Electronic Spring 2025 | Issue 62
Illinois State Representative Deuter Delivers Keynote Address During Area IV Legislative Institute
By: Jasleen Singh
On Saturday, February 8th, APA members from Illinois and across Area IV gathered for the APA Area IV Legislative Institute in Rosemont, Illinois. Recently elected Illinois State Representative Martha (Marti) Deuter of the 45th District took the time to meet with members and give the keynote presentation. On pure coincidence, the APA Area IV Legislative Institute occurred exactly one month after she took office!
Representative Deuter began her keynote speech by sharing her background, identifying as a lifelong mid-westerner who has lived in Illinois for over 20 years and grew up in an environment where there was a respectful exchange of disparate views given her parents were of opposing political parties. She studied social work in undergraduate and graduate school and identified many formative experiences, including her experience on the Elmhurst City Council. She then delved into her experience on the campaign trail and identified listening to diverse ideas from her constituents with a common unifying theme: a goal to take care of family in a safe and thriving community that provides educational and economic opportunities. This message of unity was echoed through the sharing of a conversation she had with another member from a county downstate during the General Assembly orientation. Through these stories she identified the importance of working together with others toward an outcome and being thoughtful in the dialogue that occurs.
Subsequently, Representative Deuter outlined her four key strategies for Area 4 members in terms of being an effective advocate:
Make it easy for policymakers to do the right thing. She noted that policymakers are individuals and it's important to build a relationship and develop a mutual understanding of what is important to them and where hesitation may stem from.
Legislators are "generalists" that rely on others' expertise. Building off her previous message, she emphasized resources such as the APA and lobbyists (identifying their important role akin to being a "third house") in helping legislators make educated decisions. She urged attendees to position themselves as a trusted resource who can share their expertise with legislators, and serve as someone they can rely on.
There are values to different approaches to advocacy. You should pick the style that suits you best and stick with it. Various models of advocacy were outlined with examples from Chicago's history, including the Gale Cinotta approach (a Chicago native whose style of activism was more outspoken), and the Woodstock Institute approach (a Chicago non-profit whose advocacy included a more research-based formal style), noting they can work synergistically and acknowledging that different approaches can be effective and have their own place.
Build coalitions and find common ground through listening.
After delivering her keynote address, she engaged with members in an interactive dialogue during a Q&A. She addressed questions around social determinants of health, the role of lobbyists, and various questions related to advocacy and interacting with legislators. At the conclusion of this, the room was full of excitement with positive comments echoing across the room as attendees remarked to each other and to Representative Deuter about how engaging her speech was and how wonderful it was to be able to hear from her and join in a productive, educational, and meaningful discussion.
