LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jaimarie Mangoba
After working for more than a decade in executive branch agencies, Mangoba took a job with the Nevada Legislature, where she can “be at most service to the community.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Greg Sobetski
Sobetski, an economist at the Colorado Capitol, says he’s inspired “by the children and teens who take time to advocate for themselves, their peers and their futures.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Bridget Godes
Bridget Godes, a research analyst in the Iowa Senate, started her career as a legislative campaign worker. She now assists senators in developing educational policy.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Kurt Hargrove
As the Michigan Legislature’s lead carpenter, Hargrove builds furniture that keeps the timeless feel of the Capitol’s spaces while incorporating the latest technology.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jesse Teitelbaum
Before coming to the Legislature, Teitelbaum worked for years at a nonprofit history museum. He’s now director of the Pennsylvania House Archives.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Alix Stephens
Stephens, a legislative attorney with the Arkansas Legislature, says it’s “rewarding to work with members and understand how they address real-life issues and the concerns of the public.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Cameron Lapine
Lapine, a legislative aide, says every day in the New Hampshire Senate “allows me to experience a wide breadth of different situations, topics and policy areas.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Don Richards
Richards, the budget and fiscal administrator for the Wyoming Legislature, says legislative work is not unlike the state’s seasons: “both cyclical and iterative.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Gerald Martin
Martin, the DEI coordinator for the Washington Senate, says the political process is “inherently a ‘people’ process.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Brandy Renfro
Renfro, communications director for the Illinois Senate Democrats, says there’s much to love about her home state. She started a website to prove it.
EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR
Town Hall Takeaways: Employment Trends
In today’s economy, employers—especially state and local governments—will have to change how they recruit, the benefits they offer and how they incorporate remote work to get and keep employees.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Zoë Gluck
It was being involved in campaigns and internships as an undergrad that made Gluck want to work in state government, “where my work would directly impact and improve the lives of Connecticut residents.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Keenan Konopaski
Konopaski, Washington state’s legislative auditor, is inspired by legislators who engage in dialogue to learn from others and who can be respectful when they disagree.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Tricia Hines
Hines, the GIS coordinator for the Oklahoma, is “proud to have made it through the latest redistricting cycle, which called upon my diplomatic, organizational and time-management skills.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jessica Lundgren
Lundgren, principal librarian in the Maine Law and Legislative Reference Library, says providing access to information for all people is what inspired her to work in the field.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Adam B. Cain
Cain, chief sergeant-at-arms for the Oklahoma Senate, strives to treat all who enter the Statehouse—elected officials, protestors, lobbyists, tourists—with dignity, respect and kindness.
ETHICS
Gray Areas: Every State Handles Ethics in Its Own Way
Ethics officials might be on committees or commissions, independent or part of the legislature, but all handle complaints ranging from harassment and discrimination to election expenditures, lobbying gifts and potential conflicts of interest.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lisa Fenton
As chief of staff for the Washington House Republican Caucus, Fenton says legislators are most successful when the staff supporting them is strong, committed and knows they are valued for the important work they do.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Janelle Taylor Garcia
Garcia, program evaluator for New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee, says her bilingualism has opened many doors and introduced her to people she wouldn’t otherwise have been able to converse with or befriend.
REDISTRICTING
Redistricting: It’s All Over but the Suing
Many states’ newly drawn maps will be challenged in court, but political change is likely to be minimal at the state level. At the federal level, it might be another story.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Shannon Riley
Riley was drawn to her job with the West Virginia Legislature because she “wanted to be a part of a group that worked hard, laughed loud, searched for answers and created solutions.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lacy Ramirez
Ramirez, the reading clerk for the Oregon House, says that while the unpredictability of working in the legislature may make some people uneasy, “I personally thrive in a little bit of chaos.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Wendy Jackson
Wendy Jackson, who works with the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, is inspired by her fellow legislative editors’ strong sense of duty to the legislature.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Tim Erickson
Tim Erickson, a GIS and research analyst for the Nebraska Legislative Research Office, says using data creatively can tell a story that helps legislators work more effectively.
TRANSPORTATION
Charge! States Forge Ahead on EV Expansion
All 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have submitted plans to build out electric vehicle charging stations with funds from the federal infrastructure bill.
LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT 2022
What to Do in Denver: NCSL Staff Picks
Need a breather between sessions at Summit? The Mile High City offers plenty of diversions, whether you want to find a souvenir to take home, have a meal or just soak up some Colorado sunshine.
ELECTIONS
August Primaries: By the Numbers
Most observers are looking at next month’s primary elections to see which way the political winds are blowing. But policy wonks are watching to see what difference, if any, it makes how those primaries are run.
LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT 2022
Ready, Set—Summit!
Nearly 5,000 people have signed up for this year’s event in Denver, set for Aug. 1-3. Don’t miss out!
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Chincoteague Pony Swim
Virginia Delegate Robert Bloxom shares what’s great about his district on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where “saltwater cowboys” annually round up the feral ponies living on the barrier islands.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Sunny Liu
Liu, a senior fiscal analyst with the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, remembers an old proverb when he faces times of doubt: “Failure is the mother of success.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | John Hollman
Hollman thought he was headed for law school, but an internship in the Illinois General Assembly put him on an unexpected path. He’s now clerk of the House.
LEGISLATURES
States Expand Access to Capitol Buildings
With many state capitols undergoing renovations, people with disabilities will finally be able to exercise their right to equitable access to their representatives.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Samantha Martinez
Budget analyst Martinez values her work with the Texas Legislative Budget Board because it lets her “interpret, share and reflect on findings that best serve our state.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | W. LaMont Rainey
Rainey, an attorney in the Nebraska Legislative Research Office, has lived all over the U.S., but he loves his adopted state because anyone can receive a quality education regardless of their ZIP code.
ENERGY
Belgians Take Energy Road Trip to Utah
Members of the parliament of Wallonia were invited to tour energy-producing sites in Utah this spring, after U.S. state lawmakers visited energy sites in Belgium in 2020.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Hall is a can’t-miss celebration of Cleveland’s place in music history, but the city also boasts world-class dining, art museums and botanical gardens.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Keith Bybee
Bybee says his job as a budget and policy analyst for the Idaho Legislature let’s him work on public policy that’s backed up with data and research.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Luke Kiszla
Kiszla, an attorney and self-described “word nerd,” found a professional home drafting bills in Alabama’s Legislative Services Agency.
FISCAL POLICY
Manufacturing Our Way Back to Full Stock
The global supply chain is out of whack. But pinpointing the exact cause is difficult. The pandemic was the spark, but most experts agree supply chain issues have been building for some time.
HEALTH
Using Data Exchange to Improve Public Health
The pandemic highlighted how electronic health information systems can’t always talk to one another, leaving public health decision-makers facing data gaps across systems and jurisdictions. New state and federal initiatives aim to fix that.
ELECTIONS
Is the US Ready for Universal Voting?
In their new book, “100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting,” E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport argue for changing voting from a civic right to a civic duty.
FISCAL POLICY
Travel Can Be Taxing in More Ways Than One
A pandemic-driven surge in domestic travel to rural areas has yielded record tax revenues, but also burdened natural resources and local residents. Lawmakers are rethinking how to use the windfall.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the US Space and Rocket Center
Once known as the watercress capital of the world, Huntsville, Ala., transformed into “Rocket City” when it became the nation’s center of research and development for space exploration.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Afnan Nehela
Afnan Nehela, communications director to Massachusetts Sen. Jamie Eldridge, was drawn to legislative work because, she says, “the political process impacts everything.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Ruth Ann Jones
Ruth Ann Jones is the controller general for the Delaware General Assembly. “Strangely, the budget process is something I immediately fell in love with,” she says.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Thomas Elder
A combination of good timing and opportunity allowed Thomas Elder to convert his temp status into a full-time job with the Maryland General Assembly. He’s now a fiscal and policy analyst.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Vinay Dattu
A commitment to serving the public, a desire to create quality products and services, led Vinay Dattu to the Tennessee General Assembly, where he is director of legislative information systems.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | KC Norwalk
Norwalk, a nonpartisan drafting attorney for the Indiana Legislative Services Agency, takes pride in his ability to help legislators frame their ideas into bills.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | David Hartman
Hartman says that between his love of politics and respect for those who serve in legislatures, “it was an easy decision” to join the Georgia House Budget and Research Office, where he is an analyst.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Suburban Areas Saw Pandemic Population Boom
Smaller and suburban places drew most of the population growth in the first pandemic year, between mid-2020 and mid-2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
ELECTIONS
June Is the Heart of Primary Season
June’s 17 primaries will provide lots more data on which wings of our major parties are in the ascendance, as judged by the outcomes of congressional and gubernatorial races.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Melissa Renick
Renick, assistant director of the Kansas Legislative Research Department, says that even though her home state is described as “flat,” it has “interesting geography and places as awe-inspiring as the highest mountain peaks or the lowest valleys.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Drew Murray
A senior analyst with Louisiana’s House Legislative Services, Murray loves his home state’s “unrivaled, deeply rooted and phenomenal cultural richness—and the great food and music that goes along with that.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Alexis ‘Lexi’ Stangl
Stangl, lead counsel with the Minnesota Senate, values her role as a nonpartisan staffer. “It allows me to be a part of the process without being political,” she says.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Erica Warren
When Warren began her career in the Kentucky General Assembly, she “didn’t care about the politics but was deeply interested in the policies and how our representatives came to agreement.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Monique Appeaning
Appeaning, an analyst in Louisiana’s Legislative Fiscal Office, also serves on NCSL’s Budgets and Revenue Standing Committee, which she says has prioritized staff engagement.
STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS
Infrastructure Spending Heats Up as Summer Approaches
Six months after passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law, federal agencies are shifting into high gear, with new programs taking shape and existing programs sending out significant funding increases to states.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Porscha Miner
Miner, a senior budget analyst for the Mississippi Legislature and member of NCSL’s Education Standing Committee, is proud of her state’s leadership role in passing legislation to benefit young readers.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Melissa Schmidt
Schmidt, principal attorney with the Wisconsin Legislative Council, also sits on NCSL’s Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee, but still makes time to lead Boy Scout merit badge projects.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
How the Pandemic Changed State Unemployment Systems
As millions lost their jobs in early 2020, states rushed to make benefit payments to newly unemployed workers. Turns out, many of those workers were overpaid, and some shouldn’t have been paid at all.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Molly McAllister
McAllister, the training and staff development coordinator for the Connecticut General Assembly, says she had no idea such a professional opportunity existed. “When I found it, everything fell into place.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF WEEK
Good for Business: The Benefits of Rituals, Part 1
Developing meaningful workplace rituals—shared meals, group outings—can help team members feel they belong and are safe to be themselves without fear of negative consequences. And feeling safe can yield high performance.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jeff Wice
With 46 years of legislative experience, special counsel Wice helps NCSL’s Redistricting and Elections Standing Committee to address some of the most divisive legal and partisan issues confronting the nation.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | C.M. Park Kaleiwahea
Long before she became the assistant sergeant-at-arms in the Hawaii Senate, Kaleiwahea fell in love with the work the Legislature does for the people of Hawaii and “never looked back.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Kathleen Patterson
Having served as a legislator on the D.C. Council and as a researcher with The Pew Charitable Trusts, Patterson brings a rounded background to her work as head of the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF WEEK
Battling Burnout Is Key to Employee Well-Being
As workplaces grapple with what the post-pandemic normal looks like, a clinical psychologist encourages employers to be clear about expectations, provide employees with sufficient resources, and recognize effort and achievement, among other strategies.
