Proactive PCOs

Legislative Day 2007, held in February, marked 20 consecutive years in which pest management professionals traveled to our nation’s capital to meet with their legislators and have their voices heard on a variety of issues.

Throughout the years the names in Congress have changed, as have the issues, but the need for Legislative Day remains strong. In fact, in light of last November’s election, Legislative Day is as crucial as ever.

The 110th Congress is now tilted in the Democrats’ favor — in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Perhaps of greater concern are the new congressional chairs, including the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (chaired by John Dingell, D-Mich.); the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (chaired by Henry Waxman, D-Calif.); and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (chaired by Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.). “It’s not the Democrats, per se, but the way the system works,” said Bob Rosenberg, senior vice president, National Pest Management Association. “What concerns us are the people in Congress who now hold leadership and certain positions of power.

“In the past we have been on offense, but now we are sort of on defense.”
At press time, no anti-pesticide issues had been introduced in Congress, but it is only a matter of time before that changes, said Gene Harrington, manager of government affairs, NPMA. For example, Harrington said PCOs need to be aware of possible forthcoming school pesticide legislation, similar to the industry-unfriendly School Environmental Protection Act that was defeated in the Republican-controlled 109th Congress.

With that in mind, the goal of Legislative Day 2007 was different from years past. Instead of lobbying for or against specific legislation, Legislative Day attendees set out to educate their legislators about the importance of pest control, including stressing the importance of PCOs as protectors of public health. The idea is to “plant the seeds early” so that when anti-pesticide legislation is introduced, legislators already will have heard from the pest control industry. Additionally, Rosenberg and Harrington stressed the need for PCOs to follow up Legislative Day lobbying efforts by staying in contact with their representatives throughout the year.

The author is managing editor and Internet editor of PCT magazine. He can be reached at bharbison@giemedia.com.