Kander: 3 New Lessons Learned in Jeff City

1. Progress in the General Assembly is the result of laser-like focus.

I can't yet say whether ethics reform proposals like those in Flook-Kander will reach the Governor's desk, but I can report significant progress.

No matter whether we are successful in pushing reforms through the legislature this year, I have already learned one lesson: getting anything done requires dogged determination and the discipline to focus significant blocks of time on a specific issue.

Prior to our hearing (of which video footage is available) in front of the special committee on ethics reform and government accountability, I "lobbied" each individual member of the committee. While fierce debates are taking place on the floor of the House regarding topics as controversial as healthcare, taxes, and social services, I give one-on-one pitches to colleagues about the virtues of Flook-Kander.

When the House isn't in session, I go office to office working the issue. This part reminds me a bit . . . (READ MORE)

2. Partisans can't possibly disagree on everything ALL the time.

No two people can agree on every issue all of the time, and fortunately, that means that no two people can disagree on every issue all of the time. I'm trying to focus on the latter part as often as possible.

Bipartisanship requires us to put major disagreements aside when working together on issues of agreement. I'll give you a couple of my favorite examples from this year so far: (READ MORE)

3. I'm still working on the little things.

While some parts of this job are just as tough as I expected, there are small challenges that I never anticipated, as well. When you see people interviewed on television, it doesn't look that tough.

But when I'm on camera, I always think of the scene in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, where Ricky (played by Will Ferrell) gives his first TV interview and his hands keep floating up next to his face and into the camera's view as if they were filled with helium. "I'm not sure what to do with my hands," he admits to the interviewer. "Just put them at your side!" he's told. Easier said than done.

While I don't struggle quite as much as Ricky Bobby did . . . (READ MORE)

Well, those are my latest lessons learned. Thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

Jason