A Day in the Life of a Policy and Legislative Advocate at Health Access California
A day in the life of a Policy and Legislative Advocate at Health Access California involves direct advocacy, like providing "two minutes of public comment" at a Senate Budget Subcommittee hearing to advocate for Medicaid funding. Work also includes collaborative coalition building through conference calls and strategic planning with multiple organizations to prepare for upcoming hearings.
Advocacy, Policy, Healthcare, Legislation, Budget
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Christine Smith
Policy & Legislative Advocate
Health Access California
UC Berkeley
University of San Francisco: Masters in Public Administration
Political Science, American Studies
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Communication and Marketing
Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Attending Senate Budget Committee meetings to advocate for specific funding, such as Medicaid funding for undocumented people, involves delivering public comments and actively participating in the legislative process.
2. Writing support letters for various bills and securing budget champions to lead funding requests are crucial tasks, demonstrating the importance of building relationships and garnering support for policy initiatives.
3. Participating in coalition-level conference calls to plan for upcoming hearings, ensuring preparedness of witnesses and developing strategic plans, highlights the collaborative nature of policy advocacy and the need for coordinated efforts.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a policy and legislative advocate look like?
Yesterday, I went to the Senate Budget Committee, specifically Subcommittee Three, which focuses on health. I was there to advocate for the inclusion of Medicaid funding in the state budget for undocumented people.
I attended the hearing at 9 AM in the state Capitol Annex building. During my wait, I delivered two minutes of public comment. I also wrote support letters for other bills.
Additionally, I followed up to secure a "budget champion" for another issue I'm working on. This initiative aims to broadly reduce healthcare costs for people.
A project is set to expire at the end of 2025, and we need to secure funding to backfill it. So, I was working on multiple budget items simultaneously that day.
Afterward, I returned home and joined several conference calls at the coalition level. These calls involved multiple organizations planning for upcoming hearings. The goal was to ensure attendees would be present, witnesses were prepared, and we had a clear plan moving forward.