If you ask Allison Grappone, it all starts with some advocates, concerned citizens or perhaps a group of a lobbyists. From there, it could get confusing – but somehow it doesn’t.
Grappone, program coordinator and special projects manager at the Northern Forest Center, created a step-by-step map explaining New Hampshire’s legislative process. The idea popped into her head earlier this year while the Northern Forest Center was working in partnership with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to discuss questions, ideas and concerns that Coos County members had about energy-related legislation, Grappone explained.
“We thought it would be helpful to provide information about how the legislative process works, so community members would know when to advocate,” Grappone said.
The project became something more than just a tool for Coos County or for people with energy-related questions, though.
“What started as a simple idea turned into months of revisions and interviews with representatives and lobbyists as to how the legislative process works. The first version fit on legal size paper; the final, full version is 5-feet wide.”
Grappone admitted that she was surprised at how in the dark she was about the process prior to creating the map. She credited the Dupont Group, the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits and Conservation New Hampshire for informational support, along with numerous legislators, consumer advocates and other well-informed folks.
But thanks to her hard work, you don’t have to be as clueless. Not only is her map comprehensive, it contains everything from helpful links and need-to-know deadlines to little cartoon people to make it less intimidating. Yay for idiot-proofing!
We’ve printed a small portion of the map to give you an idea of just how complicated the process is. You can find both a complete map and a summary at http://www.nhnonprofits.org/knowledgecenter/nonprofbasics/advocacylobbying/legi…
