Relationships with Legislators

As a Key Person for the accounting profession, you are specifically charged with the responsibility to develop a close, constituent relationship with your lawmakers. It is vital that you take the time to communicate with these individuals about the issues that affect you and your profession. However, these contacts will have much more impact if a personal relationship exists between you and your elected officials and their staffs.

Most legislators and their staff want to make the acquaintance of as many of their constituents as possible. You should have little or no trouble getting to know your legislator if you take advantage of available or created opportunities to meet. Both patience and persistence are valuable in the development of the relationship.

Party affiliation should not be an obstacle; your legislator represents the entire district – Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike. You need not be a member of his or her political party to establish a relationship.

To make contacts with your legislator meaningful, you should do your homework. First, find out as much as you can about your legislator, including his or her voting record, personal political background, issue priorities, and what committees he or she serves on. A knowledge of the demographics as well as the political concerns of the district is also helpful. For information of this nature, you may call upon TSCPA’s resources and staff for assistance. Other local business organizations in your community, such as the chamber of commerce, may also be helpful.

Once you have become familiar with your legislator’s background, it is important to stay abreast of his or her activities and positions on the issues. Information gathered through public statements, voting patterns, and print and broadcast media reports will be invaluable in your personal contact with your legislator. Also, be certain that you are on the mailing list for your legislator’s newsletter.

Importance of Key Person Relationships with Legislators

Key Persons have many different kinds of relationships with their legislators. For example, you may have a personal relationship that is a source of enjoyment and benefit to both you and your legislator. You may have a formal relationship consisting of prompt and polite correspondence. The relationship may be staff-oriented, allowing for good flow of information between you and the legislative staff. The legislator may be cordial and responsive, but nonetheless indifferent to your concerns, and may consistently vote opposite to the profession’s positions. Or, the relationship could possibly be unfriendly, especially if the legislator is an opponent of the profession. Keep in mind, however, that a legislator who opposes the profession on an issue today, may nevertheless become a valuable ally on an unrelated issue tomorrow.

Regardless of the kind of relationship you have with your legislator, remember that every relationship is worth developing even though some will be more productive and more enjoyable than others will. The key is to establish and maintain regular contact and keep the channels of communication open.

Getting Acquainted with Your Legislator

Don’t wait for problems to arise before you approach your legislator. On the contrary, if you do not know or have never met your legislator, you should attempt to make your first meeting a friendly, get-acquainted occasion. You can accomplish this easily by attending a town meeting that your legislator might hold, introducing yourself as a constituent and CPA who wants to be more politically active. Better yet, you should contact the legislator’s district office and schedule a personal meeting when he or she is back home, meeting with constituents.

Take advantage of other opportunities to meet and become better acquainted with your legislator. Any public or official function in which you are involved – a building or public project dedication, a ground-breaking for a new project, an open house, or a civic or charitable award ceremony – is a legitimate opportunity to invite your legislator.

Opportunities also may develop through meetings of your local or state business and professional associations, charitable organizations, or political parties. You also might create opportunities to meet your legislator by inviting him or her and selected staff to visit your firm and meet with your colleagues. The contact initiated at such meetings can evolve quickly into relationships that lend themselves to discussion of interests concerning accounting and the profession.

Ideas for Maintaining a Constituent Relationship

Keep in mind that your goal is to develop ongoing personal relationships with your legislators in order to facilitate communications on legislation concerning accounting, tax and professional issues. Once you have become acquainted with your legislators, you will find the following activities helpful for maintaining good relationships.

• Stay informed about the legislator’s activities and the votes he or she casts on issues of concern to the profession.

• Let the legislator know when you are pleased or displeased with a vote or expressed opinions on an issue of special concern to you and the profession.

• Visit the legislator’s office and get to know the staff both in Austin and the district, specifically the administrative assistant, legislative assistant, and the personal appointments secretary. Talk to them succinctly about key issues, the political scene, or subjects of common interest.

• Invite your legislator to speak at a meeting of a local business or civic group in your community.

• Ask to have your name added to the mailing list of the legislator’s newsletter.

• Send your legislator literature highlighting references to the profession.

• Invite your legislator and selected staff to visit your firm and meet with your colleagues.
• Respond to the Action Alerts occasionally issued by TSCPA by communicating with your legislator on a specific topic.

• Attend and participate in your legislator’s “town meetings” in the district.

• Respond to your legislator’s questionnaires about issues.

• Meet with the key staff aides from your legislator’s Austin or district office who handle accounting and tax issues.

• Get involved in local projects undertaken by your legislator.

• Attend political functions and fundraisers in the district. At each function, introduce your legislator to your friends and colleagues.

• Get involved personally in your legislator’s election campaign, if he or she is the candidate of your choice.

• Make a personal contribution to the candidate’s campaign.

• Host a fundraiser in your home for the candidate and invite your friends and colleagues to attend.

• Host a “meet and greet” or reception in your home for the candidate and invite your friends and colleagues to attend.

• Personally deliver CPA-PAC contributions to the candidate’s campaign.

When your legislator or his or her staff begin to ask advice from you on legislative matters relating to the interest of the profession, you’ll know you have built a productive constituent relationship.