LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by Sam Richie, AASP-MN Lobbyist

The Challenges of Lobbying Remotely

With the legislative session in full swing, one thing is becoming painfully clear: the challenges of lobbying remotely have not really been addressed and are not going anywhere anytime soon.

When COVID-19 upended the 2020 legislative session and forced lawmakers to conduct all business remotely, there were some benefits to the timing. First, we were in the second year of the biennium, meaning the state’s two-year budget was already set. Second, because the first year of the biennium took place under normal circumstances (in-person hearings and meetings), lobbyists and advocates had already developed relationships with legislators and staff. This meant when the pandemic hit and drastic measures were taken, we already had relationships with nearly all of the key players in the process. Additionally, the scope of the session was pared down to deal almost exclusively with COVID response and so the challenges of a remote work environment were somewhat nullified. So, while the switch to a remote setting was still difficult, it was manageable.

Well, flash forward to 2021 and things look quite a bit different. We had an election in November where all 201 legislators were on the ballot and, unsurprisingly, there was a lot of turnover. Normally the first week of session involves plenty of get-to-know-you events and meetings to establish a working relationship with new members, but that was not the case this year.

Compounding the lack of relationships is the scale of the task facing lawmakers. 2021 is the first year of the biennium, which means the legislature is required to set the next two-year budget. The budget setting process requires extensive committee work and collaboration between legislators – a task made all the more difficult given Minnesota is the only state in the country with divided control of the legislature (DFL control of the House, GOP control of the Senate).

While committees are continuing to meet remotely, the actual processing, amending and passing of bills has been challenging. You can’t stand in the committee room and catch members for a quick word before or after a hearing. You can’t grab someone in the hallway for a quick 30-second update to keep things moving. Instead, every day is an endless stream of Zoom meetings and conference calls with little ability to read the room or quickly follow up with staff.

While these concerns have been with us for nearly

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