Lobbying the Legislature is “very interesting,” but it isn’t a “glitz and glamour job” that the general public perceives it to be.
A lot of time is spent waiting outside committee rooms for a chance to speak to a lawmaker, John Bass told the McComb Rotary Club on Wednesday.
“You can’t buy someone’s vote with lunch,” Bass said, referring to hosting lawmakers at meals and social gatherings. “You’re just buying time with him” to explain issues.
The most effective lobbying, Bass said, is done at the grassroots level, when members of a group interested in a certain piece of legislation contact their representative or senator.
Bass, who once worked for Kellwood in the McComb and Liberty area, is director of governmental affairs for the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. He coordinates MMA’s relations with government, which means part of his job is lobbying.
He said MMA, established in 1951 as a pro-business organization, is a full service organization now representing 2,200 companies in the state.
It runs a self-funded Workers Compensation insurance plan for its members, offers a health insurance option, conducts workshops and seminars, backs pro-business candidates in political races, produces publications for its members and backs pro-business legislation.
Bass put in a plug for a local Republican in the Legislature, saying “please keep Sam Mims” in the House of Representatives.
He said the MMA is hoping to replace anti-business officials in the next election.
Discussing MMA’s anti-union positions, Bass said a union being voted into a Kellwood plant in Liberty years ago was the cause of the plant closing.
On national issues, he said MMA opposes legislation on health care as proposed by the House bill, although he noted some changes are needed.
He also said his organization opposes cap-and-trade legislation on carbon emissions and opposes labor union-backed legislation making it easier to organize unions.
