, and simultaneously enforcing Arizona's renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities, are key aspects of the programs needed to address climate change and secure Arizona’s future prosperity.

As a member of the committee on Natural Resources, Energy, and Water, you will have more opportunities to bring forward crucial energy and climate legislation. In this regard, I urge you to consider the concept put forward in Oregon's House Bill 2020 of the 2019 session. This bill, an amended version of which is under consideration again this year, creates the Oregon Climate Action Program (OCAP) and requires the OCAP to place a cap on man-made greenhouse gas emissions, by setting an annual budget in place, starting in 2021. Among its other provisions, the bill authorizes the creation of a market-based cap-and-trade mechanism, through which emitters can obtain offsets the need to keep emissions within budget. 

Although no single piece of legislation can solve the complex problems of climate change, a measure similar to Oregon's H.B. 2020 would help secure Arizona's place as a leader among western states and the nation as a whole. Along with our neighboring states of California and Nevada, and other states across the country, we can turn the corner on the looming climate crisis and help make the world safe, secure, and prosperous now and for future generations. 

Thank you for your kind consideration of my proposal. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or would like additional information.

Yours truly,

Kathleen L Prudic, PhD

Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona

AZ Resident of District 9

Suggestions For Communicating with a State Legislator

Dave Ziegler, Policy Analyst, Nevada State Legislature

25 Apr 2020

These are some general ideas on corresponding with legislators  based on my experience as a committee policy analyst in Nevada. There are certainly other additional sources of such information. Although it applies specifically to oral testimony, the Research Division of Nevada's Legislative Counsel Bureau published a good summary Tips for Testifying Before a Legislative Committee

Before writing . . . 

Timing. The timing of the correspondence is important. The key question is where is the legislative body in its annual or biennial cycle? If the body is in session, it would make sense to support legislation that has already been introduced. If the legislative body is between sessions, it might be appropriate to propose an idea or support development of conceptual legislation. Keep in mind that lead times are pretty long. Once a session starts, most legislation has already been drafted or at least turned over to the drafters.

State and federal. The state versus federal distinction is important, and constituents often do not understand the differences between who can do what for them. State and federal jurisdictions are different. For example, regulation of the electric power grid is federal, while states can and do set standards for how much energy used in the state must be from renewable sources. States prepare plans to prevent air and water pollution, which must be approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Writers should try to make sure that the ideas they are promoting are within the power of the politician they are communicating with and what they can do.

Who is the legislator?  Before writing, correspondents need to know as much as possible about the legislator. Is the legislator a freshman or a veteran, how long have they been a legislator? What committees does the legislator sit on? Is the legislator a committee chair or vice-chair? Which district does the legislator represent? Is it your district? A starting point for answers to these types of questions is the website of the legislative body you belong to. In Arizona, that would be the Arizona State Legislature.

What about the executive branch? The legislative branch is not the only branch to pitch your idea to. A writer might want to consider writing to the President, the Governor, or a member of the federal or state cabinet. The executives have their own legislative initiatives and usually have a great deal of clout with the legislative body. So your idea might get more traction with the governor than the legislator, something to think about as you define your best audience. 

Forms of address. In formal correspondence (letters, memos, emails), the form of address is important, in my opinion. Is the legislator a U.S. Senator, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a State senator, or a member of the lower/junior body in the state? In Nevada, the lower body is the Assembly, and members are either Assemblymen or Assemblywomen. In other states, the lower chamber has a different name—e.g., The Arizona Legislature and the legislators are addressed as Representatives or Senators depending on which chamber they were elected to. Before writing, one should find out how members of the target body are addressed. A useful resource for such things is a secretarial manual, such as Gregg's, and of course the websites of various bodies.

What about email? In my experience, much legislative correspondence takes place via email. Especially during a session, when legislators are most busy, they might get the vast majority of their correspondence over email. They may have a staff member screening the inbox, looking for substantive input, or they may do it themselves. They are often flooded with input, and there is a risk a memo or letter may end up sitting on their desk.

Sources of background info. For federal legislation, the website of the Library of Congress is extremely valuable. All preparation should probably start there. For state legislators, the legislatures' websites are the place to start. Some of the state websites (e.g., Nevada's) are excellent. Many state legislators rely, at least to some degree, on two national organizations, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Governments (CSG). And the large interest groups (Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, AARP, many others) all have good websites related to legislation. 

Keep it short. The old adage—"I'm sorry my talk is so long; I didn't have time to write a short one"—definitely applies. Writers need to do their homework, and then make the correspondence as concise as possible. The legislators have very short attention spans, especially when things get busy which is always. 

What about lobbyists? The fact of the matter is that many, many bills come from lobbyists representing organized constituencies—teachers, contractors, health care companies, retired people, retailers, fire fighters, police officers, environmentalists, gun owners, doctors, lenders, and so on. And even if they didn't propose a particular bill, lobbyists will quickly line up to lend support (or opposition). If the writer of a letter officially represents a particular group or profession, or is simply a member, they should say so. Otherwise, not. 

Remember legislators are people too, often very busy people. They have families and other jobs in addition to their work making government work for all of us. Please be courteous and polite, understanding what their needs are to get your idea into legislation which will help us all succeed in changing the climate.

This scaffolded assignment creates a 1-2 page letter to an AZ state legislator proposing a bill related to sustainability best practices designed in another state and suggested for AZ. This is a common practice in legislation to borrow from other states. Here students are using their natural and social science perspectives to contextualize and pitch this legislation to a public lawmaker. First, students will be prompted to look at a website clearing house for sustainability bills across the US and choose one they think would be useful to AZ residents in terms of climate change resilience and resistance. Students will have to apply their natural and social science perspectives to evaluate and contextualize the importance and appropriateness of the bill in AZ based on its climate, economy, and people. Instructors and sometimes peers view and comment on the summaries and synthesis providing thoughtful feedback on ideas and perspective taking. Students use disciplinary genre conventions, reflection on writing development, and writing for a variety of context and audiences (interns, legislators, general public). Next students will take those revised summaries and put them in 1-2 page letter to their identified AZ legislator (if in doubt, use the legislator who represents UArizona). The letter has a specific form and convention illustrated to the students by an example. 

For this assignment, I use universal design principles, scaffolded activities/assessment, revision, and active/engaged learning activities. Students will interpret and present information for varying purposes. Note: this signature assignment connects with other low stakes discussion activities that have collaborative peer listening and feedback.