ChesterCountyMedicineSummer2020 - 23

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Pull Back the Curtain on
the Legislative Process
BY LARRY L. LIGHT

Advocacy Success Equates to Common Sense - It takes more than a strong,
winning argument to succeed in advocacy.
Common sense things like sending a brief
thank you note, engagement in the political
process, researching both sides of the issue
and most importantly, asking for help instead of "telling" others what action to take
will also make a difference.
Advocacy Tips - Before your advocacy
meeting, know both sides of the issue and
confirm the time, date and place. Write a
thank you note after the meeting.
Bills, Bills, Bills.....Where Do They All
Come From? - Legislators' most visible
duty is introducing and voting on legislation. In 2017-2018 there were 2,752 bills
introduced in the PA House and 1,280
bills introduced in the State Senate. Many
were bills that had been introduced before
without gaining any traction, but the
remainder were new proposals supported by
the legislative sponsor.
Legislators in the Governor's party are often
asked to introduce bills for the Administration. The various departments of state
government are usually developing useful
changes in state laws.
Some ideas for bills emerge as legislators
hear news reports about problems that have
surfaced in their district or from across the
state. Instinctively they consider introducing a bill to change existing law and solve
the problem.
A reliable source for new legislation is
special interests. Trade associations, unions,
corporations and others in the lobbying
community advocate for legislation that will
help their members. They can't sponsor the
bills themselves, so they work with a friendly
legislator.
Bills are introduced and then routinely sent
to a standing committee. The committee
chair then holds the fate of the legislation in
his/her hands. Committee chairs schedule

meetings, set the meeting agenda and guide
the development of amendments.
Advocacy Tips - The 2-year long legislative
sessions start slowly as the Farm Show, January holidays, Governor's Budget address and
other institutional priorities are the focus.
That's a great time to build relationships
with new legislators and strengthen existing
relationships. Have your agenda ready
because it's also the optimal time to shape
the dialogue around your issues.
More Than Voting For and Against
Bills - Legislators are usually constituent
focused and work hard to have district
offices with responsive staff. A good district
office and staff are the equivalent of a great
public relations campaign for someone
whose job retention depends on voter
approval. While legislators may also have
other jobs when they are back home, which
is certainly permitted, they also use their
time in their home districts to meet with
constituents and local officials. And when
they are in Harrisburg, their district staff are
kept busy attending those local meetings in
their place.
Advocacy Tips - You don't have to drive
to Harrisburg to meet with your legislator;
the district office may only be a few miles
away. Session days in Harrisburg are routinely busy with the schedule of committee
meetings, caucus and voting session set by
leadership and shoehorned into days with
staff, lobbyists, media and others all seeking
the legislator's attention. A district meeting,
on a non-session day, is easier to schedule
and often more productive.
Fund Raising a Constant - To get
elected, and then re-elected, the core of the
political process is fund raising. Elections
laws require donations and donors to be
identified and reported for public review.
For state legislative candidates there are
no limits on donations. Political Action
Committees (PACs) are the legal vehicles

for like-minded individuals to pool their
contributions. Candidates work within
that system to secure the funds needed for
Get Out the Vote (GOTV), advertising of
all types, campaign literature, office rental,
mailings and numerous other legitimate
campaign expenses. Then they start again,
right after the election, to rebuild their campaign account funds. They hold fund raisers
in their home district and in Harrisburg.
Legislators cannot do political work while
on state property.
Advocacy Tips - Political engagement is
a way of life in the advocacy world. Fund
raisers allow you to demonstrate your
support for the candidate, meet others
who share your political views and engage
the candidate in a discussion of common
interests. Giving a modest amount to
a PAC is important, the dollars add up.
However, you get the most political "credit"
if you host the fund raiser and deepen your
relationship with the candidate.
The Senate and the House, Very
Different - Senators and Representatives
get paid the same to serve in the General
Assembly, $90,300 per year with some
optional perks. Starting with their terms of
office, 2 years in the House and 4 years in
the Senate, everything else is different. The
members of the House elect their presiding officer, the Speaker. The Pennsylvania
voters elect the Senate presiding officer, the
Lt. Governor. The House has an electronic
voting system, the Senate uses voice roll
calls. The Senate votes on the confirmation
of a wide array of gubernatorial nominees,
from Cabinet secretaries to filling judicial
vacancies. Tax proposals must originate in
the House.
Advocacy Tips - Traditionally, Senators
are always addressed as "Senator." House
members are more informal. If you are
meeting with a Representative, make sure to
find out his/her first name; they won't object
if you use it.

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