Lobby Days 2026 - Advocate for Bills to Advance AAUW Values

This year we’re introducing a new approach to Lobby Days that prioritizes in-district meetings. As we transition to this model, we will also keep a zoom meeting option for members who are unable to travel to in-district meetings. This shift was inspired, in part, by our recent trials and tribulations with Lobby Days meetings in Sacramento. Over the past two years, it has become increasingly difficult to secure meetings with legislative offices in the capitol as they are routinely overbooked with meetings tending to be confirmed at the last minute, short (most last no more than 15 minutes), and held with staffers rather than legislators (84 of 94 in 2025 ).

This shift to in-district meetings for Lobby Days was also inspired, in part, by the experiences of the Redlands Branch, who took a different approach and saw remarkable results. By scheduling Lobby Days in-district, they were able to secure eight in-person meetings. These meetings were confirmed well in advance, were longer, and offered a much better chance of speaking directly with legislators. We highlighted their success in our November Public Policy survey, and members overwhelmingly indicated a preference for meeting with district offices.

A Few Important Notes About The New Lobby Days Model

Key Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

	In-District Meetings	Zoom Meetings
How long are meetings with legislators?	In-district meetings will be longer, depending on the legislator’s availability.	Zoom meetings will remain brief – only 15-20 minutes in length.
Am I meeting with my own legislators?	In-district meetings will be with your own representative’s office, and are more likely to be directly with the legislator – although they may still be referred to staff, depending upon the legislator’s schedule demands.	Zoom meetings may be with a legislative office that is not your own and are likely to be with staff.
What am I talking to legislators about?	You will be telling them about our priority legislation. We’ll give you information about this, and about how to present this legislation, in March 2026.	You will be telling them about our priority legislation. We’ll give you information about this, and about how to present this legislation, in March 2026.
Who is on my meeting team?	AAUW Public Policy will create your team. It will be made up of a team leader and team members. Some in-district meetings may include AAUW members from multiple branches. We will notify you of the details on January 30, 2026.	AAUW Public Policy will create your team, made up of a team leader and team members from all over the state. We will notify you of the details on January 30, 2026.
Tell me more about the team leader role?	Team Leaders are volunteers from your branch or district. They are responsible for meeting with all team members, making sure that all team members have information about priority bills, dividing up speaking responsibilities, and leading the actual meetings. For in-district meetings, they are also responsible for coordinating with local offices to schedule the meetings and conveying that information to all team members.	Team Leaders are volunteers from all over the state. They are responsible for meeting with all team members, making sure that all team members have information about priority bills, dividing up speaking responsibilities, and leading the actual meetings.
Will I get a chance to speak during the meeting?	The team leader will coordinate speaking roles. Because some in-district meetings may include AAUW members from multiple branches, the team leader will need to identify 4-5 people to speak. Even if not everyone presents, members are encouraged to demonstrate strong support, and legislative offices will appreciate meeting such an engaged group of constituents.	The team leader will coordinate speaking roles. Everyone on the team should have a chance to speak briefly during the meeting.
Who will schedule the meetings with legislators?	The Team Leader will schedule the meeting(s).	The AAUW Public Policy Team will schedule the meeting(s).

For Your Legislative Office Meeting

Team Leader Training

Team Member and Leader Responsibilities

Lobby Days 2026 – Advocate for Bills to Advance AAUW Values

If you are interested in participating, please complete BOTH Step One and Step Two:

Step One:

Complete Lobby Days Event registration by
January 16, 2026

Step Two:

Attend mandatory training on
March 23, 2026
at 7-8 pm Pacific

Step Three

Participate in Lobby Days

In district: March 27-April 17, 2026

Zoom meetings: April 8-10, 2026