Alabama Organizing Call Agenda

Friday, July 6th at 1:00PM ET / Noon CT
Call-in Number: (530) 881-1400
Participant Access Code: 978895

 

  • Welcome message
    • Introduction and explanation of conference call Q & A
    • The Secular Coalition for America is working to make sure that we are heard on Capitol Hill. We fight in Washington DC against religious privileging on a federal level, yet some of the most egregious violations of separation of church and state are being promoted and passed at a state level.
    • The Secular Coalition for America is forming state chapters across the country. Our chapters will bring together secular Americans in each state to influence government officials, legislation, and regulations.
    • Our first step in forming these chapters is our monthly conference calls.
  • Goals/Stages of Chapter Development
    • Switching from Affiliate to Chapter Model
      • Current affiliate board will become Alabama Freethought Conference
      • October 13th in Montgomery
      • SCA Executive Director Edwina Rogers will be speaking
    • Development Stage
      • Focus on setting up the structure, identifying leadership, identifying how the legislature in Alabama operates and the best ways to meet the needs of the Secular Coalition for Alabama
      • On these initial calls we will be discussing the mission, purpose, and goals of the SCA chapters, the resources SCA can provide to SCA Chapters, the secular lobbying needs of your state, and the organizational structures of the chapters including leadership positions. No one is required to speak up, but there will be opportunities to do so.
    • Official recognition
      • Once your state chapter is organized, the leadership and a representative of the SCA will sign a memo of understanding officially recognizing the Secular Coalition for Alabama and giving the group access to our resources (to be discussed in more depth later)
      • Future monthly calls will become a way to educate and inform. They will focus on identifying and tracking legislation and regulations that affect the secular nature of state or local governance, or affect nontheists; and coordinate grassroots and in person lobbying efforts
  • SCA Chapter Model
    • A Secular Coalition for America state chapter is unlike any other nontheistic state organization -- it brings together interested organizations and individuals for the exclusive purpose of lobbying government officials. 
    • Past efforts to establish state chapters
      • More support for state volunteers by making it easier and more efficient
      • Past funding challenges
    • New chapters are under the umbrella of the national organization
      • Part of the Secular Coalition for America 
      • Under our C4 tax exemption
      • Full C4 lobbying privileges
    • Mission and Purpose of the Chapters
      • Mission - The Secular Coalition for Alabama and the Secular Coalition for America share the common mission to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. 
      • Purpose - to accomplish its mission through cooperation between local groups and coordinated state lobbying activities
    • Coalition Style
      • Narrow mission and purpose
      • We are the diplomats of the secular movement
      • No members - just a show of support for the lobbying activities of the coalition
  • Executive Committee
    • No set number of members, looking for special skills or desire to get involved
    • Opportunities available: communicate with national, network with local groups, monitor legislation, conduct lobbying visits, mobilize grassroots, IT knowledge
    • Potential roles: Co-chairs, communication chair, legislative chair
    • Lobbying rules for Alabama recently expanded, may need to register, looking into further
  • Legislation/Regulation Update
    • Alabama Legislature General Information
      • The Alabama Legislature is composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members, both meeting in Montgomery.
      • After the 2010 elections, for the first time in 136 years, both houses came under Republican control. The House has 40 Democrats and 65 Republicans, while the Senate has 12 Democrats, 22 Republicans and 1 Independent.
      • Terms are for four years in both the House and Senate with all 140 seats coming up for election in November 2014.
      • The 2012 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature convened February 7th and adjourned May 16th.
      • It held a Special Session from May 17th to May 24th to address redistricting.
      • The House and Senate are now in Recess.
    • Governor Robert J. Bentley
      • Republican, term runs Jan. 2011 until Jan 2015, 2 Term limit
      • On the day of his swearing-in, Alabama Republican Gov. Robert J. Bentley raised concern among the state's non-Christians by suggesting that people who had not accepted Jesus Christ were not his brothers and sisters.
    • 2012 Legislation of Concern
      • HB 133- Authorizing schools to release students for religious instruction and give elective course credit; indefinitely postponed
      • HB 135/SB 7- Authorizing the display of the Ten Commandments on state property and public schools; indefinitely postponed
      • HB 375 – Health care rights of conscience act; indefinitely postponed
      • HB 444 – Abstinence sex ed; died in committee
      • Recent Past Legislation of Concern:
        • House Joint Resolution 283 from April 2011, which declared Easter Week as Christian Week and had numerous findings that the USA was founded as a Christian Nation
      • Already pre-filing bills for 2013 session
    • Regulation of Concern
      • Religious exemptions from child care center health and safety regulations
      • A 2009 report by the Applied Research Center on the harm to children by exemptions from state licensing requirements for religiously affiliated child care centers cited Alabama as the state whose extensive exemptions most endanger children.
      • Licensed child care centers are subject to rigorous initial fire, health and facilities inspections, minimum qualifications and background checks of employees, minimum staff to child ratio, limitations on discipline, guidelines on transporting children, and department visits to ensure these minimum standards are upheld.
      • Unlicensed centers do not have to meet any of these requirements.
      • All that is require of faith-related child care centers is the one time mailing in of four registrations forms.
      • 30% of Alabama child care centers are unlicensed and the number is growing.
  • Initial Organizing Resources
    • Coordination on Bill Tracking
      • CQ Statetrack
        • Committee hearings calendar
        • Full bill text
        • Customizable reports
        • Automatic web publishing
    • Use of our logo and name Secular Coalition for Alabama
    • Website
      • Secular.org>States>Your State>Alabama
        • Conference Call dates, time, numbers
        • Call replays
        • Agendas
        • Sign up to receive alerts
      • AL.secular.org subdomain
      • Uses our template, but you will be able to update information
      • Working to automate updates
    • Email Address for Chair/Co-Chairs
      • Chair's name at secular.org
    • Gmail Group for Leadership
      • Will have a state@secular.org email address
      • Ability to email all other state leaders at once
      • All leaders will receive general info emails at their designated personal emails
    • Facebook Page
      • Changing leadership over
    • Recorded call available for replay
  • Eventual Resources
    • Promotional resources - brochures, stickers, buttons, handouts
    • Informational resources - Research, fact sheets and policy papers
    • Trainings and Guides - media and lobby trainings and guides
  • National Update
    • Powerpoints
    • National Secular Calendar
    • National Secular Update Weekly Conference Call
      • Thursdays at Noon 559-726-1300 Code 199568
  • Media
    • We are looking for a supporter in Alabama to be our media contact
      • Press interested in our chapters would like to speak with people involved in the forming of the Secular Coalition for Alabama
  • Development
    • Why are we centralizing development?
  • Who is not here that needs to be here?
  • What we are doing until the next call:
    • Coordinating the lobbying needs of Alabama with best practices in organizational development and lobbying to create the best structure for Alabama
    • Comparing communications and bill tracking methods
    • Identifying leadership
  • What you can do:
    • Contact us if interested in leadership
    • Contact us if interested in being media point person
    • Sign up on our website to receive info and updates
    • Check out the state chapters page for updates
    • Spread the word about the next conference call!
      • Next Conference Call Date and Time
      • Monday, September 3rd at 1pm ET; Noon CT
  • My contact information
    • Kelly Damerow
    • Research and Advocacy Manager, Secular Coalition for America
    • Email: statechapters@secular.org
    • Phone: 202-299-1091
  • Thank you!

 

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