FISCAL POLICY
Financial Literacy: An Education Still in Progress
With high levels of financial literacy continuing to elude many Americans, 28 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands now require a financial literacy course or content to be taught or included in the education standards for K-12 students.
ELECTIONS
How to Talk to Your Constituents About Elections
The public’s growing interest in election administration is a good thing, but the spread of elections MDM (misinformation, disinformation and malinformation) isn’t helping. Here’s how you can help reduce the confusion.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Rebecca Silbernagel
Silbernagel is the journal clerk for the Vermont House of Representatives and an accomplished photographer whose latest project shows her House colleagues in their “happy places.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Shelby Holland
Holland, a human resources generalist in the North Carolina General Assembly, never considered working in government. But, after three years, she says, “I can’t see myself anywhere else.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Kevin Drennan
Drennan, executive director of the New Jersey Senate Majority Office, came to legislative staff work via lobbying and the executive branch—experience that’s helped him understand multiple sides of many issues.
ACROSS THE AISLE
Rocking the Bipartisan Beat
In Nevada, an energetic Democrat invites progressives and conservatives to the social media party by showcasing voices from both parties in the videos she creates for TikTok.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Perry John P. Tenorio
After 26 years in the tourism industry of the Northern Marianas Islands, Tenorio found a new challenge as director of the commonwealth’s Legislative Bureau.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Eric Robbins
A good day for legislative attorney Robbins? “Seeing legislators and stakeholders who are on different sides of an issue work together in good faith and compromise to arrive at solutions.”
HEALTH
How ‘Health Notes’ Can Help Inform Policy
As states continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, some legislatures are using health notes to examine the potential health implications of a wide range of proposed legislation.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Louis Lindstrom
Lindstrom’s summer internship blossomed into a full-time job. He’s now the acting director of civic education for the Washington Senate.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Ingrid Hernquist
Hernquist sees her role as manager of New Jersey’s Office of Legislative Services as the perfect way to use both her academic degrees—in law and library science.
ACROSS THE AISLE
Pickleball Inspires Both Sides of the Net
Alaska chose dog-mushing, Minnesota picked ice hockey and North Carolina went with stock car racing. Now, Washington state has its own official—and highly bipartisan—sport: pickleball.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Darek M. Grant
When Darek Grant isn’t busy in his role as secretary of the Maine Senate, he likes to be involved in his community, “working with others who are doing the same and giving back.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Anne Kavanagh Blankenhorn
Anne Blankenhorn, an education policy advisor in Michigan, has a special regard for everyone who works for students, including parents, teachers and even lobbyists. “They all really do have the students’ best interests at heart.”
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Pregnant in Jail: Dealing With Special Challenges
With women representing the fastest growing population in the justice system, policymakers are examining the conditions, rights and unique challenges presented by justice-involved women, particularly those who are pregnant.
HEALTH
States Act on Postpartum Medicaid Coverage
Many states are taking steps to leverage available pathways—including a new federal option—to extend Medicaid coverage and improve care for mothers during the crucial postpartum period.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Sarah G. Elmore-Hernandez
Elmore-Hernandez, chief of staff for Sen. Mary Camacho Torres in the Guam Legislature, says that when it comes to legislative challenges, “no matter the problem, someone, somewhere, has dealt with it—and likely overcame.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jeff Lunardi
Jeff Lunardi, the executive director of Virginia’s Joint Commission on Health Care, says the issues his team is asked to research are always changing, so the ability to learn quickly, then develop potential solutions, is critical.
HUMAN SERVICES
The Women Behind NCSL’s Children and Families Program
In the 1980s, as lawmakers increasingly sought guidance on issues affecting children and families, NCSL staffers Carolyn Kastner and Michele Rivest teamed up with then-Delaware Rep. Jane Maroney to create a new program to serve them.
WORLD AFFAIRS
States Not Immune to Effects of War in Ukraine
Policy experts told an NCSL webinar audience that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is a “world changing” break with the international order and that states will bear economic and humanitarian burdens.
ACROSS THE AISLE
Preserving a Painful Piece of Michigan History
Two senators, a Republican and a Democrat, worked together on a bill that would include the history of the state’s Indian boarding schools in curriculum standards for students in eighth through 12th grades.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Misty Mason Freeman
Misty Mason Freeman, the director of Oregon’s Legislative Policy and Research Office, works to “bridge the conversation between decision-makers and the folks for whom they are making decisions.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Susan Swords
Susan Swords is the assistant director of public information in the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services and one of the “founding mothers” of the Legislative and Information Communication Staff association, known as LINCS.
MY DISTRICT
Has the World’s Only Town Named St. Patrick
On St. Patrick’s Day, Americans from all backgrounds and heritages like to say they’re Irish for a day. But the connections run deeper in tiny St. Patrick, Mo., where the saint and the holiday have been a part of life since 1833.
TECHNOLOGY
With Attacks on the Rise, Lawmakers Harden Cybersecurity
All 50 states faced cyberattacks against public infrastructure in the past 24 months, with new reports being added weekly. With a renewed sense of urgency, lawmakers introduced more than 250 bills or resolutions last year dealing with cybersecurity.
FISCAL POLICY
March Madness Adds to Sports Betting Craze
With March Madness approaching, sports betting opportunities are more plentiful than ever. Thirty-three states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico now allow it.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Matt Gehring
As staff coordinator and attorney with the Minnesota House Research Department, Gehring likes the challenge of taking the thread of a loosely defined policy concept and weaving it into a viable statute that reflects a member’s request.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Anne Landgrebe
Anne Landgrebe, the administrative clerk in the West Virginia House Clerk’s Office prides herself on having “heightened situational awareness, which is necessary for the ebb and flow of our office.”
FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS
Making the Most of American Rescue Plan Dollars
One year after passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, federal funds are helping states recover from the COVID-19 pandemic—and a new tool is helping policymakers track how states use that money.
LEGISLATURES
Is It Time to Change the Time Change?
Most of us want to stop changing our clocks twice a year. Question is whether to go with permanent standard time or permanent daylight time.
FISCAL POLICY
Banking and Cannabis: Yearning to Be Buds?
Because federal law prohibits the possession, distribution and sale of cannabis, the banking industry is hesitant to get involved, despite the billions of dollars being generated in sales and tax revenue.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Michael ‘MJ’ Jackson
Jackson says Virginia, where he is assistant coordinator of committee operations for the Senate, is a “Baby Bear” state where everything seems to be “just right!”
FISCAL POLICY
The Impact of Russia Sanctions on US States
The sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and NATO allies—and the threat of more—will likely have ramifications for some U.S. states in particular and for the economy in general.
ELECTIONS
Let the Primaries Begin!
Texas opens 2022’s primary season on March 1; the last installment will be in Rhode Island, Sept. 13.
ENERGY
States Tackle Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells
States saddled with thousands of potentially leaky orphaned oil and gas wells can launch programs to address the problem with funds from the federal infrastructure bill.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Krystle Fernandez
Krystle Fernandez jumped at the chance to work in the Arizona House of Representatives, where she is the chief clerk. “No day is the same at the Legislature—and who wouldn’t like a place where you never know what to expect?”
ACROSS THE AISLE
Nebraska Senators Climb High for Harmony
For five lawmakers, a group summit of Mount Kilimanjaro provides lessons in perseverance, working across party lines and being open to the inspiration of unusual possibilities.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | John Bjornson
North Dakota native John Bjornson, director of the state’s Legislative Council, wants people to reconsider the Peace Garden State. “People believe it always is cold here, but we have beautiful summer weather.”
MY DISTRICT
Has a Valentine in It
It turns out four U.S. states have towns named Valentine. For the year’s most romantic holiday, we caught up with the legislators representing those towns and asked them to share what makes their Valentine so special.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Raphael ‘Drhett’ Baca
Raphael ‘Drhett’ Baca, the building superintendent at the New Mexico Capitol, learned from his father that “life is like the sport of boxing … You will be knocked down many times, but you need to pick yourself back up and keep swinging.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Two Longtime Legislative Librarians Retire
NCSL salutes two longtime legislative research librarians—Johanne Greer of Maryland and Helen Hanby of Alabama—who have retired with a combined 75 years of experience between them.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lonnie Edgar
Lonnie Edgar, the deputy director of Mississippi’s Performance Evaluation Committee, is committed to improving the effectiveness of state government and loves his state because it’s the “smallest town in the U.S.”
LEADER PROFILE
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson Leads by Building Coalitions
Ty Masterson’s grandmother always said, “Don’t complain if you’re not willing to do something.” So, when he became frustrated with his local government, he followed her advice. Sixteen years later, he’s serving as president of the Kansas Senate.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to Punxsutawney Phil
It’s that time of year when the famous Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow and offers his always-accurate weather forecast. Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Smith, who represents Punxsutawney, puts it all in perspective.
TOOLBOX
Using the Power of ‘Why’ to Build Leadership
The same forces that make consumers loyal to brands also cement the bond between leaders and their supporters. Here’s how you can use the teaching of leadership guru Simon Sinek to build a brand that increases support for your policy agenda.
HEALTH
ARPA Is Helping States Tend an Ailing Health System
States can use their American Rescue Plan Act funds in several ways, and many are directing them toward behavioral health services, health care system supports and public health mitigation efforts.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lisa James Moomaw
Lisa Moomaw, an application support analyst with the Colorado Legislative Council, says she doesn’t need to make others agree with her. “If we can discuss the different viewpoints and walk away without bad feelings, then that’s a good conversation!”
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to Superman
Recognized in 1972 by DC Comics as the hometown of the legendary Man of Steel, Metropolis, Ill., takes its superhero status seriously.
FISCAL
State ARPA Allocation Trends
To date, at least 42 states and Washington, D.C., have allocated a portion of their ARPA funds to various relief efforts.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Tributes and Retirements
NCSL salutes Glenn Koepp, a giant in the redistricting field who died last year, and three dedicated staffers who retired: Sheron Violini, Rick DeLeon and Stephen Klein.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Reed Holwegner
Reed Holwegner has staffed legislatures for 24 regular sessions, including 16 sessions in Kansas and eight in South Dakota. Staffers “are the go-to people government leaders trust and rely upon,” he says.
