State Legislative Process June 13 -15, 2006

By Vance Ahlem

Class V of the California Dairy Leaders convened on Tuesday, June 13, in Sacramento for the second session, to study the California political system. The class began with a brief overview of our schedule by Gary Conover, the director of government relations for Western United Dairymen. From there it was off to a fundraiser for Assemblyman Mike Villines who represents the communities of Fresno, Madera, Clovis, Orange Cove, and Shaver Lake. Upon arriving, we had a moment to visit with Assemblyman Villines who seemed to be very interested in the Dairy Leaders program. Taking time to meet the legislator was not only a great experience, but it also helped to put faces behind an industry that has been a target of many uninformed activists. Attending this fundraiser also allowed the opportunity to visit with other legislators who where in attendance, such as Assemblyman Doug La Malfa and Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian. After an hour of dining on hours 'oeuvres and visiting with elected members, lobbyists, and other donors, it was time to head off to our next meeting with Rich Matteis.
 

Mr. Matteis is the chief operating officer of the California Grain and Feed Association, and also a close ally and friend of Western United Dairymen and Mr. Conover. Mr. Matteis spoke to us about the legislative process and the need to build coalitions in the current political climate. Among the many reasons to build coalitions, a few stood out as key points. The first point was that there is power in numbers. The more support gained prior to approaching the Legislature, the more appealing the issue will look to the political system. This is not limited to getting together with other agriculture groups; a coalition can have a greater impact when others with a vested interest in the issue are included, such as labor or the health services industry. This leads into the next benefit of coalition building, which is that it provides access to as many members as possible. As different groups come together, more doors will be opened by using coalition members’ access or working-relationships that otherwise might not be available if you try to move a bill alone. Granted, you still have to sell the importance of your cause, but gaining face time with decision makers can be half the battle. The final point that stood out in discussing the benefits of coalition building was that it provides for more effective use of time and resources. Coalitions have the ability to get more accomplished in a short time with the use of a team of human resource personnel.

The session on coalition building was very informative and a good lead into the second day’s schedule of meetings with more elected members and their staffs. This served the purpose of unmasking the process of moving and killing bills, and it showed how, due to term limits, it is the industry’s job to educate members as legislative turnover continues to bring in new members who are further removed from knowledge about agriculture.

Wednesday began with an informative tour of the State Capital and the surrounding grounds and monuments. The tour covered historical points of the capital, along with an overview of the changes to modernize the facility, while still preserving the past. After the tour, it was time to start our day in the life of a California lobbyist. The group first headed to the Senate Education Committee hearing to watch the beginning steps of shaping a bill that might eventually make it to the floor and get voted into law. While at the education hearing, we listened to a debate on two bills. The first bill was AB358, a bill that would strengthen the Cal Grant Program, which passed with a majority and was placed on call for the remaining five members to vote when they arrived. The second bill was AB473, the Community College Affordability Bill, which dealt with class auditing fees along with extending tuition breaks to those still displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The bill received a majority vote and was placed on hold until the remaining absent members arrived to vote.
 

Next on the agenda was a meeting with Assemblywoman Barbara Matthews, chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. Assemblywoman Matthews is in the final year of her third term and she will be leaving public services to pursue other interests at the end of the session. While in office, Assemblywoman Matthews became the longest sitting chair of the Agriculture Committee. She had little experience with production agriculture when she arrived in Sacramento six years ago, but since then, she has learned quite a bit about agriculture and the economic effect it has in her district and on the state as a whole. Assemblywoman Matthews also expressed a concern that terms limits have transferred power and institutional memory to lobbyists and staffers. When asked what she felt were her most challenging and most rewarding experiences while in office, she responded that the most challenging part was being a moderate Democrat, and the most rewarding was being able to get some of her budget projects approved and backed by the Governor.
 

After meeting with Assemblywoman Matthews, we moved on to meet with Assemblywoman Nicole Parra. Assemblywoman Parra represents the Bakersfield area and sits on the following committees: Budget, Agriculture, Water, and Banking. She spent 10 years working for Congressman Calvin Dooley prior to joining the California Assembly. Assemblywoman Parra explained that she believes it is her responsibility to educate members on issues that affect her district. She has done this by setting up meetings in the district that included members from the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. She will also set up educational meetings at the Capitol when needed to inform other members of her district’s concerns. The last thing that Assemblywoman Parra left us with was that you can’t burn bridges in this industry.
 

