Legislative & Lobbying Services

Firm members Jon Doyle and Craig Nelson have both had a long relationship with Maine's government, starting with their service in the Maine Attorney General's Office as both Deputy and Assistant Attorneys General in the 1970's. Many things have changed in the Maine State Legislature, driven most recently by term limits and public funding of campaigns. Recent legislative sessions show an evolution away from a reliance on the political caucus and committee votes and the exercise of political will by leadership. Increasingly, unanimous committee votes are debated and overturned in the Legislature, often without regard to the party affiliation, and with more independent action. Doyle & Nelson has adapted its lobbying to these changes, working with clients to develop their message and put together effective lobbying campaigns. We also show our clients how to use their own resources to advocate and communicate their message to the Legislature.

One of our clients, an association representing a number of major nonprofits in Maine, was concerned at the outset of the session with severe and drastic budget cuts in State appropriations for their membership. We were able to keep that to an absolute minimum simply by making sure that we stayed in close contact with key legislative and Appropriations Committee members; recognizing that there was a finite sum of money and positioning the client so that their needs were properly recognized and addressed.

We've changed traditional lobbying techniques at the State House. We honor the institution and its members who serve diligently, but we find that many times our clients need effective guidance and leadership to get the job done. All too often, our clients have found their previous attempts to go it alone led to an unsatisfactory result.