Befriend the Dog Catcher or Get them young and bring them up right.
I know that a trip to Lincoln during the session is hard and costly for many in todays economy but, consider the following;
Politicians in their early stages are easily accessible. In local elections when they have their meet & greets all you have to do is show up and they will find you. Most politicians don't wake up one morning and decide that they want to run for state senate, attorney general or governor. Like has been previously said they start with the school board, city council etc.. getting their name out there before the big run. Steps on a ladder.
If you work diligently in your local elections the folks that end up in the capital can be good solid Constitutional candidates. Be prepared to ask one well thought out question on the subject you are passionate about. Gage their answer. If it is not to your liking determine if they would meet with you sometime to discuss it in more depth.
If they are not receptive and seem set in their ways their opponent will be having a meet & greet too.
Work to get the right one elected and cultivate a relationship with them as the move to higher offices.
If you send the right people to Lincoln from your small far away communities you won't have to spend all that money and take time off work to travel to Lincoln. But you can if you wnt too.