Engaging State Legislators With District Data
When rallying support from legislators, it's important to speak to what they care about: their local voter base and district. How can you tell your industry story for maximum impact, and make the legislative allies you need this session?
Most associations create some form of tailored messages for each legislative district they are targeting. Policy fact sheets are a pretty common one. However, what we hear frequently from association executives is that ad hoc reports often fall short.
The following is a quick snapshot of how you can quickly and easily target district-level data to local legislators.
3 Ways to Influence Locally
- Jobs in District.
Nothing is more impactful than speaking to the jobs your industry creates, in the district. This is tricky, however, as employment data is reported at the county or zip code level. A district (especially these days) typically spans more than one county, leaving you with the job of estimating employment in the district (in a credible fashion).
Here is a great example of employment quantified by district: - Taxes.
How does the economic activity from your industry fund local government programs? With district level tax contribution data, you can draw a direct line between support for your industry and social benefit.
- Growth and Change.
This perspective is useful in both positive and negative light. For example, if your industry is putting up impressive growth figures, you can assert the importance of ongoing support through policy. If the industry has taken a hit in recent years, this becomes an argument for change.
Interested in learning more?
We would love to hear your thoughts on how you influence at the district level. At eImpact, we've created an "easy button" for creating legislative district fact sheets so you can have the biggest impact with the smallest effort.
