ACSOL Members Conclude Early Lobbying Efforts (update from 1/31)

February 1:

After meeting in the offices of all newly elected members of the state legislature as well as members of the Senate Public Safety Committee, more than 35 ACSOL members concluded their early lobbying efforts on January 31.

“We educated the newly elected members and staff regarding the need for a tiered registry based upon empirical evidence as well as the harm that could be caused by prohibiting all registrants from visiting all K-12 schools for all reasons,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci.

The ACSOL members were organized into four teams led by individuals who have considerable lobbying experience. Each team included at least one registrant, one family member and a professional who supports registrants.

“This is the largest number of people to lobby in Sacramento in support of registrant issues,” stated Bellucci. “We thank each and every one of them.”

ACSOL has led lobbying efforts in Sacramento for five years and during that time has successfully defeated many bills that would have harmed registrants and their families. For example, bills were introduced that would have allowed cities and counties to reinstate proximity restrictions. If the bills had passed, they would have prohibited all registrants from visiting public and private places such as parks, beaches, libraries, museums and movie theaters.

Future lobbying efforts will include testimony before committees that consider bills affecting registrants. Although no hearing dates have yet been set, they are expected to begin in early March. ACSOL members will be invited to participate in those hearings as well as to write letters and make phone calls in support of or in opposition to pending legislation. That information will be posted on this website as soon as it is available.

January 31: 

More than 35 people — including registrants, family members and supporters — lobbied newly elected members of the state senate and assembly in Sacramento on January 30.  The messages they carried were opposition to Senate Bill 26 and support for the concept of a tiered registry.

If passed and signed into law, Senate Bill 26 would prohibit all registrants, including parents, from visiting all schools (grades K-12) for all reasons.  The prohibition could prevent some registrants from voting, others from attending church services and many more from working on campus even when students are not present.  A tiered registry bill has not yet been introduced and therefore it has no bill number.  The bill is one of hundreds being finalized in the Office of Legislative Counsel.

“Our voices were heard in the State Capitol on issues of great importance to more than 100,000 families,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. “For many people, it was the first time they have been heard by elected officials.”

The lobbying effort included four teams, led by experienced lobbyists, that included by scheduled and unscheduled meetings.  Before lobbying, ACSOL trained individuals in basic lobbying techniques.

In addition to meeting in the offices of newly elected members, the lobbying teams met in the offices of members of the Senate Public Safety Committee.  Both Senate Bill 26 and the tiered registry bill will be referred to that committee before consideration by the full Senate and then the Assembly.

The ACSOL lobbying effort will extend to a second day on January 31 and be followed by letters and phone calls.  Committee hearings on the bills are expected to begin in March and the dates of those hearings will be announced both on this website.