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APGA Legislative Committee Hears from Congressional Staff

By Joshua St.Pierre posted 09-19-2024 10:37 AM

  
 
Last week, members of APGA’s Legislative Committee were joined by two congressional staffers for a discussion and Q&A. A member of Senator Thom Tillis’s (R-NC) office and a member of Representative Don Davis’s (D-NC-01) office spoke to the group during the committee’s monthly meeting.
 
Both staffers offered advice about how APGA members can be effective advocates on Capitol Hill, sharing that it is important to “bring the numbers” when you communicate with legislative offices. Staffers appreciate data that supports policy priorities. They also shared that it is always a good idea to connect your advocacy priorities to the state/district and always be ready to explain how members of the community that a policymaker represents will benefit from the ask. These are great things to keep in mind as APGA members prepare to attend the 2025 APGA Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., this January 27-30.
 
Attendees had the opportunity to ask the staffers questions. Some of the topics that were covered included municipal financing policy, congressional support for grant applications, the RNG Incentive Act, and the outlook for the rest of 2024 in Congress. 
 
Senator Tillis is a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Rep. Davis is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, which both have a role to play in policy that impacts the work APGA members do, including municipal financing, tax credits for natural gas vehicles, and other programs. Both staffers offered some insight into a potential, upcoming tax package that we might see later this year or at the beginning of 2025. APGA staff will continue to educate members of Congress about the need to protect financial mechanisms that enable public gas systems to invest in their infrastructure and incentivize the use of reliable, affordable, and efficient natural gas. 
 
Opportunities like these to hear directly from staffers working on issues that impact APGA member systems are invaluable and inform APGA’s advocacy efforts. Please consider attending future Legislative Committee Meetings.
 
For questions on this article, please contact Joshua St.Pierre of APGA staff by phone at 202-407-0015 or by email at jstpierre@apga.org.

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