State Legislatures Move Fast…Are You Ready?

December 20, 2023
50to1

It’s widely known that legislative action at the state level is much faster than in Washington. There are multiple reasons for this, but one of the most important is the amount of time state legislators have to complete their business.  Only eight state legislatures operate year-round.  The other forty-two operate a part-time legislature ranging from two to five months, with most convening in January and concluding by Memorial Day.  In ten states, the entire legislative session concludes by the end of March. 

A September report by Quorum detailed that during the first six months of 2023, over 105,000 bills were introduced, and over 14,000 were enacted – a number that has undoubtedly risen due to the number of states still in session during the year’s second half.

How does that compare to our federal government? From January through July 2023, Congress introduced 7,800 bills and enacted just 10 of them!

What does that mean for government affairs teams and advocacy leaders?  It’s critically important to have a strategy to track and respond to what’s happening at the state level.  Here is a quick look at what’s going to happen in the next several months:

  • Thirty-eight states will begin the session in January.
  • Six states will begin session in February,
    • In Oregon, their session will last less than 35 days due to a constitutional amendment passed in 2010 citing short sessions occurring in even-numbered years.  The state budget is proposed and adopted during odd-numbered years when they have “long sessions.”
  • One state will begin in March (Louisiana).
  • Two states will begin in April (Arkansas and Louisiana).
    • Arkansas will be entirely focused on budget requests or appropriations. 
    • If the General Assembly is to take up any bills outside the scope of the budget, they must first have a 2/3 vote in both chambers for a resolution describing the bill. The deadline for those resolutions is by the end of the first day of the session, April 10.
  • Four states will not have regular session due to it being an even-numbered year:
    • Montana
    • Nevada
    • North Dakota
    • Texas

Manage Your State Advocacy Needs With 50 to 1

50 to 1’s suite of tools offers everything state government affairs and advocacy leaders need to monitor legislation, find the right lobbyist for your specific needs, connect with supporters and legislators, and effect change on the issues that matter to your organization.  We can help you devise a comprehensive plan to track the issues that are important to your business and have a strategy in place to move quickly when you need to influence outcomes that could impact your business.  We are experts in making sure our clients have the following:

  • The tools and analysis needed to quickly digest what bills are important and require your limited supply of resources versus those that are just noise;
  • The right team of consultants in place on the ground that has the experience and relationships to serve your needs;
  • A team of experts in understanding states’ and localities’ myriad and complex lobbying compliance requirements so that you never miss a deadline;
  • The allies – influential grasstop constituents and business leaders, policy groups and advocacy organizations – to support your policy positions and communicate with lawmakers and regulators;
  • Mapped their stakeholders to help identify hidden personal connections with lawmakers that can bring you closer to a win and
  • Educated and trained their stakeholders so they are ready to go when it’s time to engage.

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