Building Power To Win!: Recent Episodes
Lewis Conway Jr
A podcast about and for formerly incarcerated, directly and justice impacted leaders, organizers, advocates and non-profit organizations being more effective at passing progressive bills and stopping bad ones.
Top Ten Legislative Advocacy Tips To Build Power
- Get to know legislators well: their districts and constituencies, voting records, personal schedules, opinions, expertise and interests. Be sure to have a good understanding of the legislator and his/her concerns, priorities and perspectives.
- Be consistent with your messaging: develop one clear, consistent message. Avoid personality and bias, which may alienate lawmakers.
- Have a strong story to tell: be able to articulate the impact and benefits of your proposal in terms that resonate with the legislator.
- Try to tell the story from your prospective constituents' point of view (not necessarily from your perspective as an organization representative).
- Know how to persuade: No tactic or approach works best every time; be flexible and adaptable depending on context and circumstance.
- Identify fellow advocates and partners in your specific niche community to better understand the process, monitor legislation and assess strengths and weaknesses.
- Be a good listener: Be genuinely interested in the legislator's concerns, and learn from him or her.
- Don't try to "sell" your proposal; let the legislator devise their own message.
- Communicate consistently and clearly: Speak honestly and succinctly, asking questions when appropriate. Keep it simple; avoid big phrases, Latin words and acronyms.
- Be prepared: Have proposals drafted well in advance of your meeting.
Learn more ➡www.justiceimpacted.info
As organizers, advocates or activists we have to stay busy pressuring elected officials to act on our behalf. One way for us to do that, is to consistently push for reforms at the local level that dovetail with state or federal efforts.
This episode we'll explore felony disenfranchisement and cover its history, implications, and possible solutions. Felony disenfranchisement is a political issue and a ripe opportunity to launch campaigns that allow people who are directly impacted by the issue to lead.
As of 2016 seven states have disenfranchisement rates over 20%, with disenfranchisement rates in Florida at nearly one-third of African Americans. The United States marks the only country in the world that maintains for-cause disenfranchisement laws.
According to the Sentencing Project's report on Felony Disenfranchisement As of 2020, 5.2 million Americans were prohibited from voting due to laws that disenfranchise citizens convicted of felony offenses.
https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/felony-disenfranchisement-a-primer/
Building Power to Win is a podcast about and for formerly incarcerated, directly and justice impacted leaders, organizers, advocates and non-profit organizations being more effective at passing progressive bills and stopping bad ones.
Up next: Municipal criminal justice reform campaigns that build power.
As organizers, advocates or activists we have to stay busy pressuring elected officials to act on our behalf. One way for us to do that, is to consistently push for reforms at the local level that dovetail with state or federal efforts.
Below are some suggested campaigns that can be build power for and be led by directly and justice impacted people within the community.
Local LevelVoting
- Allow all formerly incarcerated people to vote in all local elections.
- Allow all currently incarcerated people in City, County or State Jails to vote in all local elections.
- Increase polling places in low propensity voter areas.
Housing
- Fair Chance Housing
Employment
- Repeal Local Prohibitions on Professional Licenses For Justice Impacted People.
- Municipal Job Guarantee Program
State LevelVoting
- Allow all formerly incarcerated Individuals to vote in state elections.
- Allow currently incarcerated people in all correctional facilities to vote in state elections.
Housing
- Prohibit Landlord use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) informed negative data that contributes to the discrimination against people with felony. convictions.
Professional Licensing
- Repeal all statues that bar an individual from receiving a professional license post-arrest and/or conviction.
Building Power to Win is a podcast about and for formerly incarcerated, directly and justice impacted leaders, organizers, advocates and non-profit organizations being more effective at passing progressive bills and stopping bad ones.
We build power by passing legislation that moves us forward instead of back.
Up next: A New Breed Of Leaders!