Thanking Your Evergreen Bill Sponsors
If you find a sponsor and your bill goes nowhere, even multiple years in a row, do not give up hope. Like an evergreen tree, your bill being introduced again and again and your efforts to talk to legislators year after year, is slowly building awareness and a culture of accessibility. The most important thing you can do is thank all your sponsors at the end of the legislative session.
What was once a novel idea slowly becomes a common place idea, and eventually will seem like something logical that should have been done a long time ago. You will get to the point where people say, "Oh, I thought that was already a law."
Getting a law passed usually requires a lot of preparatory work and several introductions. Forming relationships, educating legislators, and influencing public opinion over many months or, more often, years, is usual.
With some exceptions, most states only pass a few hundred of the thousands of bills introduced. Unless you are in a state with a high passage percentage, you probably should expect to have to try several times to make progress.
Sometimes more pressing priorities are to blame, for example, a lot of bills during COVID were put on the back burner as states rushed to pass appropriations and health safety laws. In 2025 we see a lot of states trying to shore up certain rights and appropriations that are effected by federal regulation changes.
Other times party politics are at play. A majority may simply not allow a minority sponsored bill to get to committee. Finding another sponsor may or may not be the right solution. If your sponsor is offended they could end up actively working against your bill when introduced by someone else. You might be able to find out who they work well with on the majority side or find a majority member to introduce a mirroring bill in the other chamber.
No matter what happens, relationship building is key and thanking your sponsors, regardless of outcome, is the best relationship builder you can perform! Use your thank you note to remind them of the importance of the cause and your hope that they will continue to pursue it in the following year. If there was a particularly meaningful conversation or testimony, comment on what that did for you and the cause. Make them feel good about the work they did and present opportunities for future involvement with your organization or events.
Don't forget to thank your grassroot members too! Their calls always help to build awareness and support.