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Politics and Issues

Lobby Day in Sacramento was fantastic!

by Nicole Charles
October 2009
Lobby Day
Ventana Chapter member Nicole Charles lobbies Assemblymember Bill Monning at the Club’s annual Lobby Day in Sacramento. Joining Nicole are Club members Steve Quist (on left) and John Cordes (behind Nicole).

In August, I attended Sierra Club National Lobby Day at the Sacramento State Capitol. During Lobby Day Sierra Club volunteers flood the Capitol and lobby for bills backed by Sierra Club California. This year the Club lobbied for strong renewable energy portfolio standards and two pieces of legislation dealing with state parks.

I truly enjoyed this experience. As a young Sierra Club member (I’m 22), it was exciting to walk through the hallways of the Capitol and speak to Assemblymembers and Senators. It felt wonderful to be with other passionate volunteers and to be trained to lobby by the Club.

Representing the Sierra Club was an honor for me. We received warm greetings from most California officials and people passing in the hallway. Visiting our Assembly Representative Bill Monning was the highlight of my day. Monning is not only a lifetime member of the Sierra Club, he is also an environmental pioneer within the political realm.

Monning is a Monterey County native and expressed gratitude toward the Ventana Chapter for tackling some of the area’s most critical environmental issues. My experience at the Capitol was fantastic!

Please consider attending Lobby Day yourself next year.