Don ’ t pick on these freshmen ! They may turn into your best friends .
By Scott Jenkins , Carlton Fields
With the 2020 Elections finally behind us ( Hooray !), now is the time for NUCA of Florida chapters to create lasting relationships with their newly-elected legislators . Counter-intuitively , a large amount of energy should be focused on those legislators that have the least amount of power , THE FRESHMEN !
The election of first time legislators is a great opportunity to create long-term friendships and working relationships . Prior to being elected to the legislature , most freshmen do not have any experience working with our industry . Some may have learned about our industry when they received a campaign contribution through our lobbyist team or members . As newly- elected officials , freshmen are learning a lot about legislative and government processes and the industries that are affected by government . It is a great opportunity for our local chapters to educate legislators about their constituents ’ businesses , their concerns and how they can provide input to the legislators . Local input has possibly the greatest weight in forming the opinions of legislators .
Next are five ways to engage freshmen legislators and build relationships .
1 . Schedule a Meeting in the District
Meeting constituents in their districts helps legislators put names , faces , and industries together more than in Tallahassee , especially during the pandemic , when we do not know what the Capitol visitation policies will be . In- district meetings provide the legislators more focus away from the hectic days of Session and committee
4 DITCHMEN • DECEMBER 2020