By Bill Hall, Chair
Link to the April Michigan Libertarian.
The Michigan Libertarian Summit on March 10 offered practical real-world advice from Libertarian State Senator Laura Ebke of Nebraska. She joined our own Hazel Park City Councilman Andy LeCureaux in a morning round-table discussion of Libertarian elected officials. She also delivered the keynote speech at the LibertyFest banquet.
In June, 2016, Laura Ebke left the Republican Party to become a Libertarian. At the time, she told the Omaha World-Herald “I got frustrated with some of my colleagues who don’t recognize civil liberties and don’t seem to agree with getting government out of people’s business.” Since then, she has continued as an important member of Nebraska’s unicameral “nonpartisan” legislature, serving as chair of its Judiciary Committee. This year she is running for re-election.
Real-World Advice
In the course of the day, Senator Ebke had several things to say worth noting by Libertarians who want to get elected and then serve in public office. Here are a few important takeaways I got from her time with us.
- Get known in your community. Senator Ebke represents a district where her family has lived for generations, and she has spent most of her life. She recommends serving in community organizations and on appointed committees, to demonstrate your commitment to service and the community and gain experience. She got her political start as a member of the local school board.
- Look for a political opening. Senator Ebke decided to run for state senate when an incumbent was term-limited out, so the seat was open and the race would be more competitive. She sought family and community support and advice before announcing her decision to run.
- A winning campaign is hard work. You can’t stint on door-knocking, direct mail or yard signs. You need lots of volunteers, or lots of money to use in lieu of volunteers. She estimated her re-election campaign will cost as much as $200,000, for a part-time (a 60-day session in even years and 90-day session in odd years) position that pays $12,000 a year.
- Campaign early and often. Senator Ebke started her door-to-door campaign last fall, for her primary election coming up in May. She’s already held several campaign events in her district, and seeks out opportunities for regular public and media appearances.
- Choose your battles. Senator Ebke has been effective in getting bills passed into law, by concentrating on those pro-freedom bills where she can build coalitions with others. She is optimistic that her licensing deregulation bill will soon pass, as it was reported out of committee, and passed the legislature on its first reading.
- There is a quid pro quo among legislators. If you ask another legislator to support your bill, they will ask for support in return. Sometimes you think their bill is a good idea, and you want to support it. Often what is important to another legislator is something that is not a big deal to you, so you can readily agree to vote for their bill. Sometimes you may agree to vote to support another legislator on a procedural motion (even if you don’t like their bill), because you know that once their bill gets before the full legislature, it just isn’t going to pass, and you can vote against it.
For those attending the Libertarian Party National Convention in New Orleans on July 1-3, don’t miss the opportunity to meet Senator Laura Ebke.
A video of Senator Ebke’s speech has been posted here.