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
State Courts’ Embrace of Technology: What We Know So Far
The use of videoconferencing and other technology during the pandemic led to more remote hearings and fewer court no-shows. But a new report finds the new tools will need refinement to ensure they benefit all court users, including those without lawyers or with limited English proficiency.
ENERGY
New Video: Digging Deeper Into Energy Sector Cybersecurity
Policymakers face a growing array of cyberthreats targeting vital services, including increasingly penetrative attacks on critical energy systems. That’s why NCSL has developed two videos focused on energy sector cybersecurity from the state legislative perspective.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Holly Vaughn Wagner
Holly Vaughn Wagner, the deputy director and legislative attorney for the Division of Research, Delaware General Assembly, says that in a small state, “it’s common to have a connection with strangers, which creates a sense of community and tempers animosity among people with opposing views.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Way Forward on Policing Reform
Changes to policing can be controversial, but a philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the nation’s most pressing problems has created a road map for states to follow.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Using ARPA to Modernize Unemployment Insurance
The American Rescue Plan Act provides in funding to promote equitable access to and timely payment of benefits by reducing backlogs in state unemployment insurance systems.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment Overpayments: What States Are Doing
As the pandemic drove unemployment to record highs, many states struggled to meet the demand on their unemployment compensation systems. Some are now rooting out cases of improper payments.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Kristen Rottinghaus
Kristen Rottinghaus, the performance audit manager for the Kansas Legislature, has a knack for seeing things from multiple perspectives. “Issues exist on a spectrum and are so very rarely clear cut,” she says.
TRANSPORTATION
Feds Giving States $260M for Highway Safety
The funding, which comes from the recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law, will be distributed to highway safety offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with each state free to target its specific challenges.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | David J. Kaschak
Fresh out of college, David Kaschak took a job with the New Jersey state auditor’s office to get experience. He’s still at it 38 years later, because he saw that his efforts “potentially impacted every citizen of the state.”
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jill Turetsky
A photographer by training, Jill Turetsky took a job printing photos for the Texas Senate in 1996 and never looked back. She fell in love with the Legislature and her new state. “I love the diversity of the landscape and the spirit of the people who are proud to live here.”
HEALTH
Pandemic Checkup: What’s Happening With Oral Health?
With COVID-19 dominating legislative priorities over the last two years, it has been a challenge to maintain a focus on the oral health of mothers and children, a panel of experts told attendees at the NCSL Legislative Summit.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Dec. 13, 2021
Ahead of the start of next year’s sessions, several lawmakers announced their retirement, and several new legislators were appointed or won special elections to fill open seats in chambers nationwide. Four states advanced redistricting plans.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Cesar Melgarejo
After finishing his service in the Army, Cesar Melgarejo got involved with several organizations developing legislation to increase veterans services in Nevada. The experience led him to earn a master’s degree and become a policy analyst with the state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau.
MY DISTRICT
Is the Center of the U.S. Population
Hartville, Mo., is the point at which a flat, weightless map of the U.S. population would balance perfectly, according to the Census Bureau. Representative Hannah Kelly, whose district includes Hartville, tells us about the area.
ELECTIONS
Bookmark This: Bipartisan Principles for Election Audits
Should post-election audits take place before or after certification? Should states use risk-limiting audits or fixed-percentage audits? These and other questions are addressed in a new brief from the Bipartisan Policy Center.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Dec. 6, 2021
The Arkansas General Assembly adjourned its special session on Thursday, approving a historic tax cut. The Maryland General Assembly overrode more than 20 gubernatorial vetoes. And the Kentucky Capitol was locked down briefly following a police chase that ended on the Capitol grounds.
GET READY FOR SESSION WEEK
Legislative Staff Can Excel With NCSL
For nearly 50 years, NCSL has provided a forum for legislative staff to gain professional development and the opportunity to network with, and learn from, their peers across the states.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lisa Davis
Lisa Davis, the deputy assistant clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives, is inspired by the youth of her state and welcomes them to visit their state Capitol. “I’m always happy to hear from those even today who said I had an impact on their lives.”
GET READY FOR SESSION WEEK
Expert Tips for Sustaining Your Energy in a New Session
To provide some guidance for staff as they prepare for the 2022 legislative session, NCSL turned to Molly McAllister, training and staff development coordinator for the Connecticut General Assembly.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Nov. 29, 2021
California lawmakers and staff move out as a new office building is scheduled for construction. Virginia elections appear to be settled. North Carolina finishes a regular session, while Arkansas, Oregon and Maryland look to start special ones.
GET READY FOR SESSION WEEK
Love the Hills: Former Athlete Shares Path to Recovery Through Resilience
While recovering from life-threatening injuries sustained during training, Janine Shepherd learned that, although she couldn’t control what was happening outside of her, she could control what was happening inside. She developed a 12-step plan to rebuild her life.
GET READY FOR SESSION WEEK
10 Tips for Maximizing Your Career Success
The workplace is ever changing, and professionals looking to maximize their success need relevant knowledge, tools and resources to navigate the unchartered waters of the future. Here’s some advice to help ambitious professionals chart a course to success.
IN MEMORIAM
Minnesota’s Longest-Serving Senate Secretary Dies
Patrick Flahaven began his career in the Minnesota Senate as an assistant secretary in 1971. He was elected Senate secretary in 1973 and held the position until his retirement in 2009. His 36-year tenure as secretary is the longest in Minnesota Senate history.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Kate Heltzel
While Kate Heltzel was studying for her master’s degree, she took a job with the Nebraska Legislature’s public information office. She’s been there ever since. “I loved it from the start,” she says.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Working Women Continue to Feel Pandemic’s Effects
The pandemic intensified existing negative workforce conditions for women, including a gender wage gap caused, in part, by a deeply segregated workforce where women are concentrated in many of the economy’s low-quality, low-paying jobs.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
The Future of Transportation: User Fees, AV Fleets and P3s
As the transportation landscape continues to quickly evolve, states are taking a serious look at everything from distance-based user fees to autonomous vehicles to improving infrastructure with public-private partnerships.
STATE-FEDERAL
Pipeline to the Biden Administration: A Chat With a Former RI State Senator
Since moving into the White House, the Biden administration has been tapping numerous high-profile state legislators to fill posts from Washington, D.C., to the Dominican Republic. NCSL spoke with one of them: Gayle Goldin, senior advisor at the Women’s Bureau in the U.S. Department of Labor.
ENERGY
Consent-Based Siting of Nuclear Waste: A Tribal Perspective
Most Americans are aware of the battles that have played about between Congress and the states when it comes to the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. But many don’t know that tribal nations continue to play a role in finding solutions.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Nov. 15, 2021
South Carolina says goodbye to legendary legislator. Washington announces rules for its upcoming session. Several legislatures meet in special sessions on vaccines and redistricting. New leadership positions are announced in New Jersey, Oklahoma, Washington and Virginia. The Nevada House speaker gets a federal post.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Policymakers Tout Ways to Boost Higher Ed Outcomes
A panel of state lawmakers was joined by U.S. Undersecretary of Education James Kvaal to examine the challenges facing higher education students, potential policy solutions and the interplay between the state and federal roles in higher education.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Leonel A. Chancey
Georgia policy analyst Leonel Chancey was inspired to work in public service by his grandfather, who was a chief U.S. magistrate judge and a JAG officer in the U.S. Army.
HEALTH
Showcasing ‘the Power of Rural’: National Rural Health Day
Despite the many challenges facing nonurban communities, there’s much to celebrate when it comes to state health policy efforts in rural America. National Rural Health Day showcases “the power of rural” along with successes in improving access to care in rural communities.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
The Key to Finding Common Ground? Share Your Stories.
In the world of legislatures and politics, we often hear about how divided we are: Red and blue. Rural and urban. Rich and poor. Black and white. How to bring people together? In a nutshell: It’s sharing our stories.
LEGISLATOR PROFILE
Lawmaker Pumps Pedals to Raise Funds for Storm-Damaged District
A beautiful sight awaited Tennessee Senator Kerry Roberts as he finished his 100-mile bicycle ride in the town square of flood-ravaged Waverly, Tenn. People. Hundreds of people, crowding businesses that had been on the brink of closing after flooding caused by Hurricane Ida wrecked the small town in late August.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Pad McCracken
Little did Pad McCracken know when he took his job as a researcher and bill drafter for the Montana Legislature that he’d “more or less get paid to learn, listen, think, teach and write.”
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Assistant AG Promises a Measured Approach to Election Law Enforcement
States are in the thick of redistricting—and the U.S. Department of Justice is watching. “Our review of (redistricting) maps will be thorough, fair and fact-based,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke told a session at the 2021 NCSL Legislative Summit.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
OSHA’s Vaccine-or-Test Mandate for Large Employers Faces Pushback
OSHA has issued its emergency temporary standard mandating that all employers with 100 or more workers require their employees to receive a COVID vaccine or submit weekly negative test results. Over half the states have filed suits challenging the rule.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Pandemic Pushes Just-in-Time Supply Chain Model to the Brink
The U.S. supply chain is based largely on a platform known as “just in time,” where goods are delivered to retailers in some cases hours before they are needed. The system lowers distribution and warehouse costs and ladles efficiencies on the economy. Until it doesn’t.
CLOCKWORK
States Accelerate Trend Toward Permanent Daylight Time
Adjusting clocks ahead or back to accommodate the coming and going of daylight saving time is opposed, even despised, by majorities in recent surveys. In response, 19 states have enacted measures to apply daylight time year-round. But those bills go nowhere unless federal law, which prohibits year-round daylight time, changes.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Vernice ‘FlyGirl’ Armour Gives You Permission to Engage
Before getting approval to shoot missiles as America’s first Black female combat pilot, Vernice Armour, aka “FlyGirl,” would wait to hear the words: “You have permission to engage.” It’s a message the former U.S. Marine Corps captain encouraged attendees at NCSL’s 2021 Legislative Summit to embrace in their own lives.
2021 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
Even as Pandemic Limits Services, States Steer Kids From Justice System
Many programs meant to support youth who wind up in the system were extremely limited or shut down. But some states managed to pass reforms that help more kids avoid the system altogether, which saves the states money and spares the youths from being dogged by a criminal background.
ELECTIONS
Election 2021 Recap: A Republican Comeback in Virginia
After failing to win a single statewide race for over a decade, Virginia Republicans swept all three statewide offices—governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. And in New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy, who is seeking a second term as governor, has a small lead over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | José R. Rodríguez-Amorós
From the time he was a high schooler, participating in Model U.N. and Presidential Classroom programs, José Rodríguez-Amorós has been impressed by the Legislative Assembly in Puerto Rico, his home. After 26 years of legislative service, he is now deputy clerk of the Senate.
