On March 23rd, 56 advocates came to Sacramento to participate in Legislative Day at the State Capitol. In the morning, participants gathered at the UC Student and Policy Center to eat breakfast and to get to know the members of their teams. Many of the Team Leaders were BDCC Advocacy & Access Ambassadors, a program that promotes advocacy education for adults outside of the annual Legislative Day. Often, team members were also family members- spouses, parents with their children or even grandparents and grandchildren!
During the morning breakfast, Future Leader teens met the adults in their groups and had the chance to prepare for their meetings with legislators. Much wise advice passed between seasoned advocates and our teens, and even a few lessons on the art of tying a tie.
After breakfast, Lynne Kinst presented a short advocacy training that focused on the bills BDCC is supporting this year.
After the morning training, Lynne announced Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara was the recipient of the “Policymaker of the Year Award” and recognized his efforts on a bill that would protect patient assistance programs that help patients access their medications. Durriya Syed, Outreach Analyst in the Community Relations & Outreach Branch of the CA Department of Insurance accepted the award on his behalf.
Lynne also had the honor to present the Council’s annual “Christopher J. Pitkin Advocate of the Year Award” to Sophia Horta, an 18-year-old who has participated for many years in the Future Leaders program, advocated locally during Fall Advocacy Days, and started the Dot Dot Club at her high school to raise awareness of women with bleeding disorders.
Additionally, all of the 22 Future Leaders, an outstanding and large group of youth, were presented individually with their program certificates.
Throughout Legislative Day’s 46 legislative meetings, our 56 Future Leaders and other community members had impassioned conversations with California legislators and their staff as attendees shared their personal stories and underscored the importance of maintaining timely access to medication for rare disease patients.
Here are some of the photos from these legislative office meetings!
At the UC Student and Policy Center, an amazing team of five volunteers, including Eva Felix, Michael Jay Garner, Stephanie Hill, Danny Martinez and Yna Perry, made sure everyone got checked in, fed breakfast and lunch, and received the logistical information they needed to make the day a success! Michael Jay also helped entertained the teens when they returned from meetings and while they waited to meet Assemblymember Ransom later that afternoon.
After all the meetings were done on Legislative Day, our teen Future Leaders had a unique opportunity. Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom led them onto the Assembly Floor for a group picture. Assemblymember Ransom had presented BDCC’s March is Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month resolution earlier in the afternoon while some of BDCC’s advocates had watched from the Assembly gallery.
Thank you to all our Legislative Day team leaders, Advocacy Ambassadors, Future Leaders, and volunteers for making this day possible!
We’re already getting excited for Legislative Day 2027!
