West Texas Legislative Summit ends with talk about reaching out to representatives

Michelle Gaitan
Abilene

SAN ANGELO — A day of talks at the 14th annual West Texas Legislative Summit ended with a panel discussion on how people can effectively communicate with their representatives in Washington.

Congressman David Rouzer (NC-7) comments on a question during the 2018 Congressional Panel at the 14th annual West Texas Legislative Summit at Angelo State University Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

“We’ve heard a lot of ideas from a lot of different people had — some were the same, some were different — but that doesn’t include all the agriculture these guys are going to be hearing about,” said moderator Larry Combest, former chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture.

The 2018 Farm Bill was the topic of this year's summit.

The agriculture committee will be hearing about issues from other parts of the country including tax reform, environmental regulations, and water and land use restrictions, he said.

“All of those are very important to you,” Combest told the audience. “If you can’t get your message through or you can’t get it through effectively, then all of the work you may have done may fall on deaf ears or no ears.”

Moderator Larry Combest, former chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, speaks before the 2018 Congressional Panel at the 14th annual West Texas Legislative Summit at Angelo State University Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

The afternoon panel included U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway of Midland and Reps. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock, Roger Marshall of Kansas and David Rouzer of North Carolina.

Panel members shared tips on how constituents can best reach out to them and their offices.

“First off, start at home,” Conaway said. “Meet your member back home and start building a relationship.”

“The second thing, if you come to D.C., meet the staff because they've got direct access to a member, and if you start building a relationship with the staff, as well, then you stand a better chance of getting something scheduled or getting through the lots of requests the office gets.”

Marshall suggested speaking from the heart and sharing family stories. Rouzer stressed keeping messages simple and concise.

U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (TX-11) speaks during the 2018 Congressional Panel at the 14th annual West Texas Legislative Summit at Angelo State University Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

Arrington advised people to be specific.

“Have some reference points and context that will allow us to better sell the need for a solution to your problem,” he said. “We’re chasing a lot of things so it’s always great when someone says ‘here’s the problem, here are the implications to West Texas and the country if we don’t solve it.’”

Other tips included:

  • Personally write emails — they have a greater impact than mass-produced emails
  • Get involved or take leadership roles with agriculture organizations
  • Find common ground with others in agriculture despite opposing views.

An audience member asked what panel members took away after hearing from farmers, ranchers and other stakeholders in West Texas.

“It was very diverse in terms of the input and the various sectors of agriculture,” Arrington said. “I am glad we beat the drum on cotton because I think it’s uniquely challenging, and I know no one is more on that than our chairman.”

Arrington went on to say, “listening to those fathers who had to fight back the tears on account of not being able to hand the reins of their operation over for the first time in five, six, seven generations” was impactful.

An audience invested in agriculture attends the 14th annual West Texas Legislative Summit to hear the 2018 Congressional Panel at Angelo State University Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

“There is something about their sense of urgency, something about their desperation,” he said. “You see it in their face, you hear it in their voice, and to me, that was the most powerful thing for my colleagues to hear.”

Contact information

Michael Conaway, San Angelo office 325-659-4010 or conaway.house.gov/contact/

Jodey Arrington, Abilene office 325-675-9779 or arrington.house.gov/

Find your representative, visit house.gov/representatives/#state_tn