ELECTIONS
2021 Legislative Election Preview: A (Small) Year Like No Other
Only New Jersey and Virginia have legislative seats on the ballot in next week’s election. But all eyes are on them, especially Virginia, where the governor’s race is tight and the Assembly may be in play. That’s because the two parties see the state—which has been blue, red and purple this century—as a bellwether for national politics.
ENERGY SECURITY
Lessons From the Colonial Pipeline Attack: Heading Off Cyberthreats
The country got a vivid reminder of its reliance on energy when the Colonial Pipeline Co. suffered a ransomware cyberattack in May. Puesh Kumar, with the Department of Energy, talked with NCSL about the security of the smart grid and the role states can play in combatting cyberthreats.
ELECTIONS
2021 Ballot Measures Preview: Something for Everyone
Lawmakers, voters and election wonks alike can be forgiven for not paying attention to the 24 statewide ballot measures up for a vote on Nov. 2. This year, only six states will have policy questions on their ballots and, while some measures have gained a statewide spotlight, few have made the national stage.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Nellie Moran
Frustrated by the job she had in Congress, Nellie Moran decided to work at the state level because, she says, meaningful policy changes are occurring on an almost daily basis. She’s now chief of staff to the Colorado Senate Democratic Caucus.
REDISTRICTING
Multifaceted Redistricting Process on Track Despite Delays
Who draws the lines during redistricting? What rules do states need to follow? Can the public provide input? There are 50 states, and there are 50 different ways to redistrict, NCSL’s Ben Williams told host John McArdle on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal.”
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
It’s always the glory days of basketball in Indiana. For more than 100 years, the sport has played an outsize role in the culture and traditions of the state, as fans fill high school and college gymnasiums to cheer on local teams and reminisce about previous victories.
REDISTRICTING
Fall Elections on Track Despite Redistricting Delays
States’ redistricting processes have always been varied and complex. So it’s no surprise the complexity would increase during a pandemic that threw a wrench into U.S. census data-gathering, which helps determine districts.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Oct. 11, 2021
Two people are arrested in separate incidents involving lawmakers in Vermont and Idaho. Alabama and Iowa lawmakers go into special sessions at the end of the month. Another legislator gets tapped to work in the Biden administration, and the Iowa House has a new member.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Nathan Elwood
In his position as Missouri’s legislative library administrator, Nathan Elwood has helped create a modern, efficient information and reference service for legislators and state residents—but he’s also pursued his passion for archival work, historical inquiry and legal research.
HEALTH
Legislatures Prepare for New National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month has ended, and World Mental Health Day has come and gone. But the issues of suicide and mental health never go away, and a new crisis hotline has many legislators considering the impact it might have on their communities.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Nation’s Tallest Sand Dunes
Frommer’s calls the Great Sand Dunes Colorado’s most underrated national park, a secret gem three hours south of Denver. We asked Senator Cleave Simpson and Representative Donald Valdez what the attraction means to their communities.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Oct. 4, 2021
The state legislative community lost two members to cancer this week, Alaska legislators started their fourth special session, and the West Virginia Senate welcomed a historic new member.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Duneshka Carmona
Duneshka Carmona, the tourism director at the Puerto Rico Capitol in San Juan, challenges herself every day to learn more about the territory’s history.
STATE-FEDERAL
NCSL’s DC Advocacy Showcases States Leading the Way
Walking the halls of the U.S. Capitol. Climbing the marble steps between floors. Waiting in line for a hearing. Grabbing a cup of coffee in the Senate cafeteria. It feels like an eternity since those simple acts were part of working in government relations.
ELECTIONS
Voter ID: Where Have We Been, Where Are We Going?
Increased public support for voter identification requirements, a contentious presidential election and claims of voter fraud—whatever the reason, interest in voter ID has spiked again this year, culminating in several significant enactments for the first time since 2018.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Sept. 27, 2021
Redistricting dominates special sessions for a handful of state legislatures. Analysts weigh in on November’s races for the Virginia House of Delegates, while a number of legislators look to change seats in the 2022 election.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Lisa Lovello
Lisa Lovello, a nonpartisan legislative analyst for the Louisiana House Committee on Education, takes pride in earning the trust of every member in her Legislature and loves her home state’s knack for celebrating the good times.
FISCAL
Market Surge Helps Stabilize Pension Funding in 2021
According to a new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, state retirement systems closed out the 2021 fiscal year in their best condition since the Great Recession—a startling result given many analysts’ predictions that the pandemic-induced recession could increase pension fund shortfalls.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Sept. 20, 2021
The Arizona and Indiana House chambers both lost members this week. Florida selects its House speaker for 2022. And a Georgia House member is appointed ambassador to the Dominican Republic.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
National Leaders Help Justice Systems Fight Public Health Crises
Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who co-chairs the Council on Criminal Justice, wants to “ensure that our post-pandemic justice systems and institutions can better produce health, safety and, most importantly, justice for us all.”
STATE POLICY 101
Educational Sessions Hit Key Issue High Notes
NCSL’s “State Policy 101” series, held earlier this year, boasted more than 25 sessions for legislators and legislative staff on key, cross-cutting policy issues. Aimed at those who are new to the legislature or looking to gain knowledge in specific areas, all the sessions are now available online.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Sept. 13, 2021
Some legislatures are or will be going in to special sessions on redistricting. The Minnesota Senate gets new majority and minority leaders. Illinois considers a statue of Ronald Reagan at the Capitol. And a New York Assemblyman meets with a king.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | John T. Vines
Vines was raised on a rice and soybean farm in Grubbs, Ark., and served as a legislator before becoming a staffer. “Daily, we have the opportunity to help, assist, aid and simply improve the everyday lives of our citizens,” he says.
LEADER PROFILE
Putting Families First: A Q&A With New York Speaker Carl Heastie
For more than five years, Carl E. Heastie has had the distinction of being the 100th speaker of the New York Assembly and the first African American to lead the chamber’s 150 members. He spoke to NCSL about his plans and hopes for moving his state forward.
TRANSPORTATION
Arizona Advances Autonomous Vehicle Policy and Technology
Catching a ride in an autonomous vehicle—once a futuristic wish—is slowly becoming a reality in the United States, with Arizona offering a glimpse of what the future may look like for passengers riding in self-driving vehicles.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Enchanted Highway
To help revive a sagging local economy, a schoolteacher turned artist dotted a 32-mile stretch of highway with original scrap metal sculptures, creating the Enchanted Highway. Senator Donald Schaible, who represents the area, tells us what this beloved tourist destination means to his constituents.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Keisha L. Leung
Keisha Leung, a legislative researcher in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is inspired by her children, nieces and nephews. “They are my reason for pushing for a better Virgin Islands.”
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Aug. 30, 2021
The Minnesota Senate majority leader resigns his seat with an eye on the future, while a colleague in the House has a tragic hand accident. The Missouri House speaker pro tem makes a calculated election move. And several key staff moves are announced.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Tally Teal
Before Tally Teal became the capital budget coordinator and chief of staff for the Alaska Legislature, she worked for many years as a naturalist, eventually captaining whale watching boats.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
With artworks by Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, along with American Indian art and artifacts and exhibits featuring Dorothea Lange and Andy Warhol, the museum tells the story of the West from many perspectives. Senator George Young tells us what it means to his district.
HEALTH
Looks Like Telehealth Is Here to Stay
For years, states and the federal government have explored how to create opportunities for patients to see health care providers online. When the nation went into lockdown due to COVID-19, those efforts sped up to allow a big expansion of telehealth.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Aug. 23, 2021
A respected Alabama lawmaker dies. A Rhode Island senator has emergency surgery to remove a leg. A Minnesota legislator is called to duty in the Middle East. And the Tennessee House speaker appoints a new chief of staff.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Claire Clift Retires as Secretary of the Nevada Senate
Before landing in the Nevada Senate, Claire Clift spent her “growing-up years” working for the U.S. Forest Service in the tiny community of North Fork, Idaho, an environment where one’s survival can depend on self-reliance and the ability to make tough decisions.
EDUCATION
Student Mental Health Legislative Trends
The pandemic changed in-person learning and access to school-based services across the United States, significantly affecting children’s and youths’ mental health and well-being. Here’s a look at recently enacted legislation addressing student mental health.
EDUCATION
States Address Student Loan Debt in 2021 Session
While the Biden administration’s pause in student loan payments has been in place at the federal level, states have taken substantial action in 2021 to address student loan debt. In the 2021 legislative session, 43 states have introduced more than 170 bills related to student loan debt.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Happy in the Background: Michigan Senate Secretary Margaret O’Brien
There are many reasons I love my job as secretary of the Michigan Senate: working with a great staff, being involved in the legislative process and providing the public with access to documents and proceedings are among them. Perhaps the biggest reason is that I know how important it is to the success of legislators.
TECHNOLOGY
Pandemic Catalyzes Legislative Innovation
As COVID-19 rampaged across the United States in early 2020, every legislature needed to rethink how to conduct business. With the Zoom boom and greater bandwidth, the internet became central to everything: testimony, debate—even voting.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Aug. 16, 2021
The Georgia House mourns the death of a colleague. The Texas House reaches a quorum for its second special session. Some states require vaccination for legislative employees. And History.com looks at the role legislatures have played in the impeachment of governors over time.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Melody Joy DeBussey
Meet Melody Joy DeBussey, director of the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office, who says words really inspire her—“whether in music, poetry, reading or the long fiery floor speeches of our members.”
LEGISLATURES
Take Me Out to the Bipartisan Ballgame!
Two strikes down in the count (thanks to COVID and political polarization at the federal level), the Connecticut House decided it was time to swing for the fences: Hello, bipartisan baseball!
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Election Perfection: You Be the Judge
The perfect election? It might be more than just the one your candidate wins, said panelists at a session that showcased election approaches they hope will be widely embraced.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Aug. 9, 2021
Virginia ends its special session, a Kentucky lawmaker celebrates his 90th birthday and a West Virginia lawmaker gets a call from the Biden administration.
STATE-FEDERAL POLICY
Congress Renews Talks on Prescription Drug Measures
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most widely discussed health care topics in Congress was the cost of prescription drugs. Federal policymakers have picked up the conversation again.
REDISTRICTING
How to Lower the Temperature During Redistricting
Here’s the forecast for legislatures heading into redistricting: windy, stormy and more than a little bit heated. But there are ways to lower the temperature, a panel of legislators told attendees at NCSL’s redistricting seminar in Salt Lake City in July.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
The Risks and Rewards of Higher Education
With millions of college students gearing up for the fall semester, many students are returning to campus as questions about the value of a college degree continue to drive policy discussions and affect decisions for students and families across the country.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Secrets of Parliamentary Rule-Makers and Managers
They hailed from different states and held different titles, but four legislative staffers agreed on three noteworthy trends impacting the legislative process in their respective chambers.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
What’s Up With the Census?
