ASUCD Lobby Corps

ASUCD Lobby Corps members with California State Senator Corbett. The picture was taken inside Senator's Capitol office after the Assembly Appropriation Committee hearing on August 8, 2012. (From left to right: Yixin Xiang "Lance", Benjamin Arriaga, Joshua Coronado-Moses, Senator Corbett, Panhoia Lee, Lance Hackney, Jared Crisologo-Smith and Karandev Singh)

Lobby Corps is an ASUCD unit that researches and analyzes pending legislation and government programs. The goal of Lobby Corps is to influence legislators and government officials in order to promote students views on issues that affect students as well as giving student real world political and organizing experience. Lobby Corps is most active at the California State Legislature. Many Lobby Corps alumni go on to work at the State Capitol or attend the UCDC program in Washington, DC.

Lobby Corps is always looking for undergraduate students to intern or volunteer.

Students can be involved by attending meetings, lobbying visits and other Lobby Corps activities. Meetings are currently held every Tuesday from 7:10pm-8:30pm, with the current location being in the Angelina Malfitano conference room on the third floor of the Memorial Union. Meetings will feature guest speakers, discussions on legislation, as well as training on general lobby techniques.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Lobby Corps Director David Kuwabara [email protected]

New members are always welcome!

Please follow the link to our calendar to check out our activities!

ASUCD Lobby Corps Calendar

2013 - 14 Staff Members

• David Kuwabara, Director
• Natasha Kang, Internal Director
• Sumeeta Ghai, External Director
• Stephanie Chon, Assistant External Director
• Julia Reifkind, Assistant Internal Director
• Matthew Jorgens, Field Director
• Harley Litzelman, Legislative Assistant
• Allison Butler, Communications Assistant

2013 - 14 Interns

• Alisha Starelli
• Samuel Conovitz
• Alexandra Sherer

Lobby Corps in the News

• Discussing fee buybacks.
• Lobby the UC Regents.
• Discussing effect of fee increases.
• Discussing the effects of the 2007 UC fee increase.

Legislation

• SB 190:Public postsecondary education:California State University: University of California: open meetings. Signed by the Governor
• AB 152: Postsecondary education: Golden State Scholarshare Trust: California Prepaid Tuition Program. Still Pending

Keep Updated on California Politics

• Official California Legislative Information
• Legislative Analyst's Office
• Rough and Tumble
• Flashreport Blog
• The California Public Policy Foundation
• Gallup poll
• Cal News
• The Round up

History

• Past Directors
• Karandev Singh (2012 - 2013)
• Bihter Ozedrine (2010 - 2011)
• Talia MacMath (2008-2009)
• Derick Lennox (2006-2008)
• Michael Caporusso (2005-2006)*
• Brian McInnis (2004-2005)*
• Thomas Lloyd (2003-2004)
• Liz Burrell (2002-2003)

* From 2004-2006 Lobby Corps was a sub-unit of the ASUCD Office of External Affairs(OEA). Caporusso was the director of the subunit. McInnis was director of OEA and assumed the role of Lobby Corps director during his time. After the spring 2006 OEA, under Darnell Holloway's presidency, was broken back up into its three components of ASUCD City/County Affairs Office, ASUCD State and National Affairs Office, and Lobby Corps. When ASUCD pulled out of UCSA in November 2006, Lobby Corps and ASUCD State and National Affairs Office became the sole state and national representative for UCD students. Even though the ASUCD State and National Affairs Office used to be in charge of ASUCD dealings with UCSA, after ASUCD pulled out, this office for some reason did not know what to do with itself, which resulted in its disbandment. At that time, Lobby Corp became ASUCD's sole state and national representative for UCD students. They also receive a significant portion (roughly $15,000) of the former UCSA funds which are now used to hire a private public affairs firm to provide professional training and research.