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What is an LA? By Brennan Long
When constituents call the offices of busy
delegates and senators, they are often greeted by
legislative aides, the legislators’ knowledgeable
right-hand men and women. These aides are
not just responsible for answering the phones
or responding to emails, they are at times an
extension of the legislators themselves, acting
as an extra set of hands to get the job done
for the state of Virginia. This could mean
researching legislative issues, filing requests,
tracking legislation and at times attending events with or in place of
the legislator.
As legislators are notoriously busy running from committee
meetings to session at the Capitol to This Week in Richmond tapings
at the General Assembly Building, the legislative aide must keep
commitments on the calendars organized.
“With so many deadlines, people and procedures you do your best
to help your boss look good, stay on schedule, and connect all the dots,”
said Holly Herman legislative aide to Senator Emmett Hanger since
1997. “It takes about three Sessions to just realize what all you have
missed while you were thinking you were on top of all your tasks.”
Legislative aides are not only required to have the organizational
skills of the very best assistant, but they also must handle the legislator’s
public relations. Aides write press releases to send to local newspapers
and newsletters to send to the legislators’ districts back home. In
addition, today’s technology savvy aides must monitor the legislator’s
Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as websites.
Some legislative aides that have been working at the General
Assembly for many years have had the opportunity to see the position
change as technology evolves.
Legislative Staff
Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, Policy Directors & Counsel
“When I arrived at the General Assembly, all correspondence
was conducted via letter: drafting requests, budget amendments,
everything,” said Allison Baird, legislative aide to Senator John
Edwards. “Fax machines were a game-changer—I remember how
excited I was to be able to fax in drafting requests!” The legislature
has come a long way from the days of paper filing and this year the
legislative drafting system will allow legislators and aides to file
legislation with the Clerk’s office online for the first time.
Before the dawn of email and the Internet, mail was delivered
to the General Assembly Building three times a day. Today stacks of
hundreds of letters and postcards have transformed into digital inboxes
full of emails. “Emails can be a blessing and a curse. When a topic
heats up it is overwhelming to open your email box to find up to 1,000
emails a day. And with only the delegate and legislative aide to answer,
that process can be mind boggling,” said Judy Wyatt, aide to Delegate
Steve Landes.
Despite the changes in technology, the legislative aides continue to
work hard to help their legislators and they are not afraid to reach across
party lines to get the job done. “Two things have not changed over my
years at the General Assembly: the willingness of Senate legislative
aides—whether Republican or Democrat—to help each other, and the
dedication the Senate Clerk’s Office and Legislative Services have to
making our offices run smoothly,” Baird said. “Paper—or electronic-
age, this is a team that never loses focus on the important service we
render to our great Commonwealth.”
Brennan Long is a junior at the University of Richmond.
She is majoring in Journalism and minoring in French
at the university.
Virginia Capitol Connections , Winter 2013 9
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