Competing With the Elephant in the House

  By Linda Edwards Gockel, Executive Trainer, Austin

When it comes to getting the attention of Texas lawmakers, message matters. And when the competition for that attention is a whopping $24 billion budget deficit, message matters a lot. The elephant in the room, or in this case the House, represents about a quarter of the state budget in a state that already runs lean and mean compared to others.

When the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature begins on January 12, the biggest issues will be the budget, the budget, redistricting, the budget, and maybe a few other items such as immigration and voter ID. State agencies and universities that were asked to prepare a budget with 10 percent cuts last spring, today look at that decrease as a possible best-case scenario. Stark realities necessitate that they be very creative and focused in their attempts to preserve their basic mission of serving Texans.

Any company or other organization that wants to be heard by Texas lawmakers now and during the upcoming session should keep a few things in mind.

Propose cost-reducing solutions. The best ideas will be the ones that save the most money. The most poorly received ideas will be the ones that cost money. Entities that rely on State funds will either propose their own workable solutions, or have solutions, workable or not, imposed on them.

Go local. All politics are local. So, visiting the Senator’s or Rep’s local office is smart. Localizing statistics, examples, and impacts to their district will result in a message that is more likely to hit home and leave a lasting impression. It’s important to put “people” with the numbers. How will individuals be affected, specifically people in their legislative district?

Move now. Anyone who wants to influence legislators has a limited time to do so. The workload will pick up as the session moves forward. So, any communications must be early, planned, brief and to the point.

Get outside help. Many industries and organizations have already hired professionals, including Vollmer Public Relations and Edelman, to help with their messages and how to best deliver them.

Especially this session, a little bit of preparation, expertise and coaching can take you a long way with busy Texas lawmakers.