In case you haven’t heard, the release of the 2020 decennial census data—detailed figures on where people live and their demographic characteristics—will be released on Thursday. With so much at stake, and so much uncertainty, many are wondering “What’s up with the census?”
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Agency Clarifies Stance on Employer Vaccine Mandates
As COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the country, some employers are requiring that employees receive one as a condition of employment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has revised its guidance for employers instituting vaccine mandates.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Unemployment Data Deep Dive: Takeaways for States
About 3.2 million Americans are collecting regular unemployment, and, of the 12.9 million total claims, most are for programs ending the first week of September. During the pandemic, 18 states borrowed $64 billion to keep up with the estimated 53 million people who got $800 billion in benefits.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to the Country’s Fly-Fishing Capital
For generations, Roscoe in upstate New York—also known as “Trout Town, USA”—has lured avid fly-fishers. Senator Mike Martucci (R), whose district includes the scenic town, tells us about this beloved travel destination.
EDUCATION
NCSL Advisory Group Looks at Whole Child Education
NCSL’s Whole Child Policy Advisory Group guides the organization in its efforts to support legislators and staff as they formulate education policies that foster safe, healthy learning environments where all students can thrive and achieve academic success.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of Aug. 2, 2021
The North Carolina House mourns the death of a member. The Texas governor calls the Legislature in for a second special session. NCSL’s Legislative Staff Achievement Awards are announced, and squirrels have enjoyed the Ohio Capitol grounds for a long, long time.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Admiral William McRaven: Staff Serve as Backbones of State Legislatures
Nothing is more rewarding than being part of a great team, McRaven said during NCSL Base Camp 2021. “You can make a difference whether you are answering the phones or taking the call. Each of you have a leadership role in that team, particularly when things don’t go well."
ELECTIONS
The What, Why and How of Election Audits
Prior to this year, election audits have rarely made headlines—or even the subject lines of the many research requests NCSL’s elections team receives each month. We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: This year is different.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
COVID-19: Vaccines and Public Policy
Pop-ups, partnerships and pivots have proved effective at getting the COVID-19 vaccine in arms in places as disparate as Alaska and Maryland, but overcoming shot reluctance promises to be an ongoing challenge.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
How to Keep Great Staff for a Stronger Legislative Institution
The nation’s revolving employment door is stuck in “out” with an estimated 40% of U.S. workers actively searching for a new job or planning to over the next six months. Factors include workers seeking better compensation, work/life balance, benefits and a career change.
EDUCATION
States Seek Changes in Public School Discipline Policies
Across the country, legislators have proposed and enacted bills reforming the role of police officers and the criminal justice system in schools with the goal of reducing injury, trauma and financial hardship for students due to referrals to law enforcement for arrest and ticketing.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Drugged Driving: What’s a State to Do?
Despite a decline in alcohol-impaired driving—fatalities fell 53% from 1982 to 2015—U.S. roadways aren’t necessarily safer. That’s because as drinking and driving has fallen, driving after using marijuana or other drugs seems to be on the rise.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
Infrastructure Bill Update: What Could It Mean for States?
As the 2,702-page, $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure behemoth begins to churn its way through the U.S. Senate, policy experts used an NCSL Base Camp 2021 session to detail some of the bill’s provisions—and its possible fate.
LEGISLATURES
Strong Legislatures Reflect Best of the Past, Look to the Future
For busy lawmakers, reflecting on a legislature’s past and its future trajectory can feel like a luxury. But self-reflection, and a willingness to make change as a result, is a necessary exercise in ensuring a strong, enduring legislative branch.
REDISTRICTING
The Top 3 Redistricting Pitfalls—And How to Avoid Them
Redistricters face a minefield of potential perils, including official map-drafting errors, poor organization of the various map iterations and overreliance on what was done a decade ago. But these three pitfalls loom larger than all others.
OBITUARY
Glenn Koepp, Louisiana’s Redistricting Expert, Dies at 76
For nearly 50 years, Koepp worked in different roles in the Louisiana Statehouse. But the complex world of redistricting was his specialty. He is remembered as a “storyteller without equal” and “the friend and mentor that we all hope to be lucky enough to find in our careers.”
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of July 26, 2021
A Texas lawmaker wins a special election to serve in Congress. The Iowa House speaker gets a new chief of staff. And we start tracking the moves of state legislators who will be seeking other seats in the next election.
MY DISTRICT
Is Home to Lucy the Elephant, the Jersey Shore Attraction
Everyone has a favorite pachyderm—Dumbo, Babar and the spotted Misfit Toy in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” come to mind—but for visitors to the Jersey Shore, Lucy the Elephant stands alone. The assemblymen who represent Lucy’s home district tell us what she means to the area.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jessica Harmon
Meet Jessica Harmon, director of the Office of Fiscal and Management Analysis in the Indiana Legislative Services Agency. Inspired by a grad school professor’s passion to provide lawmakers with credible, objective research, she’s worked in public service ever since.
ELECTIONS
What 2020’s Historic Voter Turnout Means for the Future
In 2020, 72% of voters cast their ballots before Election Day, either in person at an early voting site or by absentee ballot. It might be easy to attribute this enormous change to the pandemic, but there’s more to the story.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2021
High-Profile Speakers Highlight Online Meeting
This year’s three-day event once again will let attendees hear the insights of some of the nation’s foremost experts on topics including redistricting, the census and policing.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of July 19, 2021
This week’s issue, unfortunately, reports the deaths of three state legislators and a former Louisiana Senate secretary. Other state legislators are leaving for other posts. And the Texas Supreme Court may weigh in on whether the governor can defund the state’s legislative staff.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jim Hannah
Jim Hannah, who joined the Kentucky Legislature as a public information specialist after a long career as a daily newspaper reporter, says being free from party affiliation or bias is of the utmost importance. His advice as a journalist: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”
ELECTIONS
Voting Is for All Americans, Including Those Living Abroad
Nearly 3 million of the U.S. citizens living overseas are eligible to vote. But relatively few of them do. To find out how states can make life easier for these voters, NCSL turned to our friends and colleagues at the Council of State Governments’ Overseas Vote Initiative and at the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of July 12, 2021
In this week’s news, Arizona legislators get a long-awaited daily expense increase. Idaho lawmakers consider a special session, and special elections fill seats in Alabama, Georgia and Oregon.
REDISTRICTING
Buckle Up—Your Redistricting Ride Is About to Get Bumpy
In today’s redistricting world, even someone acting in good faith can be tripped up by one ill-advised email or text. The experts speaking to legislators, staff and other stakeholders at NCSL’s latest redistricting seminar advised being discreet, keeping good records and preparing to be sued.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Heshani Wijemanne
Meet Heshani Wijemanne, the assistant secretary of the California Senate, who has been drawn to public service ever since college, loves the many beautiful places and natural marvels of her home state and has a soft spot for Masterpiece Theatre.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to Hot Springs National Park
Designated a national “reservation” 40 years before Yellowstone, Hot Springs National Park has over the years attracted vacationers, gangsters and baseball heroes. We caught up with Senator Alan Clark (R), whose district includes Hot Springs, to ask about this beloved travel destination.
HEALTH
The Other Epidemic: COVID-19 and Opioid Overdose
As the Delta variant causes a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that opioid overdose deaths increased 6% in 2019 over 2018.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of July 5, 2021
A respected Kentucky senator dies unexpectedly. Masks are required again for California legislators. More retirements from state legislatures were announced this week. And a Mississippi lawmaker trades a senate seat to be a city mayor.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
Lawmakers, Courts Show Rising Interest in Farmworker Rights
During the 2021 session, bills in multiple states advanced collective bargaining, overtime pay or health protections for agricultural workers. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on a challenge to part of California’s landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Rick DeLeon
Before he became sergeant-at-arms for the Texas Senate, Rick DeLeon worked as a police diver, assisting in the search and recovery effort after the Space Shuttle Columbia blew up over Texas in February 2003.
ANTI-HUNGER POLICY
Summer Fare: Pandemic Lessons on How to Reach Hungry Kids
Participation in anti-hunger programs has increased, but not all eligible kids are being fed. New federal legislation would apply lessons learned during the pandemic to help ensure low-income children have access to healthy foods year-round.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Cutting Costs: The American Rescue Plan and State Strategies
The American Rescue Plan Act aims to make marketplace health insurance plans more affordable by temporarily increasing federal subsidies for individuals across all income levels. State lawmakers are considering their options as debate continues about whether to make the subsidies permanent.
MARIJUANA
In the Weeds: A Cannabis Policy Update
In 2011, not a single state had legalized cannabis for recreational adult use. Fast forward 10 years, and 18 states have done so, either by citizen initiative or through the legislature.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of June 28, 2021
A few state legislatures ended their Fourth of July weekend by going into special session. Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon announced his retirement. And a couple of statehouses in the Northeast look to reopen.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Reconsidering Jail: Michigan Task Force Helps Drive New Laws
Convened in 2019, the bipartisan group has focused on keeping people with behavioral health needs out of jail, investing in services and supports for crime victims, and promoting liberty and public safety in pretrial decision-making.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Rachel Weiss
Because research analysts in Montana draft bills, staff committees and do policy research, Rachel Weiss has found a way to combine her love of words and of the legislative process in a nonpartisan way.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to the Liberty Bell
It last rang in the 1840s, but the Liberty Bell remains a powerful symbol for civil rights activists and others fighting for freedom. For the July Fourth holiday, we asked Senator Nikil Saval and Representative Mary-Louise Isaacson, who represent the Philadelphia districts where the bell is displayed, what the bell means to their constituents.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of June 21, 2021
Special sessions, current and planned, headline the news this week. The Texas governor defunds state legislative staff and a couple of states look at using state budgets to restrict gubernatorial power during emergencies.
EDUCATION
Legislative Action on Federal K-12 Relief Funds
States have received a historic $190.5 billion in federal K-12 relief funding across three stimulus packages. Starting this spring, state lawmakers have been far more active in reviewing and directing the latest two rounds of funds.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Hospitals Start Requiring Workers to Get COVID Shots
In recent weeks, dozens of hospitals and medical groups nationwide began issuing vaccination requirements. Public health law experts say the moves are a legal means of ensuring a safe, COVID-19-free environment for patients and workers.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Russell Moore
Long before he became director of the Tennessee Office of Research and Education Accountability, Russell Moore enjoyed unusually rapid advancement in the field of retail music sales.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of June 14, 2021
Sessions ended in Colorado and New York, and the New Hampshire Statehouse complex is now open. Primaries occurred in New Jersey and Virginia, a couple of chambers removed members and a few legislators are moving from the house to the senate.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jen Waldref
After growing up near the Capitol in Olympia, Washington, and serving twice as a legislative page in high school, it’s little surprise Jen Waldref decided to pursue a job with the Legislature. She is now the communications director for the House Democrats.
