Legislative Advocacy
For a combined period of over fifty years, we have served as legislative advocates on behalf of businesses, national and state trade associations, and public agencies, working successfully at the California Legislature passing or defeating hundreds of pieces of legislation. Over the years, we have been involved in many of the high-profile budget, taxation, health care, environmental, and transportation bills. Our legislative consulting and advocacy services include extensive research and analysis of policy issues, daily monitoring of legislation introduced and amended, and advocacy for and against legislation affecting our clients’ interests. Because of our expertise in numerous subject matters, and the role our clients play in their respective industries, we are asked to advise legislators and their staff, as well as executive branch officials, about the potential impacts of pending legislation. We have been successful in enacting bills that have benefitted our individual clients, as well as entire industries, that have resulted in half a dozen bill signing ceremonies over the past twenty years with Governors Wilson, Davis, Schwarzenegger, Brown and Newsom.
Budget Advocacy
The adoption of California’s State Budget is the single most important act of the Governor and the State Legislature. The 2020–21 Budget Act is a $202.1 billion spending plan. The State Budget sets the state’s spending priorities and policies which may prove to either harm or help a client’s interests. Increasingly the budget process is being used to adopt policy changes. These policy changes are often developed outside of the public hearing process and then quickly adopted. We actively participate in the budget subcommittees and advocate state funding priorities and accompanying policy changes to benefit our clients. Whether fighting to secure funding or defending against budget cuts, we work with our clients to manage the state budget process and find creative solutions to budget challenges. Aprea & Micheli has for decades worked the budget maze and is widely respected as being expert on the budget process and its players.
Regulatory Advocacy
The state’s regulatory process, while an integral part of developing California’s public policy, is a world of its own with separate rules. The Administrative Procedure Act establishes rulemaking procedures and standards for state agencies in California. Aprea & Micheli understands the rulemaking process. We help our clients meaningfully engage in the public comment period and formal hearings, as well as navigate the agency process for adopting and amending regulations. We have led major efforts to shape regulatory policies for many years. Our approach ensures that new policies consider issues such as cost-benefit analysis, feasibility and efficiency. Our experience provides clients with a greater likelihood that their issues will be successfully addressed. We work with numerous organizations to educate key audiences and effectively engage in the rulemaking process.
Procurement
Our firm has regularly provided procurement services for small and large companies doing business with the State of California, primarily in the technology services sector. These services have included high-level executive management briefings and consultations to assist our clients in getting executive support for their offerings to specific bid assistance resulting in successful procurements for our clients in purchases of products and services. We regularly work with the Department of General Services on procurement and state purchasing issues, as well as numerous state agencies for selecting our clients' products and services. We have been a part of many successful state procurements and have been called upon to play critical roles in securing and maintaining budget funds for state procurements.
Strategic Planning
Cookie-cutter strategies do not work. We believe in a tailored approach for each of our clients. Aprea & Micheli works with its clients to develop strategic plans designed to meet their near-term and long-term objectives. Included in our strategic plans are an analysis of the political landscape, framing the issue, identifying potential allies and opponents, developing action items, establishing time lines, and regularly reviewing the status of the plan and adjusting where necessary.
Coalition Building
There is nothing more important than a strong, broad-based coalition to advocate for a client's objectives. That is why our firm focuses on developing coalitions that deliver results in support of our clients' interests. Our coalitions are tailored to attract advocacy partners who will have the greatest influence on decision makers. Coalitions we have developed include business leaders and trade associations, labor unions, local agencies, local elected officials, environmental groups, and community organizations. It is our long-term relationships with these groups and individuals that result in successful legislative and regulatory outcomes. We support these coalition partners by providing them the tools they need to communicate the right message and deploy them to achieve the objective of our client.
Political Action
We help our clients understand and effectively navigate the elections process. In each election cycle, we identify viable candidates for open seats, analyze the election campaigns, meet with each of the candidates, and recommend which of those candidates we believe are most aligned with our clients’ interests. In each election cycle, Aprea & Micheli assists our clients in thoughtfully deploying significant political contributions to candidates and statewide ballot measure committees.