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Notes from a variety of sources, including Vanessa Hamilton Highfield in Utah:

• Contact PalC and sign up for their discussion forum to find others in your state interested in or working on a license plate.

• Plan to be in the statehouse all or most of the time, so you are there to put out fires immediately.
  
  As original PaLC volunteer Ann Plamondon said, it's REALLY nice if someone involved in securing the plate does not work a typical 9-5 job; you WILL have to attend the legislative session every day. I ended up on a first name basis with all the security guards, secretaries -- and the legislators referred to me as that "license plate lady" that wouldn't go away!! LOL! Ann's advice was 100% right on!!

• One of the other ladies (Teresa Wilhelmsen) worked for the State of Utah, Division of Water Rights. She provided invaluable knowledge about the state -- what counties were where, their constituent make-up, even had a lot of info about the House Reps & Senators from a lot of the areas, having dealt with them in Water Rights. She also had a good friend who worked as a political liaison (James Cooper) who helped us immensely -- telling us who we might be able to get sponsor our bill, setting up meetings with government officials, etc.).

• Gathered data from other states (i.e., when started, how much money raised per year, how distributed, etc.)

• Started gathering signatures at animal events (i.e., Strut Your Mutt, Utah Distinguished Service to Animals Awards, Super Adoption, registered Dog Shows, etc.).

• The third lady (Julie Weaver) was invaluable in finding places for us to get signatures; she took signatures sheets to the Humane Society, PetSmart/Petco, doggie daycare, dog wash salons, etc. We gathered signatures from August to January. The signatures gave us something to show our prospective bill sponsor -- to let her know it wasn't just us 3 nutty ladies -- that the public wanted this! (I entered all these -- over 800 -- manually into a database; my husband later started an online signature petition part of our website that made my job a LOT easier!!)

• Be organized politically, so at key "pressure points" you can
  generate constituent calls and emails to lawmakers who are
  threatening to attach amendments and to lawmakers who are your protectors, to keep them in line.
  
  Make sure to get e-mail addresses at ALL COSTS! When you have to get a hold of people quickly (like, that night because your bill failed & you only have till the next morning to get it brought back) it's much cheaper & easier to have e-mail addresses than to have to phone all over the state.
  

AND SALT WATER TAFFY???

In Utah, the legislators expect little "treats" (yes, it's a form of bribery! However, it must be cheap and it's best if it's food!). We got pounds of salt water taffy (big here in Utah) with our website on the wrappers. We bought little kitty double diner bowls (110 of 'em) through RC Steele (at 43 cents each) and put the taffy on one side of the bowl and a sticker on the other side with a mock-up of our license plate saying, "Please Vote YES for HB92, the Spay/Neuter License Plate Bill". Your bill sponsor will tell you when the most appropriate time to distribute the bowls/treats and one of their aides takes them around to them. We were told our little treats were a big hit!

TIPS FROM THE LEGISLATIVE EXPERTS

Be realistic before you start about how much political power you
have in the Statehouse (or County or City or Town Hall) and whether
it may be dangerous to start something that could backfire.