The Virginia Association of Community Services Boards has prepared a brief on the upcoming Jan. 10 budget hearings. Among their talking points, they have listed the following bullets, and I thought we might want to consider communicating these to our members:
- Typically, speaker sign-up begins one hour prior to the hearing itself. Speakers are taken in the order of registration, so arrive in advance. Each person may register only one speaker at a time.
- If a person has a physical disability or a hearing impairment, special arrangements can be made using the House Appropriations Committee phone number at 698.1590.
- Since comments are limited to 3 minutes per person (and it may be shortened based on the length of the hearing), we suggest that each speaker prepare for only 2 minutes’ worth of pointed and succinct comment.
- Any talking points prepared for the hearings should be supportable by data as available.
- Please do not use this document as a speech.
- Bring copies of your statement for legislators/staff.
- Every speaker should have a clear take away message. Think about what it is you want the legislators to remember from the 2 minutes’ worth of testimony. Facts and figures can be printed, copied, and distributed, so as to not waste speaking time. Use only 1 compelling statistic in 2 minutes of testimony, as legislators are more likely to remember it.
Becky Bowers-Lanier, B2L Consulting, Richmond