“My mother, if you were to run up to her right now with a microphone and say, ‘what does your son do for a living?,’ she might describe some things I’m around or talk about from time to time…but whether you could succinctly put it together is something else.”
The mother of Tennessee lobbyist Jacob Baggett perhaps isn’t alone in having an incomplete picture of her son’s career.
The U.S. at large provides many broad definitions for a lobbyist. In Tennessee, to lobby is to “communicate, directly or indirectly, with any official in the legislative branch or executive branch for the purpose of influencing any legislative action or administrative action, while a “lobbyist” is any person “who engages in lobbying for compensation,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The definition is a little different in each state.
“I think a lobbyist is an intermediary between, a lot of times, private industry…it can be some public entities as well,” Baggett said, “an intermediary between those types of entities and state government at large. I think the biggest misconception about lobbying is that things are done in the shadows, right? And while there are certainly things that happen behind closed doors, most of what we do…at least in the legislative process, is online and public with a reasonable notice for everyone to see.”
Among some of the entities Baggett, 36, represents at the Tennessee Capitol are nationally recognized names including Bush’s Beans, Costco and Hankook Tires. Working as a lobbyist for five years, he balances representing for-profit companies with non-profit organizations including AGAPE Child and Family Services and the Nashville Diaper Connection.
“I think there are two days in the life of a lobbyist: One is in session, one is out of session,” said Baggett, describing his weekly routines as a Tennessee lobbyist, opting to focus on in session days.
“For four months out of the year, we are starting bright and early and ending very late. What I’m doing every day is keeping my finger on the pulse of various things going on…attending hearings of various committees of various types and playing what we call offense and defense – pushing bills and defending against bills that we consider either threatening or just need to be slightly adjusted,” Baggett said.
A career as a lobbyist in Tennessee is not 9 to 5. Baggett works around the clock as needed. His job includes building trust with elected officials.
“It’s not just X’s and O’s and what’s in the statute,” Baggett said, “it’s about your personal relationships with not just members, but staff and other lobbyists. Relationship maintenance takes time, and for it to actually be successful, those relationships have to be genuine.”
Tennessee lobbyists are held in good regards by other elected officials at the Capitol. John Kerr, a research analyst for the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee spoke fondly about his interactions with lobbyists.
“Generally, they help, because members – staff – we all filter out. But the lobbying core stays more or less the same,” Kerr said. “So there’s a lot of that institutional knowledge on the subject matter and specific issues. They can be very helpful.”
Rep. Greg Vital R- Hamilton County shared similar sentiments on his experience with lobbyists.
“I don’t fear them,” Vital said. “I consider them a source of information…we count on them from both sides, you learn the ones you can trust. The connotation of what a lobbyist is…you think it’s backroom people, you know? And they’re slithering around…they’re just highly passionate about a cause.”
Baggett offered advice to those who currently may be seeking career pathways to become a lobbyist.
“Do everything you can to learn more about every piece of the ecosystem,” Baggett said. “If you want to understand the right hand of politics on the inside, you have to know what the left hand is doing too. And you have to have a good understanding of it.”
“Take an internship that’s with an executive branch,” Baggett continued, “take an internship that’s a legislative one. Take one that’s law enforcement related. Any of those things, I think, will benefit someone in the long run. While you are able and have a degree of flexibility to commit to a public service for a stint – whether it’s working as a legislative assistant…or volunteer on campaigns. Do what you can and get that exposure – because I guarantee you – you will come away from it being a more knowledgeable person about what you read and what you potentially write.”
In the meantime, Baggett will continue representing his clients and working the long hours for the remainder of this current General Assembly session.
This story is part of week long news coverage of the TN General Assembly by the UT-Chattanooga PULSE Project.
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