The Cabinet and Lobbyist program focuses on two areas: Advocacy and Access.

Participants in this program advocate on behalf of their firm for or against bills, and gain access to the Secretary of the Executive Cabinet by advancing through meetings with the Cabinet Secretaries. Lobbyists are boots on the ground advocates hoping to build a coalition of delegates to support specific bills. Lobbyists are considered experts in their field, meaning they receive reserved time to provide expert testimony during committees. The overarching goal of this program is to help turn bills into law. Lobbyists do this by persuading legislators to rank bills highly and pass the bill(s) their firms represent, as well as gain support from the Cabinet and the Governor to ensure those bills are then signed into law.

So, what does that look like at KYA?  

Each Cabinet Member will represent a specific Cabinet. The state of Kentucky has several Cabinet Secretaries. After reviewing the bills, the Secretary of Executive Cabinet will determine which 5 Cabinets will best serve the Governer.

The options are:

• Cabinet for Economic Development
• Cabinet for Health and Family Services
• Education and Workforce Development Cabinet
• Energy and Environment Cabinet
• Finance and Administration Cabinet
• Justice and Public Safety Cabinet
• Labor Cabinet
• Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• Personnel Cabinet
• Public Protection Cabinet

Each Cabinet member will be assigned 10-15 bills (this figure fluctuates based on the number of bills and topics at any given conference) that fall under their jurisdiction. Cabinet members and lobbyists will work closely together throughout KYA to help promote or defeat bills.

Lobbyists will advocate on behalf of their chosen firm by providing supporting or opposing testimony during debate, building a coalition of supporters, and gaining access to the Governor by advancing through meetings with the Cabinet.

Students participating in this program can expect to: 

• Complete and turn in required pre-conference work
• Network with students and build relationships with peers
• Challenge their everyday viewpoints
• Learn time management and communication skills
• Gain a better understanding of how our State Govt. functions
• Have a fast paced, but fun and rewarding three day experience

Lobbyist Pre-Conference work: 

1. Students must select a firm. The firms may be different each year at KYA. The Secretary of the Executive Cabinet will look at the top 10-12 industries that spent money lobbying the previous year to determine which firms we see at KYA.
2. Once the welcome email goes out, students have 24 hours to sign up for a firm before one is randomly selected for them.
3. Students will be assigned bills that their selected firm has a vested interest in.
4. Each student must submit testimony and talking points through a google form for each bill assigned to them.

Should you have any questions about the work to be turned in after reading the pre-conference email, please review the Lobbyist Pre-Conference Prep Overview.

Cabinet member’s Pre-Conference work: 

1. Submit a supporting officer application by the specified due date listed here.
2. If selected, you must register for and attend the supporting officer training listed in your acceptance email.
3. Cabinet Members will communicate with the Lobbyist assigned to their cabinet leading up to KYA. This process will be explained by the Secretary of the Executive Cabinet prior to KYA.
4. Cabinet members will submit their State of the Office.
5. Cabinet Members must submit an Opinion of the Office through a google form for each bill assigned to them

Should you have any questions about the work to be turned in after attending Supporting Officer training, please review the Cabinet Secretary Pre-Conference Prep Overview.