| PRESIDENT’ S PAGE |
Standing up for your Agency
Lobbying is a huge benefit of membership
A s we near the end of the 2017 Kansas Legislative session, we should recognize the role that KAIA plays in advocating on behalf of our members. Quite possibly our single most important effort on behalf of our membership, advocacy is sometimes seen as a boring or tedious endeavor. Prior to serving on the KAIA board, I would have considered myself in that category. Without a love of politics, I struggled to find the value in our relationships on the hill.
Having seen first hand both the KAIA and IIABA role in politics at the state and national level, I have come to realize the extreme importance of our advocacy. As mainly a state regulated industry, I’ ve seen our successes with regard to work comp reform, pool regulation, minimum auto limits, and an endless list of other industry initiatives. With regards to our federally regulated lines of flood, crop, and health, KAIA has been a leader carrying our concerns to the hill.
Behind the Scenes – KAIA Legislative Team Many times we don’ t realize all the“ behind the scenes” activities KAIA performs politically on our behalf. Starting at the state level, our contract lobbyist, Dan Murray, carries our torch daily on the House and Senate floors. As our eyes and ears during and after each session, Dan keeps us apprised of bills that pop up that could affect our members. With his deep relationships, he keeps the association connected with lawmakers.
Our staff advocacy is led by Will Larson and his years of experience. Invaluable to our association in many ways, Will helps us evaluate the impact of bills and researches current and proposed legislation. We have been successful in communicating clearly with our legislators as a result. Dave Hulcher and Joan Sutton work closely with Dan and Will, taking direction from our Government Affairs Committee( GAC). In addition, staff spearheads communication with our members as to the effect legislation would have on our day-to-day operations. The coordination between the GAC, our members, and our advocacy team is a strong asset of the association.
LYLE DAVIDSON KAIA President
Grassroots efforts from our members are critically important to our legislative success. We recently held our annual Legislative Day and again it was a tremendous success. Building relationships with our legislators and the House and Senate leadership enables us to have our opinion heard when the necessity arises. We’ ll be having our National Legislative Day in Washington D. C. during the first week in May, and with the change in leadership in the White House as well as over 100 new members of Congress, it will be a critical time to advocate on behalf of crop insurance, flood insurance, and health reform in particular.
How Can Members Help? What can we do as members to assist in this process? First, educate ourselves on the issues by reading our KAIA Capitol Notes and Big“ I” national communications. Second, attend KAIA Legislative Day each year and make your voice heard. Third, get to know your local representatives and senators, and build those relationships for when we need to communicate with them. Be sure to keep the association abreast of your legislative relationships.
I recently took my children to Topeka and my son was a shadow for our Senator, and my daughter paged for our Representative. Besides learning about our system of government for them, any interaction we have further builds our relationships. If you haven’ t shadowed your legislator, consider doing so, as it is an eye opening experience.
In closing, I had an opportunity to visit the office of our most recent Advocate of the Year Award winner, Representative Scott Schwab. Prominently displayed on his conference table is the eagle statue he received in recognition of his service and commitment to working with our association. Our advocacy makes a difference!
Grass Roots Are Critical
2 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | March- April 2017 |