CAPITOL INSIDER
advocacy’s new normal will outlast the pandemic LO UI E B ROW N IN T HE S ACR AME N TO OFFICE O F KAHN, S OAR E S AN D CON WAY, LLP
Advocacy’s New Normal Is Here to Stay. Brown
“Shaking hands and kissing babies” was the first description of politics and politicians many of us learned. It’s a people business built on relationships, and the Covid-19 pandemic has helped prove that in so many ways. The “building,” as we know it, has been closed for normal access for the last 18 months. Committee hearings that once drew hundreds of witnesses in person to testify, are now empty and rely on operators to usher in the next caller. And, while the public has been allowed to enter since early summer, the hallways are quiet and most office doors are locked, even when staff is present. Drop-in meetings and hallway discussions are a thing of the past. Videoconferences, email and text messaging have replaced this personal interaction. Many of us failed to appreciate the efficiency of conducting business while standing in the hallway of the third floor. The opportunity to see multiple staff in a short period of time to discuss a variety of issues was extraordinarily productive. Not to mention the ability to catch the latest rumor or witness another conversation happening that could directly impact an issue you were working on.
While videoconferencing cannot replace the in-person meetings, they have provided more structure to the day allowing, at times, a greater sense of accomplishment when the final “Leave Meeting” button is pushed. There are also some legislative members that seem to be a whole lot more open to meeting when they can do it remotely.
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While I may be in the minority on this, I believe the virtual element of today’s lobbying has greatly enhanced legislative days. I do miss the Ice Cream Social and helping lost industry members figure out the antiquated numbering system of the Capitol. However, those don’t even compare to the benefits we have seen from increased industry participation and the ability to hold multiple events throughout the legislative session.
This new hybrid of lobbying created by Covid is not likely to go away any time soon. Even if the Covid restrictions are lifted, its hard to see how the Legislature moves away from virtual testimony at its hearings. The public now has greater access and opportunity to participate in governing and turning that off would be a herculean effort. The Capitol is also changing. In October, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and legislative offices will move out of the Capitol to their new temporary offices, located a half-block south of the building, behind the Legislative Office Building, better known as the LOB. These temporary accommodations will be in place for the next three to five years while the annex portion of the Capitol is torn down and rebuilt, and a new visitors center in built in the basement of the Capitol. Legislators will be shuttled between the new office building and the Capitol where most hearings and Floor Session will continue. The offices, described by disgruntled staff, are extremely small and not very private, meaning virtual meetings are likely to continue, especially for groups visiting the Capitol for lobby days. It looks like many of the lessons brought to the lobbying community by Covid are likely to part of our new normal for many years in the future. ■
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