District 10 State Senator Jake Chapman kicked off his third year as a state lawmaker Monday. Though he’s far from the most seasoned politician at the capital, Chapman says having a couple years of experience does make a difference in what you can get accomplished.

“There’s no doubt that first year you’re trying to build relationships.  I can tell you I’ve got very good relationships with House members, Senate Democrats and I’m working on numerous bills right now in a bipartisan manner that we’ll be filing right now.  So to answer your question, yes things have changed because you do build those relationships and you learn what other individuals are interested in and you find that common ground and work on legislation together in the off session” says Chapman.

Chapman says now that he has been able to build relationships with other Senators and Representatives, and develop a positive reputation, he feels like legislation he works on has more of a fighting chance of being approved.