We Are All Lobbyists

In the longer I live, I look at the overall perspective of life and realize that God has created us for relationship with him and with each other and that's meant to be lived out in every part of our lives, including the area public policy is family policy with NC family precedent John Weston thanks for joining us this week. Family policy matters are just as dreary Royal Dir. of community impact and counsel in our very own North Carolina family policy Council since the North Carolina Gen. assembly recently concluded the 2016 short legislative session. We thought it would be a very opportune time to talk with Jerry about the legislative session and also about his activities as a registered lobbyist for NC family. In fact, were going to spend this week and next week delving into this aspect of our work is an advocate for family values in North Carolina's political and public policy arena this week will be talking with Jerry about what it's like to participate as a lobbyist in the North Carolina Gen. assembly representing NC family and next week we will discuss the recently concluded legislative session and what all took place jury welcome to family policy matters. Thank you, John, and blessed by God and working with you and everyone else who works with the family policy Council. Thank you Larry were certainly blessed to have the opportunity work with you and appreciate so much your heart to serve the Lord in this way. I know that you and and we all consider this to be a ministry and we all believe that we have been called to this ministry and so it's a real pleasure and an honor to work with you and all the members of the NC family staff Jerry for starters, lobbying is a word that often conjures up negative reactions when folks hear about lobbying, they often think of shady deals being made in back rooms by men in expensive suits, smoking, big cigars and things like that do you think that's a fair and accurate representation or do you believe the lobbyist can actually play and do actually play an important and positive role in the policymaking and political process. John no and in most professions there are stereotypes and unfortunately the one for lobbyist maybe is not a good one.

However, my experience in over 15 years working with the family policy cancel that stereotype does not fit. I see the work of lobbyist as being of vital part of the public policy process. Legislators are faced with many decisions.

I mean literally hundreds of issues each session and they have wonderful staff who work with them but lobbyist or an important part of how our elected officials learn about the various issues that they are looking at and they get different perspectives and it all works. I think in a wonderful way to bring them to decisions that hopefully in most cases reflect what is best for the citizens of our state and say lobbyist to play a vital role in that decision-making process will I think that's a great answer and is one who has been a registered lobbyist in North Carolina for two decades.

I completely agree with what you said Audrey building on that.

How does lobbying help NC family pursue our vision, which is a state and nation where God is honored religious freedom flourishes families thrive in life is cherished and in addition to that we have a mission statement equipping North Carolina families to be voices of persuasion for family values in their communities. So we got up big vision and then of a mission statement that kind of puts that vision into action. It still talks about how we seek to pursue that vision. I talk about that little bit if you would Jerry a lot of our work that we do here. Just as we say in our vision statement is focused on promoting and protecting the sanctity of human life, marriage and religious freedom is subvention the role of the family policy Council in the area of lobbying is important in the way that we communicate with legislators directly through our publications and through meeting person-to-person with them, but it is also vital.

We have come to understand over the years that other citizens be equipped as well to help encourage legislators as they are making these important decisions to either support or oppose proposed legislation and and we see it's important part of our role to help equip citizens in these important areas so they can encourage their elected officials. As these decisions are being made. I think the reality is Jerry and I know that we would both attest to this is that we can do all that we do down at the general assembly we can be down there every day working with legislators building these relationships. Trying to educate them but if they don't hear from their constituents back home. If folks back in their districts are not engaged and involved then our ability to really influence and impact and educate is extremely limited. But when we partner with folks back in their districts who care about these issues who are passionate about them and who have a heart to get involved. That is a partnership that can make a huge difference in North Carolina and based on our track record in our history and we thank the Lord for this. We have had a tremendous amount of success in that realm. God has really blessed us with a constituency across the state who really cares about these issues has gotten involved and really has made a difference. Will Jerry you have been an incredibly valued member of the NC family staff are quite a few years in a registered lobbyist for much of that time. In fact, many of our listeners may not know that your father was a very well respected member of the North Carolina Gen. assembly, serving in the statehouse from 1967 to 73. And then in the state Senate from 1973 to 1993, did his involvement sort of pave the way for you to become involved in policy and political work or was this something that you came in through through some other means will actually was not until later in my life that became involved with public policy, and I really only remember talking with my father one time about a specific issue, and I knew that we had very different views on that.

But when when I finish sharing with him.

