LMR April 2021

Feature
Legislative Advocacy Takes Center Stage
The word “lobbyist” carries a negative connotation
these days, and a glance at lobbyist
spending and outcomes demonstrates why.
On Capitol Hill, nearly 12,000 lobbyists spend
over $3 billion per year to influence congressional
and executive leaders; and at the Capitol
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana lobbyists spend
around half a million each year. It is no wonder
that Will Rogers famously quipped, “Lobbyists
have more offices in the Washington than the
President. You see, the President only tells
Congress what they should do. Lobbyists tell
‘em what they will do.”
Local government advocates do not have the
luxury of exorbitant spending due to practical,
fiscal, and ethical constraints. Instead, those of
us who fight for municipal government autonomy,
authority, and funding must work harder
and smarter. We harness technology, seek
creative advocacy partners, and, most importantly,
secure the legislative engagement of
our municipal leaders. In a legislative world of
spending Goliaths, we Davids must aim carefully
and use our pebbles strategically.
Years ago, an odd-year, fiscal-only legislative
session may have been a largely technical endeavor
resulting in a quiet advocacy year for
local governments. Welcome to 2021 - strap
on your safety belts.
Our well-articulated mantras have not
changed: all politics is local, restoring local
control should be a bipartisan goal, and locals
know best how to run their affairs and tailor
solutions for their issues. What makes this year
different from those of recent memory are the
varied but coordinated attempts by legislative
leaders to reform Louisiana’s tax system
to purportedly make Louisiana more business
friendly.
Just the Facts
Before we talk about what legislative efforts
will attempt to do regarding tax reform this
year, it is important to address what legislators
are not doing along those lines.
There are currently over 200 tax exemptions
and exclusions scattered in our law and constitution.
Some of these exemptions and exclusions
are mandatory for local governments,
and some local governments may opt into;
LMR | APRIL 2021 Page 9