AAC F A M I L Y & F R I E N D S
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type of rapport with him. I finally remembered that a good banker friend of mine had moved to his part of the state years before. One day as I approached this senator about an issue, I mentioned the name of my good friend and asked if he was acquainted with him. As it turns out, they were acquainted and had become good friends. Tat was the connection I needed. From that day forward during his service as senator our relation- ship was much improved. Find some common ground.
Provide facts with documentation 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 e-mail, phone conversation, text or face-to-face meeting will always be stronger if you can illustrate the message with specific facts regarding how the legis- lation 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 e-mail may get placed in a pile with good intentions to read later — never to be seen again. Ten your opportunity to make your point is lost.
Timing of your message is important: Te life of legisla- tion 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 es- sential. Te best response means nothing if it is too late. Because of the time element, AAC uses e-mail to communicate our legislative requests to county officials. You can use technology to stay current and communicate between yourself and your leg- islators. Much communication occurs in real time via e-mail or other electronic means. However, it is a good idea to determine whether your particular legislators have a preference for phone calls, e-mails or texts.
Maintain respect, even when being firm: Often our posi- tions on issues seem so logical, how could anyone else differ from our opinion? Lawmakers are pulled in many directions by other lobbying interests, 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.
Tank your legislators: Don’t miss a chance to thank your senators and representatives for their help. It is important that leg- islators understand that we are appreciative of their efforts to ad- dress 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. Tey 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.
If we are to be understood as we wish to be understood, we need to understand the recipients of our messaging. George Bernard Shaw said, “Te single biggest problem with commu- nications is the illusion that it has taken place.” By being open to receiving cues as we are conveying our message to legislators, we can also realize when our message is not being understood properly, if at all. By ensuring that we are “speaking the same language” we will be much more likely to successfully commu- nicate what we intend on communicating. Tere are many opportunities for you to work with your leg- islators throughout the legislative process. Te 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 is to get to know your legislators and find common ground. It will be a great investment for your county. When the 2017 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.” Know your legislators and speak the same lan- guage — it’s a powerful communicator.
75 Counties - One Voice COUNTY LINES, FALL 2016 23
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