He responded with two words. Thank you. And as I look back at that time I like to believe that what was happening. There was he cared more about our relationship than he did about debating a specific issue where we had very different views and that was an important life lesson for me to learn. As I look back and that's help me in the work that I do here is to realize it is important is the issues are that we are working on the relationships that we have with the people we're interacting with is just as if if if not more important, because I realize that the again, the longer I live a look at the overall perspective of life and realize that God has created us for relationship with him and with each other and that's meant to be lived out in every part of our lives, including the area public policy you're listening to policy matters so I spent to listen to our radio show online and from what resources have a place of persuasion in your community website electing well as I tell people often when I go to speak in public, that the Lord called me into the ministry but the ministry was not as a pastor but as a lobbyist often get strains on responses, but that that's the truth will Jerry when you're at the legislature.

What is your current approach or philosophy. What do you think are some of the keys to being a successful advocate or lobbyist, particularly as one who works on what some might consider to be some of the most controversial issues that we face in our culture today will the more I work in this area think the more what comes into focus for me is my understanding of why I am doing the work that I'm doing each day that it's all part of loving my neighbor again. It's just the calling that God has in each of our lives to have whatever defined that word love to be an unselfish unconditional commitment to the greatest good of another, as we approach our work in the family policy Council with an understanding. We first start by looking at the issues and we do extensive research. We look at the medical social scientific evidence any facts any information that we can find about the particular issue and then we realize that as were looking at that information really the foundation is God's word because he's the one who made us. He knows and wants what's best for us.

So when you do the research from all the other perspectives outside of the Bible you realize that when you find the truth. It's going to line up with God's word because he's the author of truth and so that's how we look at the policy information that we provide.

And that's the heart and mind that we want to have as we approach the policy really. As I mentioned earlier, just as if not more important than the policy or the relationships that we have with the people as we are sharing the information that we find from our research.

I know that the outcome of the issues that we are working on is very important, but also it's how we communicate about these important issues in the way that we speak the way that we write the way that we interact with others. Do they really see God working in and through us where they really see the message that unselfish unconditional commitment to the greatest good of others. So those are the two things that I have tried to learn to put together personally and then I think we as an organization try to put together are finding the facts, the truth about an issue and communicating that truth and love speaking the truth in love, that God calls us to do well that is a great inside. I think into the really the background in the backdrop of the NC family income along that same luxury. Would you say that NC family is pretty much the same as all other organizations who lobby in the Gen. assembly are we similar to other groups or do we differ in some respects from many of the other organizations who have or hire lobbyist. I think one of the things that unique about the way we interact with elected officials is that we are research and education organization that publishes emails magazines produce radio shows like this one to help inform and educate them about important issues that they're working on.

We are unique and that in addition to our lobbying. We provide these resources, but also what is probably unique.

I know there are a few other organizations that work specifically on the issues that we focused on one of the things that I think is unique because these are often very controversial emotional issues is the opportunity that we have and I know there are other Christian lobbyists. They are to have this the same opportunities for elected officials to see Christ in them, and to be drawn for God to work through them to draw people to himself, but the nature of the issues that we work on. I think gives us a unique opportunity for people to see. These are important questions, and that the perspective that we are sharing with them is based. Again, what I mentioned earlier on a love for others. Really caring and wanting God's best for other people and that our hope of what happens as a result of our interactions with elected officials is that they see Christ in us and that he works through us to draw people to himself. Will Jerry as we close our conversation this week. What words of guidance or encouragement would you give to folks who really want to make a difference in who understand that they can make a difference if they simply make themselves available and take the initiative to get to know their elected officials and then engage those elected officials when issues come up that they care about. They definitely can play a very important role at I know is important is the role can be of lobbyist and others who are trying to help inform elected officials when they hear from the people back home who they represent, and we heard this over and over that makes tremendous impact on them to know that the people they represent have taken the time and effort to be informed on the issues that that people are contacting them about and really the more personal way.

The something else we heard the more personal the contact the stronger the message is to the elected officials about the particular issue. Emails are important and are very helpful. Phone call think he may be, as we heard is even more impactful and then really the most personal interaction is a personal visit weathers to a legislators office or to their office. Back at home in the district. So yes, people becoming involved is definitely an important part of what can and needs to happen in our decision-making process in our state and Arabs are federal and our local governments. Jerry will thanks so much for being with us on family policy matters.

This week we look forward to talking with you next week about some of the specific issues the North Carolina Gen. assembly dealt with during the recently concluded session. Thanks for your time. Thank you.

You've been listening to family policy matters. The production of NC family to listen to our radio show online, and for more valuable resources and information about issues important to families in North Carolina go to my website@ncfamily.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook