Join the CASA network in Austin on March 1, 2023, for the 2023 CASA Day at the Capitol!
Hundreds of CASA advocates from all over the state will be visiting their legislative officials to spread the word about CASA and to raise awareness about challenges facing the child welfare system. This opportunity is for local CASA programs to interact with their legislators at the state Capitol in order to support Texas CASA’s funding and legislative priorities and to amplify CASA’s importance as a key participant in the child welfare system.
Thank you to our sponsor!
Event Details
Legislative Reception | February 28, 2023 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Omni Austin Hotel Downtown in the Atrium
700 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701 | Map
Parking: There will be limited Day Valet parking for $17/car at Omni garage located at 700 San Jacinto Blvd on 8th Street, between Brazos and San Jacinto. Be sure to get your parking ticket from Texas CASA when you check in to the reception.
This is an invite only event. You must be registered for CASA Day at the Capitol to attend. Coordinate with your program to register for both Capitol Day and the Legislative Reception.
Attire: Business attire.
Learn more about the Legislative Reception.
CASA Day at the Capitol | March 1, 2023 | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Texas State Capitol
1100 Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701 | Map
Parking: Parking is available in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage for $12/day located at:
1201 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701 | Map
Street parking is also available.
Schedule: CASA Day at the Capitol 2023 Agenda
Attire: Business attire. You’re also encouraged to show your CASA Spirit by wearing your best “CASA Blue!”
Agenda
8:00 AM-9:00 AM | CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST
Legislative Conference Center (Extension Room E2.002)
8:30 AM-9:00 AM | WELCOME REMARKS
Auditorium (Extension Room E1.004)
Vicki Spriggs, Texas CASA CEO
Amanda Arriaga, Texas CASA General Counsel & Chief External Relations Officer
9:00 AM-4:30 PM | LEGISLATIVE OFFICE VISITS
Make sure you have your Capitol Day folders and leave behinds from check-in.
9:30 AM-10:00 AM | GROUP PHOTOGRAPH
Central Court Open-Air Rotunda (Lower floor of Extension Building E2)
Please arrive at least 5 minutes early for the group photo.
10:00 AM-12:00 PM | CASA DAY AT THE CAPITOL RESOLUTIONS
House & Senate Galleries (Third Floor 3W2 & 3E5)
The House convenes at 10:00 AM and the Senate convenes at 11:00 AM. Attendees can attend one or both Capitol Resolutions.
12:00 PM-1:30 PM | LUNCH
Legislative Conference Center (Extension Room E2.002)
For attendees who reserved box lunches online in advance.
Logistics
Meals Included
Breakfast | Breakfast and coffee will be available from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Lunch | Boxed lunches are available to those who pre-ordered during online registration. Boxed lunches will NOT be available for purchase onsite. If you did not indicate you wanted a boxed lunch, you can modify your registration (coordinate with your program) to include a boxed lunch up until registration closes on February 10, or purchase lunch at the Capitol Grill onsite.
Lodging
Follow the button below to check out hotels near the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown and Texas State Capitol.
View Lodging Options
Scheduling Legislative Visits
Scheduling legislative office visits should be handled by the program lead. Get more details.
Resources
The Legislative Advocacy Guide covers the ins and outs of the Texas Legislature, how a bill becomes a law, an in-depth look at the 87th Legislative Session outcomes, and details on key areas we will be addressing during the 88th Legislative Session like Community-Based Care and the Family First Prevention Services Act.
View Now
Virtual Legislative Advocacy Team (LAT) Training Webinar
Texas CASA conducted a series of in-person Legislative Advocacy Team (LAT) Trainings leading up to the 88th Legislative Session. Additionally, the Public Policy Team conducted a virtual LAT Training for programs that were unable to make it to an in-person training. In the training, we discuss effective legislative advocacy, current hot policy topics, and legislative priorities for the upcoming session.
Watch Now
For CASA Program Leads
Scheduling Your Legislative Meetings
STEP 1: REACH OUT TO YOUR LEGISLATORS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS FOR CAPITOL DAY.
Each office may have different ways they want to handle meetings. You may or may not be meeting with the legislator – it is common to meet with staff and it is beneficial either way! Let them know that you are a constituent that will be in Austin for CASA Day at the Capitol on March 1, and you want to meet with them to share information about CASA and to share Texas CASA’s legislative priorities. Additionally, when scheduling your legislative meeting, be sure to invite the legislator and their staff to the Legislative Reception on February 28 and include a link to this invitation in your email.
Below you can find a list of the legislators your program shares with other programs, so you can coordinate on scheduling meetings together on Capitol Day. Please do not reach out to schedule a meeting with a legislative office that you share with another program without coordinating with that program first! We want to make sure that legislative offices only have one visit from CASA on Capitol Day.
STEP 2: LET TEXAS CASA KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE SCHEDULED MEETINGS.
Please email us at publicpolicy@texascasa.org to let us know when you have scheduled your program’s meetings so we can maintain a list of all meeting times and so we know which legislators have meetings scheduled or not.
Not sure which legislators represent your program? Check out this spreadsheet of legislators by CASA program. The spreadsheet also shows which other programs share your legislators.
Not sure where to find the contact information for your legislators? Check out this spreadsheet of email addresses for your legislative offices.
If you have any questions about who your legislators are or how best to reach out to their offices, please ask Texas CASA at publicpolicy@texascasa.org.
STEP 3: PREPARE FOR YOUR MEETING.
Legislators and their staff are busy, so make sure you have a plan for keeping your meeting organized, thoughtful and concise. Have one person be the primary spokesperson for each legislative meeting and remember that it is not necessary to have every answer or statistic at your fingertips. Stories based on your experiences as a volunteer, your passion to help children and the fact that you are a constituent are your most persuasive attributes and can help you explain the CASA cause.
Before your meeting, make sure everyone attending Capitol Day on behalf of your program has a chance to review the Texas CASA Legislative Advocacy Guide and watch the Legislative Advocacy Training video, which offers more detailed information on Texas CASA’s Legislative Priorities for the 88th Session. Make sure that everyone attending each meeting knows their role and the plan for the meeting. If you have several meetings, feel free to rotate the person leading the meeting.
Texas CASA will provide leave-behind materials and a legislative gift for each of your meetings on Capitol Day, so please make sure you let us know as soon as you have scheduled your meetings so we can have enough materials prepared. If you need support or have questions about scheduling a meeting or what you should cover in your meeting, please reach out to Texas CASA at publicpolicy@texascasa.org.
Thank you to our sponsor!