18 WESTERN PALLET
State Advocacy Master Learning Group
Cont'd from Page 15
How to get involved
There are several ways to get started. Ortega noted that one easy way to start is to let NWPCA know that your company would be willing to host a visit. NWPCA has created a digital map with pallet operations in each district that “have raised their hand” as being open to a visit.
Alternately, you can make direct contact. “If you've got an issue…feel free to reach out to that state representative or that state senator, whoever it might be,” Hachtman advised. While you initially will likely be talking to a staff person, he said, encourage that member out to your business.
“They love to get out there and see what's going on in their district,” he said. “They're happy to do that. It might take you a while,” he cautioned. ”You're not calling them on Thursday and say, hey, you want to come by for lunch tomorrow on Friday, but that's a very real opportunity, particularly at the state level.”
Politicians can have very tight schedules, one attendee cautioned. For example, a member might only have Fridays available for visits, and have multiple visits planned for the same day.
“You have to start somewhere and sometimes that's just trying to build a
relationship,” Ortega said. ”That’s the benefit at the state level, particularly, is that there are so many of those events and opportunities for you to cross paths with your representatives, your local and state reps and start building that relationship.
“Take that opportunity, go to their townhall, go to whatever event they're at, introduce yourself, start connecting with them. And that's kind of the beginnings of that relationship.”
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Advocating at the state and federal level on key workplace issues, SHRM and its members are advancing effective public policies impacting employers, employees and the economy.
State Advocacy Resources
National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) NFIB advocates in every state and in Washington, D.C., giving our members a voice in public policy debates on the local, state, and national level.
Open States. Free tool for tracking state
bills. This tool is used by WPA’s State
Advocacy Committee.