The last meeting prior to lunch was with John Moffatt, the committee consultant for Senator Charles Poochigian, chair of the Select Committee on Central Valley Economics, and prior to that he worked for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Mr. Moffatt spoke about his duties as a staffer and the tremendous amount of knowledge that staffers must retain in order to properly assist the Senator. He also spoke about the fact that working in the building can be a good steppingstone to future political ambitions.
 

After a long morning of meetings we headed off for two more political fundraisers. One was for Assemblyman Dave Cogdill, who is now running for the Senate, followed by a meet-and-greet for Assembly candidate Wilmar Amina Carter, who is running to fill the seat left vacant by Senator-elect Gloria Negrete McLeod.
 

Following the fundraisers, it was back to the Capitol to accompany Assemblyman Leland Yee to the Senate Health Committee to introduce his bill, AB469. Assemblyman Yee is carrying a bill, which has been supported by Western United Dairymen, to deal with nutrition standards in the California Department of Education. Mr. Conover was testifying in support of this bill on behalf of the California School Nutrition Association. After some debate with Chairwoman Deborah Ortiz, the bill was passed out of committee.

Having completed our day at the State Capitol it was time to head over to the CDFA office and meet with Under Secretary A.J. Yates, Deputy Secretary Valerie Brown, and the director of Marketing Services, Kelly Krug. Under Secretary Yates gave us a brief overview of his experiences while severing a prior stint with CDFA and then moving on to USDA. He spoke about his passion for the dairy industry and the programs that are run through the department. Mr. Yates was unable to discuss the hot topic of milk pricing due to pending hearings on transportation and also a pending ruling on Class 4a and 4b pricing. Mr. Yates then turned the program over to Deputy Secretary Valerie Brown who spoke about CDFA being used as an advisor when it comes to nutrition. Although CDFA has no official duties in handing out and enforcing nutrition guidelines, she claimed there had been a shift toward nutritionists working with farmers to develop healthy products. Ms. Brown also proclaimed the importance of promoting all dairy products as healthy foods when taken in moderation, regardless of fat content. Mr. Krug then spoke about milk pooling and how the federal government is increasingly using the California marketing system as a model for the federal marketing orders. Mr. Krug was unable to discuss pending matters that deal with pooling, which unfortunately limited most of his information to background of the current system, and he did not address where the pool goes from there.

Jim Tillison, CEO of the Alliance of Western Milk Producers, was our next speaker. He presented a case study on the need to communicate, which was taken from the campaign that was put in place to block Shamrock Foods from repealing the California fluid milk standards. This experience showed that by incorporating a media campaign with a strong lobbying effort, the industry can sway the electorate and also inform consumers about the differences between two products that they otherwise might never hear about. The communications consisted of media and print ads, along with events highlighting the extra benefits of the California fluid milk standards. An event that seemed to be very popular was a free bone-density screening offered at the capital. The purpose of this was to help illustrate the benefits of fortified milk, that is, milk that has had fat removed and replaced with nonfat solids to maintain the nutritional content and also the texture and consistency of the product. What this case study showed us was that with a well laid plan and effective communication, the industry was able to uphold its standards and educate the general public.

The final speaker of the day was Louie Brown, a partner in the firm of Khan, Soares and Conway. Mr. Brown explained the status and legality of the commissions, boards, and marketing orders that are under the supervision of the state. For the last decade these boards and marketing orders have been under judicial review, with the main argument against them being that they violate the first amendment. These challenges have been turned back by a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court which found that they are covered by the umbrella of government speech. This ruling has allowed boards and marketing orders to continue to use check off dollars for marketing as long as there is approval by the government agency overseeing the program prior to the release of marketing information.

The class ended on Thursday morning after a debriefing with Mr. Conover. This was a great experience, and it was very beneficial in helping to build an understanding of what the industry faces as we move ahead while working in the current political system.