1. narsol Advancing advocacy April 25, 2017
Ready to Testify!
narsol
Advancing advocacy
April 25, 2017

2. GOALS FOR TODAY’S SESSION
Do’s and don’ts of testifying
How to navigate the legislature
How to know when and where your bills might be heard in committees
Preparing your testimony
Critiquing and practicing

3. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Learn to navigate your legislature’s website and the requirements for testifying.
Find out which committee deals with sex offender issues. In many states, it will be the judiciary committee.
Determine which legislators are on the committee and begin contacting them with letters and/or meetings.
Meet with your representative(s) to discuss bills that deal with the issues you are concerned about and get insights about other legislators.

4. TIPS FOR TESTIFYING What you should (or shouldn’t) say
How you should present
Calming the nerves
Deflecting irrelevant comments or questions (in a positive way)

5. WHAT TO WEAR

6. WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY Write your testimony down and practice.
Keep your testimony short and to the point – many legislatures will limit your time. Even if your time is not limited, you should limit your testimony to 3-5 minutes.
Keep your points about the bill you are supporting or opposing. Do not wander off into other topics.
Share the Reader’s Digest version of your personal story.
Use strategic language – rather than use the term “sex offender,” say “person required to register”

7. WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY
Your testimony should be about how the issue affects the community at large – not just you. How does the issue affect the bigger picture?
Relate the issue to what is happening in other states.
Relate the issue to what the legislators are concerned about (costs, overall public safety).
Include evidence-based research on the issue and provide copies (or bullet points) to the committee.

8. HOW TO PRESENT
Listen to the testimony of others who present before you and use the same protocol.
Make eye contact for a few seconds with committee members, not just the committee chair.
Speak without referring to your notes as much as possible.
Use impeccable grammar. If you aren’t sure about your grammar, have someone proofread your comments and critique your oral presentation.
Be prepared to deflect irrelevant or hateful questions or comments.
If someone asks a question you can’t answer, tell them you don’t have the answer but you will find it and get back to them.

9. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
If you are preparing to testify as a team, pick your team members carefully. Not everyone makes a good testifier.
Stick around to the end of the committee meeting. Your best networking will come after the meeting is over.
Build relationships with experts (treatment providers, researchers) who are sympathetic to the cause and ask them to testify with you.

10. TESTIMONY https://www.ket.org/legislature/?archive&nola=WGAOS+018030
FAST FORWARD TO MINUTE 51 FOR TESTIMONY ON HB 38