1.
Effective Advocating
and Lobbying Your
Elected Officials on
Clean Water and other
issues
Webinar
January 14, 2020

2.
• First elected State Representative in 2002
• Appointed Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in
2009
• Appointed Chair of the powerful Joint Finance
Committee. in 2013
• Served 6 year as Chair
• Retired from the legislature in 2018
• Practicing attorney since 1997
• Founder and CEO, Sustainable World Strategies
Melanie George Smith, Esq.
Delaware State Representative, Retired
asbcouncil.org/webinars

3.
• Frank is the President and CEO of the 5000+ member
advocacy organization, the South Carolina Small Business
Chamber of Commerce, where he has played an
influential leadership role in making South Carolina more
energy conservant, socially responsible, and small
business friendly. In addition to this role and his seat on
the ASBC board, Frank also founded the Business Alliance
for Protecting the Atlantic Coast and is president of The
Knapp Agency.
Frank Knapp Jr.
CEO South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
asbcouncil.org/webinars

4.
• Colton Fagundes runs the Clean Water is Good for Business
campaigns at ASBC. He has a Masters of Global
Environmental Policy from American University and has
worked extensively on issues of sustainability and
agricultural policy for multiple organizations.
Colton Fagundes
Policy Associate at ASBC
asbcouncil.org/webinars

5.
• First elected State Representative in 2002
• Appointed Chair of the House Judiciary Committee in
2009
• Appointed Chair of the powerful Joint Finance
Committee. in 2013
• Served 6 year as Chair
• Retired from the legislature in 2018
• Practicing attorney since 1997
• Founder and CEO, Sustainable World Strategies
Melanie George Smith, Esq.
Delaware State Representative, Retired
asbcouncil.org/webinars

6.
OVERVIEW
• You have an issue. Where do you start?
• Who do you reach out to?
• What is the most effective way to communicate?
• What material is most persuasive to a policy-maker?
• What is the best ask?
• Follow-up

7.
Where do you start?
(1) Know what you want.
(2) Do your research on your issue.
• Know the benefits
• Know what the opposition will say, why they will say it, and a response to it
• Know who else is in support of what you want. Other states or cities with similar
legislation? Prominent public figures who have spoken out in favor of the issue…
(3) Identify public allies or other coalitions with similar goals who are
accessible to you and whom you can reach out to for partnership. For
example, the Attorney General, Non-Profits, Business Alliances, Civic
Alliances, the Insurance Commissioner, the Bank Commissioner, the State
Treasurer.

8.
Who do you reach out to?
(1) Executive branch or legislative branch?
(2) If Legislative  Identify which legislators would be interested in
hearing from you.
(a) Leadership
(b) Committee Chairs
(c) Committee Members
(d) Your own representative, senator, councilperson
(3) If Executive  Call the executive’s office and ask for a meeting
with one of his or her staff people to discuss your issue.

9.
What is the most
effective way to
communicate?
1. In person
2. By phone
3. By email
4. By letter
5. Through social media
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

10.
What is most persuasive
to a policy-maker?
1. Real people with a story to tell
2. Relate to the policy-maker
3. How your issue and its solution aligns
with the interests of the policy-
maker and his/her district
4. Nailing your research: strong pros
and strong arguments negating the
opposition
5. Ease of passage/strength of support
for the legislation/policy.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

11.
What is the best ask?
1. Have an ask.
2. If you want legislation, can you draft it and provide it to the
legislator? Provide bullet-points in support and negating the
opposing arguments?
3. Can you amend an existing bill rather than doing your own separate
legislation?

12.
Follow-up
1. Letters/postcards, calls, emails,
social media from others in
support of what you’re trying to
do.
2. Personal, hand-written thank you
card.
3. Personally touching-base once a
month to provide an update to
the legislator(s) whom you are
working with.
4. Get to know their staff and work
with their staff.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

13.
• Frank is the President and CEO of the 5000+ member
advocacy organization, the South Carolina Small Business
Chamber of Commerce, where he has played an
influential leadership role in making South Carolina more
energy conservant, socially responsible, and small
business friendly. In addition to this role and his seat on
the ASBC board, Frank also founded the Business Alliance
for Protecting the Atlantic Coast and is president of The
Knapp Agency.
Frank Knapp Jr.
CEO South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
asbcouncil.org/webinars

14.
• Know your issue well. You might know
more about the issue than your
Congressperson and possibly (but not
likely) the staff person handling the issue.
• Know the current position of the
Congressperson on the issue and see if
they have made any public comments
about the issue.
Before the Meeting
asbcouncil.org/webinars

15.
• Get to know the national or state staff person handling the
issue. Contact them by phone or email. Make sure they
know that you are a constituent (if you are). They need to
feel that you are knowledgeable, have specific concerns
that you want to discuss with the Congressperson, and
that you are not “crazy”.
• Ask for an in-person meeting with the Congressperson
either in Washington or in your state. If you have others
that you would like to have in that meeting, ask and
provide names. You might be referred to the
Congressperson’s scheduler.
Do Your Research
asbcouncil.org/webinars

