Mendez, Steadman & Associates offers a full range of political consulting services including all aspects of government relations and public affairs.

Government Relations services include development of legislative strategy, budget analysis, key relationship building, drafting and sponsorship of legislation, lobbying, legislative monitoring, and executive agency advocacy. Additionally, we provide clients with regular legislative updates and work with them to create persuasive tools such as fact sheets, white papers, and other documents in support of their legislative objectives.

• Lobbying
  We design winnable lobby efforts, help clients set achievable legislative goals, strategically choose bills sponsors, develop coalitions, and successfully pass, defeat or amend legislation. We build key relationships within the legislative and executive branches, and work effectively with both sides of the aisle. We are accurate vote counters and pride ourselves on always knowing the outcome before the vote is taken. We orchestrate testimony before legislative committees and are diligent in delivering a consistent and persuasive message to all legislators and policymakers.

• Legislative Analysis and Strategy
  We identify all legislation with potential impact to our clients and assist clients in prioritizing key issues. We determine interest groups and lobbyists that can be enlisted as allies or that will be opposing client objectives. We analyze and research issues and propose strategy to achieve desired outcomes.

• Budget Analysis
  We are particularly skilled in working with the Joint Budget Committee. Few Colorado lobby firms have the budget expertise that we bring to bear on behalf of our clients. Services include increasing existing line items, creating new line items, and defending current allocations through every step of the budget process, from the JBC to the caucuses and the floor of the House and Senate.

• Legislative Monitoring
  We attend committee hearings and track bills and resolutions as they move through the legislative process. We keep our ear to the ground and report relevant developments to keep clients abreast of the rapidly evolving political climate.

• Executive Agency Advocacy
  We track the regulatory activities of administrative agencies and monitor rulemaking proceedings. We work with executive staff to ensure client participation in agency programs and, if necessary, lobby agency boards to effectuate outcomes.

• Procurement Assistance
  We help clients establish contacts with the people who make decisions regarding state agency procurement. We work with clients in advance of the issuance of request for proposals to gather information and position our client’s products or services. Procurement services may also include media relations, briefings on political issues and sensitivities, introductions to key staff and consulting on proposal content.

Public Affairs services include media relations, message development, issue campaign consulting, ballot initiatives, network advocacy, educational training, grassroots mobilization, community outreach, and coalition building.

• Media Relations
  We maintain relationships with reporters, enabling our issues to receive favorable coverage and helping us keep abreast of current developments. We keep a database of media contacts, draft press releases, orchestrate press conferences, events and demonstrations, attend editorial board meetings, and draft editorial opinion pieces and letters to the editor. We have secured pivotal media coverage on the local, state, and national levels. In addition, we also offer training or consulting to clients on the finer points of media relations.

• Message Development
  We craft persuasive advocacy messages to ensure effective delivery of key points. We train messengers to be disciplined in the delivery of a consistent message and to avoid the pitfalls that can often lead a speaker “off message.”

• Issue Campaign Consulting
  We offer strategic consulting for ballot initiatives and referenda campaigns, including coalition building, message development, grassroots mobilization, fundraising, and paid and earned media planning and strategy. We have extensive experience with the ballot initiative process and can assist groups in promoting or defeating ballot proposals. Services include drafting, appearances before the Title Setting Board, and petition circulation.

• Network Advocacy
  We provide network development consultation to help advocacy organizations take inventory of their resources and maximize their “people power”. We help clients streamline communication and implement new technologies to accelerate timely political action. We build coalitions by identifying potential allies, planning outreach, and creating strategic partnerships to increase political power.

• Educational Training
  We offer a variety of training seminars to strengthen organizations’ public policy programs. Topics include legislative and budgetary processes in Colorado, effective messaging, grassroots lobbying, initiatives and referenda, and media relations.