Meet PA LAC’s Lobbyist Louis J. Biacchi


Pennsylvania Legislative Action Committee (PA LAC) Delegate Matthew C. Collins, Esq., from the law firm of Horn Williamson, spoke with lobbyist Louis J. Biacchi, from Pugliese & Associates, about the lobbying profession and challenges unique to CAI.


Matthew C. Collins, Esq. (MC): As a lawyer who tries cases before judges and juries, I figured that I could hold my own in the halls of the Capitol. However, you have helped me to avoid stepping on landmines on more than one occasion. How did you develop such heightened senses?


Louis J. Biacchi (LB): As in most of life, experience is the best teacher. In my many years of lobbying, I have, to use your phrase “stepped on a few landmines”. Trying not to make the same mistake twice is one of my personal rules.


MC: How would you differentiate the advocacy and persuasion that takes place in courtroom versus the Capitol?


LB: There are some similarities. You need, in both instances, to have the facts on your side and a strong argument to go with the facts. A major difference is that in the courtroom, you generally have one opportunity to state your case. In the legislative process, as it almost always is slow, you have multiple opportunities to go back and re-state your facts and arguments to key legislators who have control over your legislation.


MC: Let’s talk offense versus defense. I think the job of the plaintiff’s attorney is more difficult


than the defense attorney’s job. It’s generally easier to attack a case than create a case. How about Harrisburg? Is it easier to block or pass legislation?


LB: Quite similar odds of success. Defense is always easier than offense legislatively, so when an organization seeks to move a bill, it must work harder and smarter than its opponents.


MC: Speaking of offense and defense, are you allowed to (publicly) have favorite sports teams?


LB: I find it best to publicly cheer for the particular Pennsylvania sports team that is on the screen when I am having beers and wings with legislators who are enthusiastically cheering for that team.


MC: I imagine one of the more difficult aspects of your job is not only getting the attention of the legislators but actually getting time with them?


LB: Time is the resource that a legislator has the least amount, particularly when they are in the Capitol, but also in their home district. The keys to getting a few moments of their time are having previously developed a relationship with that legislator, being succinct in speaking with them, and being situationally aware when “now” is not a good time to approach them for a conversation.


MC: While it makes perfect sense, I was surprised to learn just how much legislators rely on their staff. Why is that?


38 November | December 2021


LB: Literally hundreds of bills are introduced in each two-year legislative session. No legislator can know everything about each of these bills. Also, most bills never get out of committee and much fewer than that ever reach the Governor’s desk. Staff help legislators sort through all of these bills so that the legislator can focus on the most important bills with the greatest chance of movement through the General Assembly. Also, because of their time crunch, legislators depend on staff to help manage their time effectively.


MC: What is the average staff size for legislators?


LB: In the House rank and file, representatives have only a Capitol administrative assistant, and sometimes they share that assistant with another legislator. In their district office they may have two additional staff. Committee chairmen have two or three professional staff, depending on the committee on which they serve. Leaders have as many as ten staff. In the Senate, almost every senator is a committee chairman, due to the large number of committees. So each senator has three or four Capitol staff and one or two staff in each of their usually two district offices. Senate leaders may have over ten professional staff.


MC: So staff can be just as important as the legislators?


LB: No, only the legislator makes decisions and votes, but staff are often a key to influencing the legislator on how to vote so developing relationships is


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