16.
• If you are not offered a meeting with the
Congressperson (not unusual), ask for a meeting
with the staff person handling the issue.
• Regardless of who you meet with, be prompt,
courteous and respectful of the length of time you
are given.
Work With Their Time
asbcouncil.org/webinars

17.
• Describe why you are passionate about the issue,
both from a business perspective and
personal. Be concise with your concerns and
what you would like Congress to do to solve the
problem. If the Congressperson has a position or
made comments on the issue that you don’t
agree with, try to explain why they Make a
specific ask of what you would like the
Congressperson to do.
• You can leave some information at the end of the
meeting along with your contact information.
In The Meeting
asbcouncil.org/webinars

18.
• After the meeting, follow up with a “thank you” email to
the staffer and offer to answer any other questions.
• If you are told that there will be some action taken to
address the issue, follow up with the staffer before the
anticipated action to remind them of your ask and then
afterwards regardless of how the action turns out.
After The Meeting
asbcouncil.org/webinars

19.
• Colton Fagundes runs the Clean Water is Good for Business
campaigns at ASBC. He has a Masters of Global
Environmental Policy from American University and has
worked extensively on issues of sustainability and
agricultural policy for multiple organizations.
Colton Fagundes
Policy Associate at ASBC
asbcouncil.org/webinars

20.
• Businesses with a stake in clean water
• Breweries
• Outdoor Recreation Suppliers
• Waterside restaurants and lodging
• Seafood
• Real Estate
• Any business that uses water (so basically all!)
• ASBC's Clean Water is Good for Business campaigns
• Delaware River Watershed – home page and business case document
• Upper Mississippi River Basin – home page and business case document
Making the Business Case for Clean Water
asbcouncil.org/webinars

21.
• This Administrations EPA has been systematically dismantling and weakening aspects of the Clean
Water Act, especially any rule changes that were made during the Obama administration
§ Sign-on in support of the Clean Water Rule keep up-to date on future actions:
§ Oppose Pollution from Coal-Fired Power Plants
§ “Toxic Water Rule” or Steam Electric Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs)
§ Comment by going to regulations.gov and entering Docket ID NO. EPA-HQ-OW-2009-0819 by
Jan. 21
§ Coal Ash Cleanup Delay
§ Comment by going to Regulations.gov and entering Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019-0172
by Jan. 31
§ Clean Water Resolution needs support in the House from both democrats and republicans!
Defending and Improving the Clean Water Act

22.
National Environmental Policy Act
• The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is proposing changes to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The proposal would weaken the bedrock environmental law
and greatly increase the risk of oil spills and other environmental disasters and hasten the onset
of climate change.
• Sign-on to ASBC's comment letter opposing the rule change or write your own
comment: https://www.asbcouncil.org/add-your-comment-protect-nepa-0

23.
PFAS
• Many PFASs are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and
animals, and elicit a range of toxic effects, including adverse effects on sexual function
and fertility, endocrine disrupting capabilities, cancer, developmental and reproductive
toxicity, and more.
• Last week, the House passed H.R. 535, a package of legislation dealing with PFAS
contamination.
• The Senate has said they will not consider, and the President has threatened to Veto!
Call your Senator and demand action!
• Sign-on to our campaign here and stay up-to-date on future opportunities to
engage: https://www.asbcouncil.org/companies-safer-chemicals-taking-action-pfas

24.
Water Infrastructure
• Water infrastructure in many cities has not been upgraded for decades or longer, and
significant investment is needed to ensure our continued access to clean water. There are two
federal funds to states for water infrastructure:
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund
• "Grey" stormwater and wastewater infrastructure and "green" stormwater
infrastructure
• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
• Water Quality and Jobs Protection Act (H.R. 1497) - would inject $16.68 billion into
stormwater infrastructure investment over the next five years
• Call your Senator and demand they introduce companion legislation!

25.
Other Federal Policies
• Land Water Conservation Fund
• Current legislation in the Senate (S. 1081) and House (H.R. 3195) would make funding for
the program permanent.
• Appropriations
• Infrastructure funds
• LWCF
• Regional grant programs
• e.g. Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, Greatlakes Restoration Initiative,
Chesapeake Bay Program
• More funding for Farm Bill Conservation programs that reduce agricultural runoff pollution

26.
State-Level Opportunities
• Storm Water Utilities
• Demand your State properly implement the Clean Water Act
• Fund agricultural conservation program
• Potential for innovative new rules, like a recent one in Minnesota state that requires farmers to
limit fertilizer application on frozen ground
• Implement regional/watershed-based planning: for example, restoration plans, watershed
implantation plans, runoff effluent limits and regional stormwater utilities

27.
Questions?
Outside Advocacy Techniques
asbcouncil.org/webinars

28.
Outside Advocacy Techniques
asbcouncil.org/webinars
Melanie George Smith, Esq.- Founder and CEO Sustainable World Strategies
Melanie@MelanieGeorgeSmith.com www.SustainableWorldStrategies.com
Frank Knapp Jr. CEO South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
fknapp@scsbc.org
Colton Fagundes
cfagundes@asbcouncil.org