Tennessee Initial Organizing Call Agenda
Tuesday, July 17th at 3:00PM ET
Call-in Number: (530) 881-1400
Participant Access Code: 978895
- Welcome message
- Introduction and explanation of conference call Q & A
- Who is on the call?
Who is not here that needs to be here?
- Thank you for joining us for this historic event. The inaugural Secular Coalition for Tennessee monthly conference call!
- Despite the fact that there are tens of millions of nontheistic Americans, we remain one of the most marginalized groups in the country.
- 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
- Development Stage
- Focus on setting up the structure, identifying leadership, identifying how the legislature in Tennessee operates and the best ways to meet the needs of the Secular Coalition for Tennessee
- 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 Tennessee 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.
- Challenges to past efforts to establish state chapters
- Lack of support for state volunteers
- Will provide resources to make it easier and more efficient
- Past funding challenges
- SCA will do all the fundraising and provide all resources the chapter needs
- 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 - 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
- Not a membership organization - just a show of support for the lobbying activities of the coalition
- Executive Committee
- No set number of members or roles
- Flexible to availability and strengths of individuals who want to get involved
- Examples of Helpful Skills: leadership skills, familiarity with local groups, monitor legislation, conduct lobbying visits, mobilize grassroots, IT or website knowledge, social networking familiarity, comfortable speaking with press
- Lobbying Rules for Tennessee:
- LOBBY/LOBBYIST: to communicate, directly or indirectly, with any official in the legislative branch or executive branch, for pay or for any consideration, for the purpose of influencing any legislative action or administrative action
- Cost: Lobbyist and employer must both pay $150 per annual registration. Lobbyist must complete a $40 online training course. Online Link: https://apps.tn.gov/ilobby/
- Legislation/Regulation Update
- Governor
- Bill Haslam, Republican who has been in office since 2010. Tennessee governors can only serve 2 four-year terms in a lifetime.
- Tennessee State Legislature
- Full title: The Tennessee General Assembly
- Legislature currently adjoined
- Senate has 33 members who serve 4 year terms (unlimited). Republican controlled. With 13 Democrats and 20 Republicans
- 16 seats up for election in November 2012
- The House of Representatives has 99 members who serve 2 year terms (unlimited). Republican Controlled: 34 Democrats and 64 Republicans
- All seats up for reelection in 2012.
- State Legislation
- HB 0368 - The so-called "Monkey Bill". A bill to prohibit school authorities from prohibiting teachers in public schools to critique, analyze or review "in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught, such as evolution and global warming." A thinly veiled attempt to create the false impression of scientific controversy and protect religiously based critiques of widely accepted scientific theories in publicly funded schools.
- HB 3745 - A bill to provide a means for parents to request textbooks that inculcate principles of religion within the study of secular subjects.
- HB 3621 - Bans teaching students about "gateway sexual activity." Gateway sexual activity means "sexual contact encouraging an individual to engage in a non-abstinent behavior." It further stated that a person promotes gateway sexual activity by "encouraging, advocating, urging or condoning gateway sexual activities."
- HB 3576 - To allow religious student organizations to exclude those not deemed to be "committed to that mission." Opens the door to increased discrimination and persecution of LGBT students.
- Religious intolerance by public leaders: In 2010, current Lt. Governor Ron Ramesy questioned whether religious liberty laws applied to Muslims
- National issues sweeping the states
- Reframing discrimination as “religious freedom” or “religious liberty”
- Similar authorization of discrimination, this time by medical professionals with “Rights of Conscience” bills
- Does anyone know any legislation or regulation in Tennessee we should be watching?
- Initial Organizing Resources
- Conference calls
- Bill Tracking Software - CQ Statetrack
- Committee hearings calendar
- Full bill text and details
- Customizable reports
- Automatic web publishing
- Free bill tracking
- Website
- Temporarily: Secular.org>States>Your State>Tennessee
- Conference Call dates, times, numbers
- Call replays
- Agendas
- Sign up to receive alerts
- TN.secular.org subdomain
- Uses our template, but you will be able to update information
- Technical set-up work still needs to be done, hope to have up soon
- Use of our logo and name Secular Coalition for Tennessee
- 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
- Set up for each state
- Will add leadership as admins
- Can schedule events
- 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 - general information about the SCA, available at secular.org/resources
- National Secular Calendar - secular.org homepage
- National Secular Update Weekly Conference Call
- Thursdays at Noon 559-726-1300 Code 199568
- Media
- We are looking for a supporter in Tennessee to be our media contact
- What we are doing until the next call:
- Coordinating the lobbying needs of Tennessee with best practices in organizational development and lobbying to create the best structure for Tennessee
- 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
- Like the facebook page
- Check out your state chapters page for updates
- Spread the word about the next conference call!
- Next Conference Call Date and Time
- September 18th, 3PM ET; same call in number and code
- My contact information
- Kelly Damerow
- Research and Advocacy Manager, Secular Coalition for America
- Email: statechapters@secular.org
- Phone: 202-299-1091
- Thank you!