Armed with several weeks of preparation and research, students aimed not only to learn about the legislative process, but also to do some lobbying for the issues they cared most about. Leah Kovitch ’16, of New Hampshire, told me she was excited to put everything we had learned in class into practice.

Ken Cline, an environmental lawyer and lobbyist for the Sierra Club, organized the trip as part of his Intro to the Legal Process course.

“You have an advantage that even people like myself do not,” he told our class. “You’re students, which means you have more access and leverage than almost anyone except a direct constituent.”

Student Leah Kovitch on the senate floor.Student Leah Kovitch on the senate floor.

Ken was certainly right - throughout the day, students met with various state senators and representatives, and some even sat in on private meetings. Leah and myself were invited to observe the joint leadership meeting of the democratic caucus. This was a high-level meeting with the Democratic Party leadership from both chambers, including the Speaker of the House, Senate Minority Leader, and House Majority Leader.

COA Professor Ken Cline breaking down the day's activities with students.COA Professor Ken Cline breaking down the day's activities with students.

“It was definitely an insightful experience to see the way that leaders collaborate–how they prioritize the day, and how much can happen in one day,” Leah told me afterward.

Ken commented that he had never been granted access to such a meeting, which would have been incredibly valuable for anyone lobbying for a piece of legislation.

This meeting would not have been possible if we hadn’t reached out to as many senators and representatives as we could. Both Leah and myself had done extensive research into the legislation that was being brought to the floor both that day and in the coming weeks. We found out which legislators served on the committees that had been assigned the bills we were interested in, and we sent emails and called their offices.

Student Leah Kovitch (left) with Senator Anne Haskell.Student Leah Kovitch (left) with Senator Anne Haskell.

Among those who responded to our emails was House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, a Democrat representing Skowhegan. As we introduced ourselves in the hall, he told us to follow him up to his next meeting with the Speaker of the House. Jokingly, we said we would cover our ears if anything confidential came up – and indeed it did, but we were trusted enough to stay in the room. Given opportunities like these, we had plenty of time to lobby.

Students Leah Kovitch (left) and Hakim Noah (right) with Senator Geoff Gratwick.Students Leah Kovitch (left) and Hakim Noah (right) with Senator Geoff Gratwick.

“I was speaking about the rights of children in the foster system, but I was also lobbying on behalf of LD-1473,” Leah told me.

LD-1473 is titled, ‘A Resolve to Increase Access to Opiate Addiction Treatment in Maine,’ and was being debated in a public hearing before the Health and Human Services Committee that day. As we listened to several dozen citizens and representatives give testimony in support of the bill, Leah scribbled notes on a small notepad.

“We need to provide the support that people need to get their lives back together–I think that’s the government’s job,” she told me. “Opioid addiction is something that’s affected my family, my friends – I know a lot of people who have dealt with addiction from one end or the other.”

Bar Harbor Representative Brian Hubbell (right) sits with students at the Democratic caucus.Bar Harbor Representative Brian Hubbell (right) sits with students at the Democratic caucus.The bill, which would restore the reimbursement rate for methadone treatment to opioid addiction outpatient treatment centers to $80/week per patient (up from the current rate of $60), dealt with issues that Leah had encountered before in her home state of New Hampshire.

“You need a lot of follow-up to stay healthy and sober, and methadone is the best treatment available right now,” she said. “It’s really important that we continue to fund these programs because the rate of overdose in our demographic–18 to 25–is the highest right now and it’s increasing rapidly. It’s affecting a lot of people from Nashua, and Maine too.”

Students Susan Bell (left) and Maya Schwehm (center) speaking with their representative.Students Susan Bell (left) and Maya Schwehm (center) speaking with their representative.

The experience was overwhelmingly positive, as Ken Cline told the group in an email later that night.

“I have been taking classes down to Augusta for several years now,” he wrote, “and I have to say that as a group, you were probably the most engaged class that I have ever taken down there.”

Maine State Representative Brian Hubbell posted this on his Facebook page shortly after the trip.Maine State Representative Brian Hubbell posted this on his Facebook page shortly after the trip.

 “Seeing it all in person was really inspiring- seeing how much they cared about their jobs and helping the people of Maine. It’s really a citizen’s government,” Leah told me as we walked out of the hall after an exhausting ten-hour day. “It would be really cool to go back on Wednesdays if they have public hearings going on.”

We often think of lobbying as something carried out behind closed doors between well-dressed men with fat checkbooks, but my experience on Thursday changed that perception. It truly was an invaluable experience to see just how easy it is to make one’s voice heard, especially as a student, but also as a general citizen. I hope to return to continue developing my lobbying skills – just one of the tools in my proverbial activist’s toolkit.

Students in professor Ken Cline's Intro to the Legal Process pose for a group photo at the end of a long and informative day in Augusta.Students in professor Ken Cline's Intro to the Legal Process pose for a group photo at the end of a long and informative day in Augusta.