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Connecticut Water Trails
Program
Connecticut Water Bar
Effective Advocacy -
The Importance Of The Legislative Staff
Legislators rely heavily on their staff - for policy
research, to help constituents, to keep the legislative process running,
and administrative support, among other jobs.
Staff often have longer tenure at the legislature
than most legislators. They are an important source of historical
information about issues. Staff also work full-time; legislators are at
the Capitol only part-time.
A very wise advocate used to sponsor annual meetings of the staff
working on health policy for the Connecticut legislature with the staffs
from Connecticut's US Congressional and Senate offices assigned to health
issues. There were probably two dozen or more staffers who came up from DC
to meet with the two or three state health policy staffers.
Staff are overworked. Some welcome assistance and
input from advocates, some do not.
There are two types of legislative staff - partisan
and nonpartisan. Partisan staff are chosen by their caucuses, Senate
Democrats, Senate Republicans, House Republicans, or House Democrats,
and/or by individual legislators. Partisan staff work for their caucus'
interests and serve at their pleasure. They work as researchers, press
liaisons, attorneys, constituent aides, and committee staff, among other
jobs. Partisan staff are generally very active politically.
Nonpartisan staff are not politically active. They
work within the Office of Fiscal Analysis, the Office of Legislative
Research, the Legislative Commissioner's Office and as committee staff,
among other jobs. Nonpartisan staff are civil service employees and not
subject to political influence.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis advises the
legislature on the budget, Connecticut's economic climate and drafts a
fiscal note for each bill or amendment considered by either house.
The Office of Legislative Research follows important
trends in Connecticut for legislators, follows what is happening in DC
and in other states, and drafts a bill analysis for each bill considered
by the legislature.
The Legislative Commissioner's Office is the set of
attorneys who draft legislative language.
Staff from all three non-partisan offices are
assigned by issue area and/or by committee. These staff are generally
present at hearings, committee meetings and advise in private meetings
to decide which bills to advance in the process.
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