A Day in the Life of a Lobbyist

Politics

by Loretta Lepore , McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

March 28, 2008

It is a chilly February morning, and I am hurriedly climbing the marble staircase in route to an 8 a.m. appropriations hearing at the Capitol.  There, I will meet Joy Walstrum, chief lobbyist for Georgia's tourism industry.  Entering the hearing room, I slink across the back wall to find a resting spot among the dozens of lobbyists waiting to hear whether the House of Representatives will fulfill budget requests or strike them down.

      I scan the room for Joy. She is nowhere in sight. As it turns out she is delayed by a call from the chairman of the Tourism Development Alliance of Georgia, TDAG for short.  He is requesting an update on several bills timed to be introduced this day.  Joy has served as executive director of TDAG since its inception in 2002.  That year, the Legislature cut $1million out of the tourism budget, and without an industry advocate at the Capitol, the decision went unnoticed until it was too late.
     Today, TDAG's advocates on behalf of convention and visitors bureaus, hotels, attractions and industry suppliers across the state.  The nonprofit is closely aligned with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, where Joy can be found when the Legislature is not in session.
     After a few text messages and a phone call, Joy and I connect outside the office of Reps. Ron Stephens, James Mills and Lynn Smith, a cozy, yet high traffic, space tucked away in the second floor corner of the Capitol.  Joy is a tall, slender woman, always impeccably dressed.  Like most female lobbyists at the Capitol, she is wearing a pant suit, gray with a light green pinstripe, the sleeves of her jacket flipped back to reveal a feminine floral print.  Her straight brown hair drapes her shoulders, and dark, fashionable glasses adorn her face, completing an overall look of smart sophistication.    

     As she slides into the seat next to me, I let her know that in the 2008 supplemental budget the House Appropriations Committee has cut $2 million that was earmarked for a tourism project. She gives a slight shrug, then lets me know she had anticipated as much, and she is hopeful the money will be put back in the budget by Senate appropriators. It is clear the residue of last year's budget battle between the House and Gov. Sonny Perdue lingers, at least in some quarters, under the Gold Dome.
     Joy appears unaffected by the political rift, despite her tireless efforts last year to get a tourism incentives bill passed, only to see it vetoed by the governor. House Bill 451 would have created statutory incentives for tourism development projects such as large-scale resorts and entertainment facilities.  The House overrode the governor's veto on the first day of the 2008 session and sent it to the Senate, where it has yet to be considered for an override.  Resigned to the process and the politics, Joy is working with lawmakers to pass a new bill, HB 1129, which is actually introduced while we are talking.  She sees this as an opportunity to create legislation that is palatable to all parties and is more in line with incentives offered to other industries.

     While Joy is laying out the industry's legislative agenda for me, we are interrupted several times by legislators wishing Joy a good morning.  First, Rep. Ron Stephens stops by. He chairs the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee and is in constant contact with Joy throughout the day on the progress of legislation moving through the House.  At this time, they discuss legislation being drafted by legislative counsel that would support the state's farm wineries; specifically, the bill provides for limited shipment of wine products.  Just a few moments later, Rep. James Mills stops to tell Joy he received Abigail's e-mail, and he is acting upon it.  Abigail is Joy's 9-year-old daughter.  It seems Abigail has pirated her mother's contact list and has solicited lawmakers, lobbyists and others she knows to purchase Girl Scout cookies.
     I wonder aloud how a single mother of two can handle such a demanding job.  Abigail's older brother Taylor is 11.  Joy quips, "It definitely takes a village."  She credits her parents, her brother, sister, neighbors and friends with all pitching in at one time or another, but it is her mother that gets the lion's share of the credit.  "Mom is definitely the rock star."

     Everyday requires new choreography from morning car pool to after school care to the evenings when Joy is expected to attend receptions, dinners and the like.  When I ask Joy about her children's impressions of her job, she responds proudly, "Oh, they think it's very cool."  Joy learned the hospitality industry under her father's tutelage. At one point, her family owned and operated Sky Valley Resort in North Georgia.  Joy's father ran the operational side of the business, while Joy began making her mark in the industry, tending to external relationships across the state.
     Her phone rings. It is another board member, and he is at the Capitol.  We are off to the third floor and a day that accelerates from 0 to 60 very quickly.  Among the sea of suits, we find her guest and connect him with Rep. Stephens, who will escort him onto the floor of the House for a visit.

     Immediately thereafter, we meet up with the lobbyist for the Department of Economic Development, which houses the tourism budget and serves as the state's marketing apparatus for the industry. They discuss the House budget cuts, pending legislation and chart strategy.  During that conversation she is approached by another lobbyist from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia who relays concerns over a hotel tax bill introduced a day earlier.  Joy assures her the bill is a temporary bill and that a substitute is coming.  Joy informs me that tax bills must be introduced by the 20th day of the session, this is day 13, and that lawmakers reintroduced last year's bill as a placeholder until the new and much shorter bill is finished.

      Not much later, the lobbyist for the Georgia Municipal Association approaches Joy expressing similar concerns.  Joy again explains a substitute is coming. By this time, her TDAG guest is ready to leave and wants to touch base.  As we move through the crowded halls, she does not hear the voice calling out to her.  I turn to see it is Sen. Don Balfour, chairman of the powerful Senate Rules Committee.  Just ahead, her quick stride is interrupted by Sen. Chip Pearson, chairman of the tourism committee, for a brief chat.  Finally, she finds her guest who is invigorated by his visit and laden with ideas.  Joy sends him happily on his way, and we are headed back to our cozy corner, but not before conversing with a lobbyist whose concerns could derail the farm wineries bill and Sen. Balfour finally catches Joy for a brief exchange.

     Shortly after lunch, the substitute tax bill comes in. Joy quickly caucuses with Rep. Mills, who in just minutes will be presenting it to the Ways and Means Committee.  We scurry across the street to the Legislative Office Building for the hearing.  It conflicts with another meeting.  So, as soon as Rep. Mills presents, we leave and head back to Capitol just in time to hear representatives from the music, sports and aviation halls of fame, all tourist attractions in Macon, presenting their budget requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Then, we are back across the street to the Legislative Office Building to the Economic Development and Tourism committee meeting.  Joy confidently approaches committee member Rep. Charles Jenkins to inform him that the tourism community in his district is supportive of the agri-tourism bill being considered.

     It is now after 4 o'clock, and Joy and I are parting ways.  She has some administrative work to do before heading to an evening reception.  I leave her in the cozy corner office where we began our day.  She is speaking with Rep. Mills, arranging a meeting on the hotel tax bill that will kick off another and even earlier day at the Capitol.