How Elections Affect the Legislative Process

Whether you’re looking to introduce new legislation or amend existing legislation, both of these things require a new bill or an amendment to an existing bill to move through the legislative process. And you need a sponsor to introduce those new bills or amendments.

The role of a sponsor may vary; in some cases, a sponsor may simply agree to introduce a bill, but may then leave it to the legislative process. However, such a large number of bills and amendments are introduced in every legislative session that it’s impossible to pass or even properly consider every one.

If you’re serious about passing an amendment or new legislation, you need a sponsor who is willing to push your legislation forward. You’ve got a much better chance of actually passing new legislation when your sponsor is actively advancing the bill or amendment.

Elections Impact the Availability of Potential Sponsors

Elections are important to the process of selecting a sponsor because they impact the availability of sponsors. In some cases, elections remove legislators who would be a good partner for a particular bill. In other cases, elections can bring in new legislators who would be the right candidate for a specific piece of legislation.

It’s important to work with an experienced lobby firm that can help identify the right sponsor, and can work toward furthering your cause with the sponsor in question. You must take into account whether there may be an election between now and when the bill can be presented, and the likelihood of the election impacting the sponsor you’re grooming. In some cases, it may be prudent to begin pursuing a sponsor who isn’t yet in office - in a far-reaching piece of legislation, for example, that may require long-term plans like environmental studies, traffic studies or other time-consuming steps. In any case, it’s helpful to work with the right lobby firm to help you pursue your legislative goals.