Lobby Day

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*** Lobby Day on August 25 ***
Bring Your Kids to the Capitol to Protect Children's Health!

Dear Friends,

The Sierra Club California legislative staff invites you and
your children to Sacramento on Monday, August 25, to participate
in a Lobby Day for volunteer activists. By gathering members from
throughout the state into the Capitol for a full day of advocacy, the
Sierra Club can send a strong and clear message to legislators that
they should vote to protect California's environment and children.

Though the Sierra Club's legislative staff works daily with
lawmakers and their staffs to provide information and expertise on
environmental issues, our effectiveness in the Capitol is due
primarily to the voting power of the Club's large membership.
When several members suggested a legislative Lobby Day to
increase involvement by our volunteer activists, we welcomed the
idea. Nothing is more persuasive to legislators than seeing
organized groups of constituents advocating for issues on their own
time.

Lobby Day will take place the week after the Legislature
reconvenes from their summer recess. By meeting with legislators
soon after they return to Sacramento from their districts, we have a
good chance of getting their attention and helping to set their
priorities for the final month of the session.

The priority issue for Lobby Day will AB 278 (Escutia), the
Children's Environmental Health Protection Act, and we encourage
people to bring their children to the Capitol to show support for
this bill. Co-written by the Sierra Club, the Children's Health Bill
would set key air and water quality standards to protect infants and
children. In addition, it would implement a number of measures to
protect schools and day care centers from pollution including
improved monitoring, enhanced pollution prevention requirements,
increased enforcement, and expanded air alert notification. The bill
represents a giant step forward in the protection of children's health.

The California Endangered Species Act (CESA), coastal
protection, environmental justice, and governmental reform are just
a few of the other issues that might require advocacy on Lobby
Day. Because of the fast pace of the legislative season, it is difficult
to foresee what bills will still be alive in late August and requiring
our attention. Since the Legislature will be entering the final phase
at that time, though, we're sure that we'll be needing a lot of help!

Lobby Day will begin at 8:00 am at the Sierra Club's
Sacramento office at 1414 K Street, Suite 300 (behind the
Convention Center). First we'll spend an hour going over
background on issues and providing lobbying training. Then we'll
host a press conference on the Children's Health Bill (which we
hope will feature some Sierra Club kids!). After that, we'll send
everyone off to the Capitol for scheduled appointments with
legislators.

The Club will provide breakfast and lunch at the office. We
hope to have a few host homes available, and we have a limited
number of scholarships for subsidizing motel rooms. Unfortunately,
we cannot provide assistance with travel costs.

If you plan to attend Lobby Day, please let us know ahead
of time so we can schedule appointments and reserve your lodging.
Please contact Megan Mullin at (916) 557-1100 x102 or at
<megan.mullin@sierraclub.org>.

The environment has won some tremendous victories so far
this legislative season, and we are delighted to be supporting more
bills than we oppose. In order to ensure that our good bills stay
alive through the final crunch, though, we need your help in
reaching out to wavering legislators and expressing our gratitude to
the ones who have helped us. We look forward to seeing you and
your kids in Sacramento on August 25!

Sincerely,

Bill Craven, State Director

Bonnie Holmes-Gen, Senior Lobbyist

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