Lobbyist Reforms

by Trevor Grayless
Lobbyists, who are they? What do they do? Why are they important? Many people ask these very questions and luckily this year’s YIG lobbyists are letting us into the changes going on in their program and what their exact purpose is. One of the Chief Lobbyists this year, Miss Tara Hammer of the Springfield Delegation, filled us in on the basic changes to the lobbyist program, taking place this year.
One of the few basic changes this year will be “specific organizations that the lobbyists represent, each one is assigned a basic area, such as education,” said Hammer. The reason this change has occurred is to make sure each lobbyist has at least one bill to lobby instead of having too specific of a topic to find work.
Promotion of the lobbyist program is high on the priority list this year. “We are trying to make it more necessary to have the lobbyist witnessing in the committees,” Hammer said. Look out for their campaigns and when at a debate do not forget the lobbyists and all the hard and important work that goes into passing and supporting the bills that go into effect.