Seems to Me

“All Politics is Local!”

A primer on communicating effectively with legislators

Seems To Me...

The county government – legislative relationship boils down to the reality that “all politics is local!” The phrase “all politics is local” has been a common phrase in U.S. politics for decades. The former Speaker of the U.S. House Tip O’Neill is most closely associated with this phrase, which encapsulates the principle that a politician’s success is directly tied to the person’s ability to understand and influence the issues of their constituents. An elected official must appeal to the everyday concerns of those who elect them to office.

With the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, it was argued, “all politics is national.” It’s a good twist, and it has a ring to it. But don’t be too quick to believe it over the long haul. Although many local, district and statewide candidates run on national issues, even though they can do very little if anything about those issues, nothing changes the fact that in November the votes will be cast by individuals for individuals running for individual district and statewide offices. Candidates who ignore the fact that “local concerns” must be taken care of — if elected won’t stay elected if they ignore local issues.

To most lawmakers, what “the folks back home” think about legislative issues is often far more important than positions taken by groups like the Association of Arkansas Counties. The AAC staff talks with your legislators about bills of interest to our membership, and we advance AAC positions in committee meetings. We provide information as requested and help lawmakers prepare information for debate. We are the facilitators — YOU as county officials are the key lobbyists in the legislative process.

The work of lobbying the legislature continues throughout the year. While the work at the capitol during session is the most visible, the “off-season” is busy as well. Currently, the AAC process for developing legislative objectives and priorities for the 2015 regular session is well underway. AAC staff and the AAC Legislative Committee work hard all year to ensure that county issues get a fair hearing by state legislators, but the best tool in the tool kit is YOU — the county officials who can lobby and explain how the specifics of policy decisions made by state government will impact county government.

Lobby — I keep using that term that seems to have negative connotations among many … but it shouldn’t. To lobby is simply “to try to influence public officials on behalf of or against proposed legislation.” It is indeed noble for county officials to provide facts, documentation and expert information to legislators for or against legislation that affects county government — the level of government closest and most responsive to the people. It is, in fact, the responsibility of county officials to do so.

The crux of this article is not about conservative, liberal or moderate politics but that “politicians” — your House and Senate members — are much more responsive to their “home folks.” Here are a few tips when communicating with your legislators, starting with the most important.

Get to Know Your Legislators: It is important to become well acquainted with your legislators before you actually need something from them. Help them to gain confidence with whom you are and what you have to say. From the end of one session to the beginning of the next, you should be looking for opportunities to interact with your legislators. Invite them to visit with you at the courthouse. Show them county government in action and explain the challenges that counties face. Meet with your legislators regularly before, during and after the session. Bottom line — establish a rapport with the representatives and senators that represent your county so they will be more accepting of your message when the time comes for requesting a vote for or against an important issue.

Provide Facts with Documenta-

tion Whenever Possible: One of the first things a lawmaker wants to know about a bill is how it will impact his or her county. When AAC sends out a message to “contact your legislator,” your email or phone conversation will always be stronger if you can illustrate the message with specific facts regarding how the legislation will impact your county — revenues lost or gained … or the costs of a proposed mandate on your county.

Be Persistent — But Brief and Succinct: Tell your legislators what you want repeatedly and succinctly. Don’t assume they know what your issues and needs are. But remember legislators are inundated with information from multiple sources. More is not necessarily better. A lengthy letter or email may get placed in a pile with good intentions to read later — never to be seen again. Then your opportunity to make your point is lost.

Eddie A. Jones County Consultant The work of lobbying the legislature continues throughout the year. While the work at the capitol during session is the most visible, the “off season” is busy as well.

Timing of Your Message is Important: The life of legislation is driven by deadlines in the process. When AAC sends out requests to contact legislators about a bill coming before a committee or scheduled for floor debate, a quick response is essential. The best response means nothing if it is too late. Because of the time element, AAC uses email to communicate its legislative requests to county officials. You can use technology to stay current and communicate between yourself and your legislators. Much communication occurs in real time via email. However, it is a good idea to determine whether your particular legislators have a preference for phone calls, text or e-mail.

Maintain Respect, Even When Being Firm: Often our positions on issues seem so logical, how could anyone else differ from our opinion? Other lobbying interests pull lawmakers in many directions, so sometimes their vote may not reflect what we want. You can still hold them accountable for a vote, but we don’t want to “burn a bridge” today when we will want their vote on a piece of legislation tomorrow.

Thank Your Legislators: Don’t miss a chance to thank your senators and representatives for their help. It is important that legislators understand that we are appreciative of their efforts to address county issues, even when we don’t get everything we want. Even as you are asking for help with an issue, it is important to thank them for work they have done for your county in the past. They often have a thankless task and their jobs many times are as frustrating as ours — so a little recognition from you can go a long way. As a general rule your legislators WANT to help you.

Let’s go back to my starting thought that “all politics is local.” Here’s the full origin of the quote from Tip O’Neil’s autobiography. He’s talking about his 1935 campaign for Cambridge City Council:

This was the only race I ever lost in my life, but in the process, I learned two extremely valuable lessons. During the campaign, my father had left me to my own devices, but when it was over, he pointed out that I had taken my own neighborhood for granted. He was right: I had received a tremendous vote in the other sections of the city, but I hadn’t worked hard enough in my own backyard. ‘Let me tell you something I learned years ago,’ he said. ‘All politics is local.’

Any state representative and state senator worth his salt wants to listen to and help their folks back home … especially other elected officials. I believe it is natural in an elected official to focus on resolving their local issues — and county government is rife with issues to resolve — many of them that will take action of the legislature. Legislators also desire to be re-elected and to accomplish that you have to take care of business at home.

There are many opportunities for you to work with your legislators throughout the legislative process. The important point to remember is that the more active you are in the process, the more influence you will be able to have on legislation that could impact your county. Remember point No. 1: get to know your legislators! It will be a great investment for your county. When the 2015 legislative session starts, don’t be in the situation Mark Twain referenced in one of his quips, “If you are looking for friends when you need them … it’s too late.”