Although it offers one of the 4th District’s potentially most important benefits, Government Relations only seems to get members’ attention when there’s a crisis.
But, in fact, protecting members and the industry from proposed regulations or other developments that could affect us negatively requires on-going vigilance and attention to relationships with politicians and their staffs, even when there’s not an active “issue.” Recently, we helped prevent efforts to levy sales tax on advertising and related services and other proposed regulations that could have negatively impacted the advertising industry in our state. But, Florida’s current economic crunch means that legislators need to find additional funding sources for state programs. So, we need to say alert.
We do more than oppose, however. When appropriate, we encourage industry self-regulation as a way to preempt government intervention. And we promote proposed bills that could further the growth of our industry and enhance its benefit to the businesses we serve.
AAF National and the 4th District employ professional lobbyists to do this crucial work–monitoring advertising-related legislation and putting our members face-to-face with influential lawmakers. Though these few individuals have been tasked with representing the interests of the federation they cannot make the impact that our individual collective membership can.
Grassroots efforts involving our members are a crucial part of our efforts to protect and promote advertising at every level. Therefore ongoing legislative affairs awareness within each club is vital to our ability to respond quickly and effectively when negative legislative issues arise. Please keep current with Government Relations in your club so when and if the need arises we can rally all members of AAF to meet the challenge.
Stay abreast of national issues by subscribing to AAF’s Government Report email newsletter by emailing government@aaf.org, check back on this blog, and buy a PAC pin from your club’s Government Relations Chair (me) to help support our efforts in Tallahassee.
