Before You Ask Albany for Anything, Give Them a Reason to Care
Across New York, people are starting to think seriously about their 2027 legislative priorities (or at least they should be by now). They’re looking at funding needs, regulatory changes and maybe a few things that didn’t get across the finish line in 2026.
All of that work is important. But before we get too deep into the details, there’s another question worth asking: Why should anyone care about this?
That may sound a little harsh when we’re talking about things as important as access to healthcare, child care or building the workforce New York needs. But when you work around these issues every day, it’s easy to assume everyone else understands why they’re so important.
They don’t always.
Think about the environment we’re asking our messages to compete in. Legislators will hear about hundreds of noble issues during a session. Reporters get more pitches than they can possibly cover. And the public is constantly hearing arguments about problems that need attention and where limited resources should go.
So having an important issue is only the beginning. We also have to make people care more about it than others.
Listen to your lobbyist
If you have a lobbyist or government relations team, bring them into the communications conversation early. You likely retained them because they bring experience, relationships and context that extend well beyond your particular issue. They know the environment you’re walking into, what lawmakers are already hearing and how your issue fits into a much bigger picture. That perspective should help set the tone for your campaign. Should it be friendly, human and approachable? More urgent and assertive? Is there a reason to turn up the pressure, or could that work against you? Especially in healthcare and human services, where relationships matter and today’s opponent on one issue may be tomorrow’s partner on another, the answer is often somewhere between passive and confrontational. Listen to the people who know the landscape before deciding how loudly, and in what way, you want to enter the conversation.
Make the case to the head and the heart
Once you understand the environment and the tone, think about the case you’re making.
Most organizations I work with are very good at making the logical case. They know their numbers. They can document a workforce shortage, show a reimbursement gap and demonstrate increased demand. They know what needs to change and can explain the policy behind it.
We need all of that. Facts establish credibility.
But the numbers become a lot more meaningful when we show people what they actually mean. A healthcare workforce shortage isn’t just a vacancy rate when it means a family in a rural community has to drive 70 miles to get care.
The same is true with child care. We can talk about capacity and the number of available slots, but consider the parent who has an opportunity for a better job and can’t take it because there’s no place for their child. Suddenly, we’re not just talking about child care. We’re talking about workforce participation and economic opportunity.
That’s also a good reminder that many of these issues aren’t as neatly separated as our policy discussions sometimes make them seem. Healthcare, child care, workforce development, housing and transportation bump into each other in people’s everyday lives. Sometimes the personal story helps us see those connections better than the spreadsheet does.
So, while you’re thinking about policy, think about people
As you’re developing your 2027 priorities this fall, start thinking now about the people who can help others understand what you’re trying to accomplish.
Who has experienced the problem you’re trying to solve? Who has benefited from a program you’re trying to protect or expand? Is there someone who can explain what happened to them in a way that the rest of us will immediately understand?
Talk to those people now, not a week before your lobby day. Tell them what you’re trying to accomplish and ask if they’d be interested in helping. Get their permission and make sure they’re comfortable with how their story might be used.
That doesn’t necessarily mean putting someone behind a podium. Maybe they’re willing to meet with a legislator. Maybe they’d participate in a short video or talk with a reporter. Sometimes a written story and a photograph are enough. You don’t need dozens of them. A few authentic voices can do far more than another page of talking points.
And look beyond the obvious messengers. An employer who can’t fill positions because employees can’t find child care might make a stronger case for child care investment than someone who works in the field. A business leader talking about healthcare access can help people understand that it’s not only a healthcare issue. It also affects recruitment, absenteeism and whether a community can grow.
While you’re doing this, take another look at your data. Instead of asking only, “What statistics support our position?” ask what those statistics actually look like in someone’s life.
And take another look at your language. If your explanation starts with an acronym, a reimbursement methodology or a statutory reference, you may be starting too far into the conversation. Those details matter, but they’re usually better at explaining the solution than explaining why we should care about the problem.
There will be plenty of time to talk about the mechanics of legislation in 2027. This fall, while you’re building the policy case, spend some time building the human case too.
Paul Fahey is Vice President of Primeau-Fahey & Associates, where he works with healthcare, human services and workforce development organizations on a simple premise: it’s not enough for Albany to understand your issue. You need to make it impossible to ignore. www.primeaufahey.com