FATHER’S DAY
Going First: Senators’ Kids Follow Dad to the Statehouse
Montana Senator Keith Regier has two kids, Matt and Amy, serving in the state’s House, and South Carolina Senator Kevin Johnson’s daughter Kimberly was elected to that state’s House last year. For Father’s Day, NCSL asked them what it’s like when legislative service is family business.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to World-Famous Wall Drug
For 90 years, Wall Drug has beckoned travelers to take a break from driving, have a cold drink and let the kids enjoy photo opportunities with a dinosaur, a jackalope or a mini-Mount Rushmore. We asked Representative Tim Goodwin about his district’s renowned roadside attraction.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Legislative Approaches to Keeping Guns Away From Kids
To help avert unintentional shootings by children, 27 states have enacted child access prevention laws, which allow for criminal charges to be brought against adults who intentionally, recklessly or negligently allow kids to have unsupervised access to firearms.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Andrew Carpenter
Andrew Carpenter, the assistant secretary and journal clerk for the Colorado Senate, is inspired by his young son and his home state’s endless outdoor opportunities. If he had a super power, it would be his “ability to read aloud quickly.”
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to Graceland, Where Elvis Lived
The mansion that Elvis Presley used as a retreat is now an attraction that annually welcomes 500,000 visitors. Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is second only to the White House among the nation’s most-visited homes.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
States Roll Back Benefits as Jobs Remain Unfilled
As states look for ways to jump-start economies upended by the pandemic, many are opting out of temporary supplemental federal unemployment insurance programs, reinstituting work search requirements for unemployment recipients, and creating one-time reemployment payments.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
The Sometimes Lifelong Consequences of a Juvenile Record
In many states, juvenile records don’t just disappear when a person turns 18. Even when there was no conviction, a record can affect a young person for years after leaving the justice system, potentially making it difficult to go to school, get a job and find housing—the very things that could ease the transition to adulthood.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of May 31, 2021
Sessions ended in Texas and Nevada this week, and Illinois lawmakers ended their spring session. West Virginia is being called into special session, and a couple of states are looking at having full-time legislatures. Bonuses to legislative staff are in the news, and staff in Oregon unionize.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Richard Pearce
After a decade-plus in private practice, a decade-plus in criminal prosecution and six years in local government administration, Richard Pearce became legal counsel to the South Carolina House clerk. He quickly learned the job offered endless opportunities for the pure practice of law.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to the Amazing High Trestle Bridge
The trains that linked Chicago and Omaha are gone now, but the 13-story High Trestle Bridge they traveled still spans the Des Moines River in central Iowa. We asked Representative Rob Bacon about the economic and cultural impact of the bridge, which was repurposed as part of a rails-to-trail project in his district.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of May 24, 2021
Nebraska, Oklahoma and Vermont have ended their legislative sessions, the Maryland State House is reopening, Kansas selects a new Senate majority leader, and legislative staff in Massachusetts will get pay raises.
MEMORIAL DAY
Remembering Our Military Heroes
As the nation in honors those killed in military service and expresses empathy and compassion for their families, NCSL introduces a new resource with information on veterans currently serving as state legislators.
TOOLBOX
Interest-Based Negotiation: A Partnership, Not a Battle
Negotiating doesn’t have to mean haggling, with both sides making demands and staking out positions. Instead, it can be an agreement between partners that delivers the maximum number of interests to all parties involved.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to the World’s Last Blockbuster
How has the last outlet in the once-mighty video rental chain managed to survive in Bend, Oregon, and nowhere else? “I believe it’s about the people and the place,” says Senator Tim Knopp, whose district includes Bend.
EDUCATION
Student-Athlete ‘Pay for Play’ Gets Lawmakers’ Attention
As student-athletes across the country train for competition this fall, some will return to campus with the chance to earn money for their play. A growing number of states have passed legislation allowing athletes to receive compensation for their names, images or likenesses.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of May 17, 2021
For the first time, a state’s voters have restricted a governor’s emergency powers. Tennessee lawmakers lost a colleague to cancer this week. Sessions ended in four states with another hoping to end today. Here’s a summary of activities in state legislatures this week.
ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH
Lawmakers Reflect on COVID, Anti-Asian Bias and Look to Future
For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, four members of the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators offer views on the coronavirus, social justice and legislative efforts to increase diversity and a culture of inclusion.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jackie Little
As human resources director for the Maine Legislature, Jackie Little strives to equip, support and empower others in their professional growth and success. Outside of work, she makes time for leadership books and podcasts, and to enjoy the beauty of her home state.
CIVIL JUSTICE
What Social Science Can Tell Us About Remote Jury Trials
As COVID-19 spread, many states and government agencies quickly put in place preventive measures to contain the outbreak. Courts were no exception, and many have experimented with remote civil jury trials to deal with the resulting backlog of cases. Social scientists are now offering insight on the effects of this approach.
HEALTH
Pharmacists Boosting Access to COVID Vaccine
As states work to ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, gaps remain in providing it to the nation’s most vulnerable populations. Using providers such as pharmacists can open access to vaccines, especially for those living in rural and underserved areas.
STATE-FEDERAL
Flexibility Provided in Latest COVID Recovery Fund
Last week, the Treasury Department launched the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, providing emergency funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments. The $350 billion can be used to cover acute pandemic response costs, fill government revenue shortfalls, and support the populations hardest hit by COVID-19.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Nate Rohan
When Nate Rohan isn’t working, the deputy director of Wisconsin’s nonpartisan Legislative Technology Services Bureau makes time for his family, his state’s four seasons and TV shows that have some weight yet are still “popcorn viewing.”
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of May 10, 2021
Several legislatures have adjourned or are nearing adjournment, while Alaska lawmakers are going into a two-part special session. Here’s this week’s news.
EDUCATION
A Look at Shifting Trends in Transgender Athlete Policies
Laws banning transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports have gained momentum across the country. At least 35 bills have been introduced in 31 states this year to exclude transgender youth from participating in athletics—up from 29 bills in 2020 and two in 2019.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to Hershey, ‘The Sweetest Place on Earth’
Hershey, Pennsylvania, is home to The Hershey Co., maker of 90 different chocolate goodies, along with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co., which includes Hersheypark amusement park, Hershey’s Chocolate World and other attractions. We asked Representative Thomas Mehaffie (R) and Senator John DiSanto (R), whose districts include Hershey, what it’s like living in chocolate heaven.
MOTHER’S DAY
Daughter Follows Trail Blazed by Mother to California Assembly
Dr. Akilah Weber recently won a special election to fill the Assembly seat held by her mother, who now serves as California’s secretary of state. For Mother’s Day, we asked Weber about her mom’s influence in her life, personally and professionally, and her plans for this year’s holiday.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of May 3, 2021
Hawaii selects a new majority leader, tension continues between legislative and executive branches, Tennessee adjourns its session, and two states honor former members.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Joel Rudnick
Joel Rudnick says it was his job as a legislative librarian with the Delaware General Assembly that found him, not the other way around. Rudnick is inspired by his interactions with others and his newfound love for the music of Queen.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
How Legislative Meetings Went Virtual in Wyoming
When IT staff began using virtual tools to host the Wyoming Legislature’s meetings last year, they faced plenty of challenges. Here’s how the Legislative Service Office created a system that streams legislative meetings for constituents who wish to listen to and testify before committees.
MOTHER’S DAY
Mother, Son Serve Together in Pennsylvania House
Pennsylvania Representative Milou Mackenzie and her son, Representative Ryan Mackenzie, are thought to be the first mother and son to be elected together to serve in the state’s House chamber. For Mother’s Day, we connected with them to ask what it’s like working together and what they have in store for this year’s holiday.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Jimmetta Gourdine and Jessica Brown
Jimmetta Gourdine and her daughter Jessica Brown both work for the Alabama Legislature. Jimmetta, who has served with the legislature for 21 years, is director of Senate security, and Jessica is an administrative assistant with the Legislative Services Agency, where she has worked for four and a half years.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Online Program Covers Everything New Staffers Should Know
NCSL’s Legislative Staff Certificate Program was launched just last year. But the idea for the training initiative was born more than 20 years ago out of a desire to help staff do their jobs with more proficiency, to increase staff recruitment and retention and to improve service to the legislature.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Help Your Boss, and Yourself, by Managing Up
Your manager might be great with the big-picture perspective or organizational planning but is maybe not as adept at navigating press interviews, researching policy, handling and maintaining equipment, or doing casework. That’s why you should learn how to manage up.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Remaining Social During Unsociable Times
As the pandemic disrupted work life, many legislative offices and individual staff found creative ways to remain social during these unsociable times. Here are a few tips from staffers across the country.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Welcome to NCSL’s Legislative Staff Week!
NCSL has devoted this week, May 3-7, to celebrating the more than 30,000 staff who work in state legislatures across the nation. To get the week started, we connected with NCSL’s three staff officers—Staff Chair Martha Wigton, Staff Vice Chair J.J. Gentry and Immediate Past Staff Chair Jon Heining.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Legislatures Require Police Body Camera Use Statewide
Recently passed body-camera laws generally apply to all law enforcement officers who interact with the public. But they typically exclude officers working in courtrooms and certain other settings, along with administrators and civilian staff.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of April 26, 2021
Legislatures in Hawaii, Indiana and Washington ended their 2021 sessions, while a handful of others are looking at extended sessions. Indiana lawmakers were sued by their governor. And the Hawaii Senate majority leader announced his retirement.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is in the Shadow of Mount St. Helens
In May 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens devastated the communities of southwest Washington state. We connected with Representatives Ed Orcutt (R) and Peter Abbarno (R), whose House district includes the mountain, to ask what it’s like living in the shadow of an active volcano.
EDUCATION
Mapping a Way to Better Civics Education
In legislatures across the country, policymakers are responding to bipartisan calls for improved civics education with measures that would require new courses and assessments, diversify curricula and integrate civics with other instruction.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to the Kentucky Derby
From the mint juleps to the iconic twin spires of the Churchill Downs Clubhouse to the thousands of fans wearing their fanciest spring clothes, the Run for the Roses is packed with tradition. We connected with Senator Denise Harper Angel and Representative Nima Kulkarni, whose districts are home to the Derby, to ask what the race means to their community.
