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WHAT STAFF KNOW Been There, Done That These three house egislative staff are used to working too. He says he felt “clueless about what went behind the scenes, supporting the work on behind the scenes.” And, being from the clerks feel a special of the legislature. Sometimes they minority party and one of 16 freshmen in a empathy toward L even run for office and serve as elected body of 122 members where everything is representatives and senators. Less frequently, based on seniority, he soon realized that he legislators. they go the other way, from legislator to faced “a slow, slow climb” to accomplishing staffer. much. Three former legislators who now serve as After eight years, he joined former Gover- principal clerks share what they know—what nor Haley Barbour’s staff until House Speaker it’s like working from both sides of the ros- Philip Gunn asked him to serve as clerk of the trum and how their experience as legislators House. He was elected by the House members BY HOLLY SOUTH informs their role as house clerks. in January 2012. He credits his banking back- ground with helping him manage the House Andrew Ketchings, Clerk of budget, and his years in the Legislature and executive branch with providing him a broad the Mississippi House knowledge of state government and familiarity “I was clueless about what went with many legislators and staffers. on behind the scenes.” His experience as a representative gives him “I’ve always been interested insight into what new members face. “I know in politics and at some point how they feel. … They don’t know anything, thought I’d run for some- and they don’t want to look stupid.” Ketch- thing,” Andrew Ketchings ings makes a point of reaching out to them. I Andrew Ketchings says. After 11 years in bank- like to “touch base, encourage them, be there Mississippi ing, he successfully ran for his to answer questions.” hometown district, Natchez, He also created an orientation program, and won. crafted after consulting with fellow clerks in The best part about serving in the Missis- other states. “I’m trying to address everything sippi House, he says, was “being able to feel they might be confused about or not know like I was making a difference.” In his two about. It’s hard to be new, in the minority terms, Ketchings succeeded in securing match- party, and not get lost in the shuffle.” ing funds enabling the U.S. Army Corps of He also finds it rewarding to “see every- Engineers to shore up the badly eroded bluffs thing come together from start to finish: the Holly South is a policy associate in NCSL’s overlooking the Mississippi River in Natchez. bills, all the behind-the-scenes work, seeing Legislative Staff Services Program. Life in the statehouse had its challenges, it run smoothly on our end.” He now knows MARCH 2018 26 STATE LEGISLATURES WHAT STAFF KNOW that “nothing happens without the 40 or always wondered who did this, who did American Society of so employees behind the scenes.” that. I found out when I became clerk.” Legislative Clerks and Does he miss anything about being a She adds, “I wish I could go back with Secretaries legislator? “Absolutely nothing. Not one what I know now.” single thing. I could not be more emphatic In addition to five terms in the legis- Clerks and secretaries can trace their about that.” He continues, “Behind the lature, Boal worked for the governor as beginnings to 1619, when the British scenes is the place for me. I don’t want to director of State Boards and Commis- House of Commons lent a clerk, John see my name in the paper!” sions. She loved the job but missed the Twine, to the newly formed Virginia legislature and the people, so when the House of Burgesses. The American Carmine Boal, Chief Clerk position of chief clerk became available, Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries was founded 324 years of the Iowa House she jumped at the opportunity. “I love watching things happen one step at a time. later—more than 30 years before there was an NCSL. “I always wondered who did It’s slow, deliberate and messy—and I ASLCS today includes more than 400 enjoy that.” this, who did that. I found principal clerks and secretaries and their out when I became clerk.” She says her experience helps her under- staffs. The society’s goals—to improve While serving on a local stand “where legislators are coming from.” legislative administration and establish school board, Carmine Most of all, she knows what political better communication among clerks and Boal, a lifelong Iowan, pressure feels like. “I can be nonpartisan, secretaries throughout the U.S. and its Carmine Boal was encouraged by the because they all have those same pressures territories—are met through professional Iowa House speaker to run for a [regardless of party affiliation]. There are a development workshops, networking vacant seat. “I was totally lot of things they have to put up with that activities and business meetings. thrown—it was very unex- I don’t have to as staff.” Learn more at ncsl.org. pected,” she says. The first campaign was tough. It was a Robert Hunt, Clerk of the wishes he’d known when he was a repre- hotly contested race and, at the time, the Maine House sentative what a resource the legislative most expensive House race in Iowa his- staff are and how hard they work. “There tory. But as a stay-at-home mom, active in “I used the terminology; I are people behind every step of the pro- the community and local politics, “I knew thought I knew the process. cess; things don’t just happen automati- a lot of people. That really helped.” Boal But my knowledge is so cally.” As a legislator, he says, “I used the knocked on doors all over town, regard- much deeper now.” terminology; I thought I knew the process. less of party registration. “I loved talking Rob Hunt was recruited But my knowledge is so much deeper to people—that was the best part” of cam- to run for office through now.” paigning. Robert Hunt Maine’s caucus system, The role of clerk, to which he was Serving in the legislature was a “really Maine because “I was the only elected in 2014, comes with its own pres- great opportunity to meet people from one not asking if I’d get a sures: making sure people follow the all over, who you never would have had fancy license plate,” he says. The truth is, rules and having difficult conversations. the chance to meet otherwise.” She also he was ready for a change from teaching Because of term limits, he has a lot of remembers how “exhilarating” it was “to high school students and was drawn to the new members to coach each session, but pass legislation that was meaningful,” par- idea of helping people as a state represen- he finds his experience teaching high ticularly that directly affected her home- tative. And that was the best part of his school “prepared me pretty well.” But the town of Ankeny. two terms in the Maine House, because, he biggest source of stress is that “it’s a big But as a newly elected legislator, Boal says with a laugh, “marching in parades is show to run.” Praising his “tremendous faced a big learning curve because she says not all it’s cracked up to be.” staff,” he adds, “the session is only part- she was “pretty uninformed about a lot of Helping his constituents “navigate the time but it takes a lot of oars to make this issues” and, especially, the legislative pro- government” was “my top priority … to boat go.” cess. She can relate to new lawmakers, she do right by people and help them out.” At How are things different on the clerk’s says, some of whom come in focused on the time, he says being a legislator “was side of the rostrum? “Now I help members changing an issue or policy but with little the best job I ever had. … Every day I was succeed, which is a different angle on pub- knowledge of how the process works, how thinking about 50 very interesting topics, lic service.” He doesn’t remind members staff behind the scenes make it possible. and it made me think in ways I never had about his years as one of them, because “Legislators know only as much as before.” his role now is nonpartisan. “I try to help they need to,” she says. “And that’s OK.” For Hunt, rejoining the Legislature as anyone who comes through my door,” he She enjoys educating them on the pro- assistant clerk “was like pulling back the says. “My job is to make members look cess, including how to file a resolution. “I curtain to see how it all really runs.” He good.” STATE LEGISLATURES 27 MARCH 2018.

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