2020: New decade, new challenges, new opportunities
Advocacy
Geno Fragnito, MNCPA director of government relations | October 2020 Footnote
Editor's note: Updated September 30, 2020
In the opening months of 2020, the year was shaping up to be a typical election year in Minnesota. The presidential race and other highly contested elections were starting to garner the most headlines. But when the calendar turned to March, the world as we knew it was thrown into chaos by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The primary focus for lawmakers shifted from election year politics to attacking the virus’s effect on public health and the economy, particularly with emergency funding, and various levels of business shutdowns and quarantining. Elections were still on the radar, of course, but they moved down the list of issues needing immediate attention.
Election discussions increased significantly as we moved through the summer months. The August primary set the field for the November general elections, and the fall campaign season activity has been picking up significantly. At this point, you’ve likely seen ads for and against candidates on your local TV broadcasts, every other website you visit and on YouTube.
Moving ahead
The 2020 elections will not only determine who is in control at the state and federal levels, but they also determine which party will be in control of redistricting that shapes voting districts through 2032, a process that can change the political landscape in Minnesota.
COVID-19 also changed the rules of the game for traditional campaign strategies. Knocking on doors and handshaking at community festivals went the way of the dodo bird because of the pandemic, and the number of in-person contacts a candidate could have with voters has been reduced significantly.
Play to your strengths
Legislators depend on experts to help them better understand legislative proposals. During the most recent two-year cycle, more than 20% of bills introduced at the Minnesota Capitol could have directly affected the work you do as a CPA. These introductions don’t include the many amendments offered throughout the session that can add to the total number of bills potentially affecting the CPA profession directly.
2019–20 legislative bill introductions
| Bills introduced |
9,328 |
| Bills containing the word “tax” |
1,463 |
| Bills containing the word “audit” |
390 |
| Bills containing “CPA” or “certified public accountant” |
60 |
The MNCPA advocates on behalf of our members, but our team doesn’t know all the circumstances affecting your business or clients. The information you have is vital to the conversation and could be the deciding factor in which direction a piece of legislation goes. Legislators set the rules you must follow; having them in your professional network would be a value-added benefit for your business or your clients.
There is one month until the November election. This gives you about four weeks to learn more about the candidates running for office. Now is the time to engage them in conversation to find out more about their positions and how they align with your beliefs.
Set up a time for socially distanced coffee or a phone call/virtual meeting with you or your office. Let the candidates know what’s important to you and learn more to help with your decision for whom to vote.
Find where, how to vote
If you are unsure who is running in your district or where to vote, you can find out by accessing the poll finder page on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website (https://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/). After entering your address, you will be able to access the list of candidates running in your district. You can also vote absentee either in person (before Election Day) or via a mail-in ballot, which can be requested from the Secretary of State’s office.
Regardless of how you vote, it’s imperative that you exercise your right to participate in the process.
Stay involved and keep in the loop by visiting www.mncpa.org/gr.
Do you want to put your skills to use to help legislators best understand the importance of their work and what specific bills might mean for Minnesotans? Email
gfragnito@mncpa.org.