FIRST BRANCH NEWS
Legislative Headlines, Week of April 19, 2021
Indiana and Idaho overrode vetoes in fights over their governors’ emergency powers. Oregon and Montana stopped in-person sessions while Delaware went back in. And the Missouri House expelled a member for the first time since the Civil War.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Hosts the Academy Awards
Hollywood and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles are home to the Academy Awards, now in its 93rd year. We connected with California Assemblymember Richard Bloom and Senator Benjamin Allen, who represent the districts where the theater is located, to ask what the ceremony means to the community.
LEGISLATURES
The Show Must Go On: Legislative Sessions Update
The pandemic has forced legislatures to be nimble and flexible, and this year’s session calendar reflects this. Here’s an update on which states have finished their business for the year and which one is just getting started.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Home to the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Champs
The Lady Cardinals of Stanford University held off the Arizona Wildcats to win the 2021 NCAA women’s basketball championships. We connected with California Assemblymember Marc Berman, whose district includes the Stanford campus, to ask what the championship means to his community.
EDUCATION
Legislatures Consider Homeschool Laws
The number of students being homeschooled during the pandemic is on the rise. But bills affecting state homeschooling regulation cut in two directions, with some easing regulations on homeschooling families and others imposing new ones.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Karen Mau
Karen Mau, a research librarian at the Hawaii Legislative Reference Bureau Library, says her two daughters inspire her to be and do better every day. And, when it comes to the things she loves most about her home state, that’s easy: the weather, the people and the food!
LEGISLATURES
First Branch News | Legislative Headlines, Week of April 5, 2021
The Wyoming Legislature ends its 2021 session. Lawmakers nationwide continue to introduce bills that would shift authority away from governors and to the legislatures. Voters choose new lawmakers in a handful of special elections. And Colorado Senate President Leroy Garcia cooks up a feast for his colleagues.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
Staff Snapshots | Ali Sagraves
Ali Sagraves, a clerk for the Ohio House of Representatives, says she’s inspired by the legislators she works with who are fighting the good fight. “Not everyone is able to work in a place where their gifts, passions and purpose collide, and I do not take this experience for granted.”
EDUCATION
States Consider Test-Optional College Admissions
Citing an unfair disadvantage to low-income and minority students, many colleges and universities have made standardized test scores an optional part of the admissions process in recent years. The pandemic pushed even more schools to temporarily waive testing requirements.
ELECTION SECURITY
Don’t Sleep on Election Cybersecurity (Cyber Criminals Won’t)
U.S. election systems are better prepared than ever to fend off cyberattacks, but our adversaries are growing more sophisticated. Two experts discuss the system’s vulnerabilities and strengths and what states can do in this fast-changing cyber realm.
LEGISLATURES
First Branch News: Legislative Headlines, Week of March 29, 2021
New Mexico considers legalizing marijuana. South Dakota’s governor said she wants a special session on fairness in women’s sports. Legislatures across the country continue to challenge governors’ powers. And two Nebraska Senators got in the spirit of April Fools’ Day.
FISCAL POLICY
Virtual Currencies on the Rise
A year that saw unprecedented lockdowns and economic slowdowns also saw Bitcoin prices reach new highs, surging nearly 600% since the beginning of 2020 and stirring a movement toward greater acceptance of virtual currencies in the financial world.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Hosts the Masters Golf Tournament
Early April means one thing in Augusta, Ga.: the Masters Tournament. This year marks the 85th edition of golf’s first major championship of the year. We connected with Georgia Representative Wayne Howard and Senator Harold Jones, who represent the districts where the club is located, to ask what the tournament means to the community.
TRANSPORTATION
State Lawmakers Driving EV Policies in 2021
To support transportation electrification, many legislatures are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach, with policies to encourage electric vehicle adoption and to build out the charging infrastructure necessary to power the growing number of EVs on the road.
FISCAL
Coronavirus Relief Fund Keeps States Afloat
Federal CRF allocations came along just as economic shutdowns and mounting public health pressures had states on the fiscal ropes. Without this cash infusion, pandemic costs might have been insurmountable for states and the nation.
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Female Staffers Share Perspectives on Women’s Progress in the Legislature
As our recognition of the month draws to a close, NCSL reached out to handful of female legislative staffers to ask about what the month means to them, how the legislature as a workplace has changed, and what messages they have for newer female staffers across the country.
HEALTH
State Legislatures Tackle COVID-19 Vaccination
One year into the pandemic, we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Rates of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the country have continued to decrease thanks, in part, to the accelerating pace of vaccinations. NCSL experts address a few frequently asked questions.
LEGISLATURES
First Branch News | Legislative Headlines, Week of March 15, 2021
Wyoming lawmakers clean up after a snowstorm created leaks in the legislative chambers, while their counterparts in neighboring Colorado consider building a fence around the Capitol. And a young Nevada legislator is gaining popularity by using TikTok to communicate.
HUMAN SERVICES
Bipartisan Efforts Help to Keep Homeless Kids off the Streets
Advocates argue that youth homelessness is unlike chronic homelessness among single adults and that it’s cheaper to solve the problem before young people become chronically homeless. Increasingly, state lawmakers agree, with at least 21 states passing bills to address the issue in the last couple years.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health and Human Services Funding in the American Rescue Plan
In addition to funding for state, local and territorial public health departments, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 contains overhauls of Medicaid, Medicare and health insurance coverage. We dig into the details here.
FISCAL
State COVID Stimulus Plans Boost Relief Efforts
It’s been a year since the pandemic dramatically altered American life, and states are still reeling from the economic fallout. But as fiscal conditions improve, some states are taking action by funding stimulus packages of their own.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Has the World’s Only Town Named St. Patrick
On March 17, when we aren’t in a pandemic, Americans from all backgrounds and heritages pull out their green ties, socks, scarves or other clothing and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But there’s only one town that can celebrate the holiday every day of the year: St. Patrick, Mo. We caught up with one of the lawmakers who represents the tiny community.
LEGISLATURES
First Branch News | Legislative Headlines, Week of March 8, 2021
In this installment, states challenge the U.S. Census Bureau over the delayed release of data, Utah ends its legislative session, New York legislative leaders call on the governor to resign and the Kansas House speaker’s father joins the state Senate.
LEGISLATORS
Longest-Serving State Lawmaker Ready for ‘Something Different’
Fred Risser was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 1956, the same year President Dwight D. Eisenhower took the oath of office. Risser, who retired at the end of last year at age 92, talks with NCSL about his career, his insights as a World War II veteran and the legislative changes he’s seen.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Hosted the First Women’s Rights Convention
Seneca Falls, N.Y., was the site of the first women’s rights convention in the U.S. in July 1848. The gathering of roughly 300 people launched the women’s suffrage movement. State Legislatures News caught up with the two lawmakers who represent Seneca Falls to ask about its place in voting history.
HEALTH
Lawmakers Continue Fight for Lower Drug Costs
Access to and affordability of prescription drugs have long ranked among lawmakers’ top concerns. The pandemic hasn’t changed that. With most 2021 state sessions now in full swing, the search continues for policies that will lower drug costs for states and consumers alike.
FISCAL
More States Let Sports Betting Go Mobile
Sports betting, which revenue-seeking states are quickly adopting, is a relatively low-margin venture compared with other types of gambling. The payout could be significantly higher, however, if sports bettors can use mobile devices.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
States Aim to Diversify Job Training Programs
As the demographics of the American workforce change, job training programs are adapting to boost diversity and provide workers with the skills they need for high-demand, well-paying occupations in health care and clean energy.
EDUCATION
States Address Challenges Created by Student Loan Debt
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more than 44 million Americans carry an outstanding student loan balance. State policymakers are now considering loan forgiveness plans and expanded loan oversight, among other actions.
STATE-FEDERAL
New Administration Brings New Banking Landscape
Major changes in Washington, D.C., often mean major changes to banking and financial services policy. With the Biden administration planning large regulatory changes that could impact the states, what does the banking landscape look like?
ELECTIONS
How Would Your State’s Election Laws Hold Up in a Crisis?
Like a PowerPoint on steroids, NCSL’s new story map, Election Emergencies Happen, can help policymakers determine how well their election laws would hold up during a health emergency, natural disaster or other crisis.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Where the Mississippi River Begins
One of the world’s most iconic bodies of water—the Mississippi River—gets its start at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and runs more than 2,500 miles south to the Gulf of Mexico. NCSL connected with Senator Paul Utke (R), whose district includes the lake, to ask him a few questions about the area.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Legislators Reflect on COVID, Social Justice, Priorities
As Black History Month draws to a close, two past presidents of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators offer views on the coronavirus, social justice and legislative efforts to increase diversity and a culture of inclusion.
ENERGY
Texas Energy Crisis: What Is Resilient Power Worth?
Texas officials will spend much of the year—and very likely subsequent years—searching for ways to prevent another crisis like the one that left millions without power and clean water for days after a winter storm. But Texas is hardly the only state to face questions about its energy resiliency.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
6 Tips for Being a Successful Legislative Staffer
On the eve of the 2021 legislative sessions, NCSL sat down (virtually) with five staffers—who between them have more than a century’s worth of experience—to learn their top tips for being effective legislative employees.
HILL BRIEFING
NCSL Briefs Congress on State-Federal Education Priorities
As state legislatures grapple with their pandemic responses and contemplate economic recovery, NCSL briefed Congress on what federal actions would be most beneficial to states and made the case for long-standing education priorities.
ANALYSIS | REDISTRICTING
Searching for Silver Linings in Delayed Census Results
The Census Bureau’s announcement that states won’t receive redistricting data until Sept. 30 was bombshell news to everyone involved in the once-a-decade task of redrawing electoral district boundaries. But are there silver linings to be found in the delay?
EMPLOYMENT
Your Guide to the Ongoing Minimum Wage Debate
With the Biden administration and some in Congress renewing talk of a federal minimum wage increase, the long-running debate over how such hikes will affect workers, consumers and business owners continues.
REDISTRICTING
More Than Ever, Redistricting Is Under a Microscope
Redistricting tended to be a sleepy topic in decades past, but not this time around. COVID, census data delays, heightened public interest and the U.S. Supreme Court have changed the landscape for those charged with the once-a-decade task of redrawing legislative and congressional districts.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Has a Valentine in It
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and it turns out four U.S. states have towns named Valentine. NCSL caught up with the legislators representing those towns and asked them to share what makes their Valentine so special.
LEGISLATURES
As Term-Limit Laws Turn 30, Are States Better Off?
Supporters argue that term limits ensure a flow of new lawmakers with fresh ideas. Critics say limits can lead to a lack of experienced legislators, especially leaders and committee chairs, with knowledge of policy issues and legislative procedure.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Georgia Lawmaker Reflects on Legacy of Early Civil Rights Legend
Georgia Representative Billy Mitchell discusses the influence of Henry McNeal Turner, a Reconstruction-era minister, an ardent defender of African American civil rights and one of the “Original 33” Black lawmakers elected to the Georgia General Assembly.
