A series of podcast episodes exploring and explaining how legislatures work as well as how to get a bill enacted (or killed), told within the context of adoptee rights.
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18: Annette O’Connell & Shawna Hodgson
What does it take to “lobby.” Greg talks with AU board members (and friends) Annette O’Connell and Shawna Hodgson about their work and lobbying for bills in New York and Texas.
They talk, laugh, cuss a bit, and set out tips and issues to consider when you meet with a legislator, the legislator’s staff, or anyone else willing to do something to forward adoptee rights work.
16: Max Aulbach
Greg sits down with Max Aulbach, the legislative director for Michigan Representative Kristian Grant, whose district is in Grand Rapids. Max talks about his work, what works best (or not) in contacting legislative offices, and how he and his office works to support his boss.
While we mention two pending Michigan bills, the discussion is mostly about the ins and outs of working with legislative staff and trying to get a legislator’s attention, support, and commitment to a bill.
Read more about the legislative work in Michigan currently, including the work of the Michigan Adoptee Rights Coalition.
15: Ayana Smith-Kooiman
We sit down with Ayana Smith-Kooiman, the legislative assistant to Sen. Erin Maye Quade in Minnesota. Ayana was a critical behind-the-scenes (and front-desk) staffer directly supporting Sen. Maye Quade’s adoptee rights bill in 2023, ultimately securing its enactment.
She’s a Wisconsin-born adopted person, a Macalester College graduate, and a former advocacy fellow with Gender Justice in Minnesota.
More information about the enacted Minnesota legislation is here. The Minnesota Coalition for Adoption Reform was one of the organizations that had worked on the bill tirelessly for decades. Greg and Penelope Needham of MCAR also appeared on a podcast discussing the efforts to pass the new law: How to Succeed, Part 1.