ASDA’s Legislative Grassroots Network (LGN)

1. ASDA’s Legislative Grassroots Network (LGN)

2. What is the LGN? • The Legislative Grassroots Network (LGN) is responsible for the legislative and advocacy efforts of the association • National and local level leaders work to inform legislators about issues important to dental students, and those issues that will affect your profession and patients

3. Who are we? • Jack O’Neill, Chair • Jacob Morrow, Vice Chair • Andrew Danberg-Ficarelli, Eastern RLC • Jenna Rodgers-Schulten, Central RLC • Tim Anderson, Western RLC • Brittany Bensch, District 10 Trustee • Meghan Keelean, ASDA Meeting Planner, Staff Liaison to the LGN

4. What do we do? • We are your resource for everything related to legislative activities: • Jacob Morrow is the contact for everything ADPAC • Your RLC is your resource for Chapter Activities: Legislative Lunch and Learns, Meet and Greets, Lobby Days (national and state) • The LGN helps plan and organize National Dental Student Lobby Day

5. LGN Initiatives • Some of the most important issues related to dentistry are regulated and legislated upon at the state level • Mid-level provider models • The LGN has been working with chapters to increase student involvement at the state level

6. State associations are involved in lobbying efforts, and often host state Lobby Days • State political action committees (PACs) need members like ADPAC does • Contact your state association to see how students at your school can get involved

7. National Dental Student Lobby Day • Annual event held in Washington, DC • Co-sponsored by American Dental Education Association (ADEA) • The LGN helps in the planning process • Issues we lobby are agreed upon and supported by both ASDA and ADEA to benefit the dental community

8. Lobby Day Success • Lobby Day has grown in popularity! • ADEA held the first Lobby Day in 1998, with 26 dental students from 5 dental schools representing 12 states and DC participated • In 2009, 315 dental students from 51 schools lobbied The House of Representatives & Senate

9. Dental Students Get It • The actions of Congress now affects our future profession • It is important to make a difference by having our voice heard • There are serious consequences if we don’t try to actively influence Congress and state legislatures • Organized dentistry starts here, as students

10. Lobby Day Typical Agenda • Day One: • Learn about the issues • Details on how Congress works and how to lobby your legislators • Day Two: • Photo at the Capitol • Go to your scheduled appointments with members of Congress and lobby them about the agreed upon issues

11. Previous Lobbying Issues • Student Loan Interest Deduction (SLID), Loan Consolidation, Refinancing, and Repayment Programs • Funding for National Health Service Corps and National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) • State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) • Meth Mouth Prevention and Community Recovery Act

12. Mark Your Calendar • Monday, February 8 & Tuesday, February 9 • Capitol Hilton Hotel • Registration information will be sent out in November • This is how you start building your relationships with your elected officials before you begin dental practice

13. Don’t Forget • Attend all meetings, training sessions and appointments • Take a lot of pictures • But ask first if you would like one with a member of Congress! • Have a good time and see the sights when there is free time

14. Stay Informed • Ask your chapter’s Legislative Liaison (LL) to forward ADA’s Monthly Legislative Updates and materials from the ASDA Regional Legislative Coordinator to you • As of January 2006, all dental students are eligible for free ADEA membership when they activate their membership on the ADEA website. You can subscribe to the ADEA Washington Update and ADEA State Issues Update on www.adea.org