In January 2025, President Trump and his administration returned to the White House, with an urgent agenda to impose numerous executive orders on topics that regularly surfaced during the campaign trail. At the forefront of these policies are federal spending cuts, reductions in certain healthcare initiatives, redefining birth-right citizenship, the termination of DEI workforce programs, among more.

These new changes at the federal level have sparked concerns for various policy areas across state legislatures, and especially with Maryland. For Maryland to deliver on managing the budget deficit, reforming transformation networks, and mitigating climate casualties, the state will need to engage in advocacy efforts that can adapt to federal change.

State versus Federal Advocacy Differences: 

Understanding some general differences in state versus federal advocacy strategy is critical for recognizing the opportunities in each legislative body, and the levels of agency available in each chamber of government. In the state legislature, representatives operate within a compressed timeframe with fewer resources at their disposal in comparison to Congress. Thus, lobbyists and grassroot organizers must be proactive with their time by readily scheduling meetings with state officials, especially since state legislators are more accessible than Congressional members.

Moreover, state advocates explore policy issues across numerous counties and municipalities, while Congress functions on a larger scale by providing oversight to states, while also introducing legislation that is geared toward federal agencies or institutions. Therefore, state and federal advocates may employ alternative research methods, or public relations campaigns, to accommodate a specific audience, such as a constituency, a client, or to support demographic differences.

Moving Forward with Purpose: 

At Compass, we serve our clients at the state and federal level by taking a nuanced approach to government advocacy. We tailor our public relations outreach to contain personalized communication to meet client needs on an individual basis. Most importantly, Compass’ advocacy strategy is rooted in preparation and trust.

Finally, Compass Public Relations Partners is committed to staying in-tune with public opinion across all levels of government and remains invested in the strategic communications needed to yield tangible results for our clients during Maryland’s legislative session. While federal change may invoke uncertainty, there are political organizers at the state level, such as Compass, who bring consecutive years of experience in an ever-changing political landscape.

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