How to ... Stop legislation that hurts your business

Dudley Goodlette has had his fair share of late-night calls from worried business owners.

Goodlette, one of the most effective and long-serving state legislators from Naples, says many bills filed never leave the committee hearings. “I did have a lot of calls from people whose hair was on fire,” he chuckles. Many times, his answer was: “Don't worry, it'll never be heard.”

But sometimes business owners need to be vigilant about legislation that might harm their interests. “It's not hard for someone to make a difference,” Goodlette says.

It's easier to track legislation than in the past. “Now, everything in the legislative process is online,” Goodlette says. “You can track a bill by subject matter.”

Start by contacting your industry's trade association. Many have lobbyists who know their way around the legislative halls. “There's also the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which has a very extensive legislative program,” Goodlette says.

Take your issue to local legislators. “Put your concern on their radar screen,” Goodlette counsels. “If they're not on a committee, they can refer you.”

When he was a legislator, Goodlette says he was turned off by blast emails. “All of a sudden you get 300 emails and they all say the same thing,” he says. “That is not an effective way. I was much more persuaded by someone who would send me a personal email.”

Traveling to Tallahassee is never a bad idea, but it might be difficult to track down legislators in the heated part of the session. “A lot of it depends on the lead time; going to Tallahassee midway through the session may or may not be advisable,” Goodlette says.

Recruiting media to push your agenda should only be a last resort, Goodlette says. “I was never a fan of the gotcha approach; I'd rather have someone reach out to me,” he says. “I don't think slamming them or humiliating [in the media] is a good idea, but sometimes it's effective — if it's a hail Mary.”

—Jean Gruss