Why ATM Needs a Lobbyist: Benefits and Necessity Explained
A recurring question ATM receives is how having a lobbyist benefits ATM and why is it necessary?
Our lobbyist amplifies ATM members' voices in the legislative arena, ensuring that the vital role of midwives in maternal and infant health is recognized by key decision-makers. Our lobbyist brings expertise in navigating complex healthcare regulations and advocating for policies that support midwifery practice and access to care. By leveraging his network and knowledge, the ATM lobbyist increases ATM’s visibility, strengthens relationships with legislators, and ultimately drives meaningful change for the communities we serve. Investing in lobbying can lead to greater support for midwives, enhancing the impact and sustainable midwifery, our licensing laws, and safety and autonomy for our clients.
A lobbyist is like a bridge between groups with specific interests—like midwives—and lawmakers who make the rules. Their job is to help these groups communicate what they need or want by first researching the relevant issues and developing a strategy to present them effectively. They build relationships with legislators and their staff, ensuring they have a friendly ear when sharing important information. Through advocacy, lobbyists discuss the group's needs with lawmakers, providing data, stories, and compelling reasons why their concerns should matter. They might also organize events or meetings to raise awareness and, after these discussions, continue engaging with lawmakers to keep the issues front and center. In short, lobbyists work to ensure that the voices of specific groups, like midwives, are heard in the halls of government, helping to shape policies that benefit them and the communities they serve.
More specifically, our lobbyist tracks every single bill that is introduced in the legislature, looking for any language that would affect midwives whether it currently exists in our laws or not. Much of his job is to exempt midwives from any proposed legislation that would impose a difficult burden on us. Our lobbyist identifies these bills and brings them to ATM's attention, meets with stakeholders and explains how and why the requirements are not relevant and/or doable for us. These issues arise and are dealt with very quickly--usually within hours. Much of our lobbyist's work is delicate and confidential and happens behind the scenes. He has successfully negotiated for us on hundreds of proposed bills that would have imposed expensive, superfluous, or nearly impossible regulations on us. Without his help, midwifery in Texas would be far more burdensome.
April Blackmore, Legislative Chair
