b'a flurry of legislative activity then. Ourtors understand their constituents. There are about 31,000 people work with regulators writing rules mayin my district, and I have found people want to be heard. Great be more involved and take place all yearunderstanding comes from me listening and asking questions.long, he says.Denise Gentsch notes that breakingCommunicate Regularly at Federal Levelinto that flurry of activity with a messageThe same basic processes apply at the federal level, although that sticks is vital to state lobbying suc- There are aboutthere may be more year-round interactions with legislators and cess. In a previous position, she worked for31,000 people intheir staffers. May says ASTA has been effective in routinely a freshman state representative. reaching out and is a respected voice on seed issues.As lawmakers filed several thousandmy district, andCongress needs to continue to hear about our great innova-pieces of legislation, my boss neededI have foundtions, he says. The best thing we can do is encourage the federal background, she says. Who supportedpeople want togovernment to make sure laws are science-based and show the legislation and why, who rejected itconsumers and trading partners the U.S. leads the world in safe, and was the stakeholder a constituent?be heard. Greatreliable agricultural solutions.How did the issue affect his district, andunderstandingBrady, who previously worked for Senate Ag Committee did it conflict with his personal values? Chairman Pat Roberts, says ASTA efforts require staying in touch Shannon Latham, John Lathams wifecomes fromwith the right staffers to make sure members of Congress have the and Iowa House District 54 representa- me listeningbest information to make decisions regarding the seed industry. tive, says she operates in a similar manner.and askingAdvocacy has changed with the pandemic, and we have She started her career as Agribusinesslearned to be flexible. Since we are no longer going to offices, Association of Iowa director of legislativequestions.we use calls and work in coalitions to deliver our messages, she affairs and learned to appreciate succinct, Shannon Latham says. With a new administration, Congress and changing USDA 60-second sound bites. and EPA staff, we are identifying the new people we need to I may see 800-1,200 bills a session andwork with and establish relationships with them. lobbyists help me understand what theBrady sees this as an expanded opportunity for the future. impact of those bills might be, she says.She predicts Zoom meetings will continue post-pandemic and It is an education process to help legisla- be used in conjunction with in-person visits.SW34/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2021'