ECONOMY
Post-Vaccine Forecast: Hints of Normalcy but Uncertainty Lingers
Most economic recessions are “like a car running out of gas very slowly,” said Dan White, with Moody’s Analytics, during the kickoff session of NCSL’s State Policy 101 event. But the COVID-19-sparked recession? Think NASCAR. With teenage boys behind the wheel.
EDUCATION
Youth Forum Reveals Student Perspectives on Virtual School
The recent NCSL Virtual Youth Forum gave high school students an opportunity to speak directly with state legislators and staff about their pandemic experiences, including the challenges of online coursework, separation from their peers, safety concerns and internet connectivity issues, among others.
HEALTH
Vaccine Priorities and People With Disabilities
As federal agencies continue to report on COVID-19 vaccine distribution and priority populations, one group faces undue hardship from both the disease and the uncertain vaccine timelines: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
IN MEMORIAM
Nevada Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms Dies From COVID-19
The Nevada Assembly’s sergeant-at-arms, Robin Bates, was known and loved for his boisterous laugh. “We all share in this grief because we all shared in our love for Robin,” Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson (D) said. “He was our friend, our trusted confidant and our biggest cheerleader.”
HEALTH
Congress Passes Surprise Medical Billing Legislation
After months of negotiations between House and Senate leadership, Congress passed year-end legislation providing not only COVID-19 relief and fiscal year 2021 government funding, but also protecting consumers from surprise medical billing in states that don’t already have controls on the practice.
MY DISTRICT
My District: Is Hosting Super Bowl LV
Florida Senator Janet Cruz, whose Tampa district is home to the stadium where Super Bowl LV will be played, tells NCSL what it means for her constituents that their beloved Buccaneers are facing off on familiar ground with the Kansas City Chiefs.
HEALTH
Public Health Systems Still Aren’t Ready for the Next Pandemic
As legislatures reconvene, lawmakers in many states will address immediate pandemic demands. But most states, hamstrung by tight budgets, won’t be able to make the long-term investments needed to shore up their public health infrastructures.
EXIT INTERVIEW
Advice From Former State Legislators
In many businesses when employees retire or leave the company, a meeting is held to discuss their experiences. Riffing on that idea, NCSL’s Exit Interview video series offers departing legislators the chance to share their most rewarding moments, biggest challenges and advice for the newly elected.
REDISTRICTING
5 Ways to Handle Census Delays and Redistricting Deadlines
2020 is in the rearview mirror, but the results of the 2020 census are still down the road. As states gear up for redistricting, they face a new and serious problem: figuring out whether they’ll get the data they need from the Census Bureau in time to redistrict according to their state laws.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF
New Principal Clerks and Secretaries for 2021
A new year means a new principal clerk or secretary in several legislatures. Congratulations to these members of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) in their new roles as chief administrative officers of their chambers.
HUMAN SERVICES
5 Things New Legislators Need to Know About Infants and Toddlers
COVID-19 has magnified existing issues for infants and toddlers, their families and their caregivers. Many of these issues can be more cost effectively addressed by fostering development early in life rather than relying on remedial programs to deal with later-life problems.
LEGISLATURES
Page Program Fosters Community Service
With the pandemic canceling the Virginia Senate’s 2021 page program, the participants of previous page classes went virtual with their effort to fundraise for hunger relief.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Congress Expands Pell Grant Eligibility, Simplifies FAFSA
A new law expands eligibility for the Pell Grant program and makes federal financial aid easier to apply for. It could enable an additional 1.7 million college students to qualify for the maximum tuition-aid award each year and make another 555,000 students newly eligible.
OBITUARY
Maryland’s Long-Serving Senate President Dies
Maryland Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. served more than half his life in the Maryland Senate and 33 years as its president, making him the nation’s longest-serving president of a state Senate.
CAPITOL SAFETY
States Slam Shut, Board Up Capitols, Anticipating Violence
States have tightened security around their capitols and in their capital cities across the nation in response to an FBI warning. Armed protests are anticipated in the lead-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington, D.C.
HEALTH
States Taking Steps to Address Health Disparities
With ethnic disparities in health care highlighted by the coronavirus, lawmakers have passed legislation in the last two years to improve maternal outcomes, address health provider training requirements and strengthen workforce development.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
New Report Examines Length of Probation Terms by State
Americans on probation serve terms of just under two years on average, but 9 in 10 people on probation for at least a year without being rearrested could have served shorter terms without impacting recidivism rates.
LEGISLATURES
Through a COVID Lens: Top Legislative Issues of 2021
The biggest issues of any year are often the same every year. But 2020 was not just any year, and COVID-19 has affected nearly every policy issue and jolted the economy. Here is a look at what to expect in this year’s sessions.
ELECTIONS
2020 Legislative Action on Elections
The pandemic not only disrupted legislative sessions but also focused lawmakers’ attention on voting options, and absentee/mail voting was by far the most popular topic. NCSL’s elections team summarizes the year’s legislative trends.
REDISTRICTING
States Ensure Public Can Safely Weigh In on Redistricting
Cash-strapped states may find the many incarnations of videoconferencing—Zoom, WebEx, Teams, etc.—to be safe, cost-effective ways to receive public input. NCSL’s upcoming seminar will cover everything you need to know to complete this once-a-decade task.
HEALTH
First COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in the US
With Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine gaining approval for distribution, and Moderna’s version poised to follow soon, researchers continue to refine treatments for those who contract the coronavirus.
COMMUNICATIONS
6 Tips for Hosting a Successful Online Press Conference
Hosting press events is extremely important in your role as a state legislator, and online press conferences are not going away anytime soon. Fact is, they may become a routine option in our post-pandemic world.
FEDERAL STIMULUS
Groups Press Congress for Critical Pandemic Relief for States
NCSL continues to urge Congress and the administration to provide additional relief to help states avoid drastic cost-cutting measures for the next fiscal year, including reductions in workforces and the elimination of vital public services.
TOOLBOX
7 Tips to Help You Conquer Zoom Fatigue
In the battle against Zoom fatigue, a little humor can go a long way. Here are seven tips to help you create and deliver office-appropriate jokes that tickle the funny bone, bring people together and work well on any virtual platform.
LEGISLATURES | SESSION REVIEW
Health Care Costs and Coverage Still a Priority for States
Some of the 75-plus health-related bills states enacted in 2020 addressed the coronavirus pandemic, but others targeted surprise billing, health insurance marketplaces, consumer protections and price transparency.
LEGISLATURES | SESSION REVIEW
Postsecondary Education Bills Passed in 2020
State lawmakers passed nearly 300 bills relating to postsecondary education in 2020 legislative sessions, but that was a marked decline from the more than 600 passed in 2019.
ELECTIONS NEWS BRIEF
Georgia Completes Second Statewide Recount
The latest recount, requested by President Donald Trump’s campaign, upheld the race’s original outcome and that of the first recount—with President-elect Joe Biden winning the Peach State by 12,000 votes.
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
NCSL and Partners Reflect on Occupational Licensing Lessons
As the 16-state Occupational Licensing Learning Consortium wraps up its four-year effort to address obstacles in licensing policy, NCSL’s final report highlights lessons that all states can use to make it easier for people to enter the workforce or move across state lines.
LEGISLATURES
2021 Session Prep: Resources for Legislative Staff
Attention staffers: NCSL has compiled a best-of collection of recent webinars to help you maximize your productivity and communicate to the best of your ability—all while staying calm under pressure (naturally!) whether you’re working remotely or from behind a mask.
ELECTIONS | ACCESSIBILITY
No One-Size-Fits-All Approach for Voters With Disabilities
People with disabilities are less likely to vote than people without disabilities, and the disparity may be largely due to access. The challenge for election officials is that not all disabled voters face the same limitations.
COVID-19 AND EARLY LEARNING
Child Care a Necessity for Rebuilding the Economy
Legislators on both sides of the aisle acknowledge that restoring the child care system and supporting their state’s economic recovery go hand in hand. But states will struggle to support child care providers and families without federal assistance.
NCSL NEWS | IN MEMORIAM
Former Ethics Center Director Peggy Kerns Dies
Kerns, who died Nov. 14, was the first director of NCSL’s Center for Ethics in Government, after a lengthy career in the Colorado General Assembly and service in the Clinton administration. She was widely recognized as a national expert on state ethics laws and norms.
EMPLOYMENT | DISABILITY BENEFITS
State and Local Programs Versus Social Security
A new study finds that most state and local programs for workers who are outside the Social Security system provide “adequate” disability coverage. In fact, some offer more comprehensive benefits for longer-tenured employees than SSDI does.
NCSL NEWS | WOMEN’S HISTORY
Podcast Explores Women’s Suffrage as Female Lawmakers Gain Influence
As women’s numbers and influence in state legislatures grow, lawmakers and historians discusses the often untold stories of how women fought for and won their right to vote and how they shaped government and life on the frontier well before the 19th Amendment was ratified.
LEGISLATURES | REOPENING
Masks, Plexiglass on Tap for Upcoming Legislative Sessions
The coronavirus is raging out of control in many parts of the country, and most state legislatures will reconvene in a few short months. To do it safely, lawmakers are weighing a variety of potential changes.
EDUCATION | COVID-19
New Resources Track School Reopening Guidance, Requirements
As COVID-19 continues to upend instruction and operations for schools nationwide, resources developed in recent months can help policymakers and school leaders decide on the instructional methods that work best for their states and districts.
ELECTION 2020 | LEADERSHIP CHANGES
Mapping the Postelection Chamber Leadership Landscape
The 2020 election brought with it a fair share of legislative leadership changes—though many were decided well before voters went to the polls on Election Day. That doesn’t mean there weren’t some surprises, however.
ELECTION 2020
Analysis: Voters Opt for Status Quo in State-Level Races
NCSL’s executive director, Tim Storey, and other elections experts discuss the outcomes of state legislative races and ballot measure questions after an election that resulted in little change in most chambers nationwide.
NCSL NEWS
NCSL Education Experts on Nation’s Report Card, E-Rate Funding and More
Even before the pandemic hit, high school seniors’ test results were lackluster. Average scores in 2019 were unchanged in math but lower in reading compared with 2015, and scores decreased in both subjects for the lowest performing students, according to the latest Nation’s Report Card.
ELECTIONS | BALLOT MEASURES
Voters Pass Majority of 2020 Ballot Measure Issues
Nationwide, voters decided on a total 124 ballot measures, 38 of them citizen initiatives. Besides a couple of staple issues—taxes and abortion—voters weighed in on marijuana, redistricting, gun rights and reestablishing an endangered species.
ELECTIONS | PARTISAN CONTROL
Republicans Fend off Democrats in Statehouse Fights
Democrats failed to break the GOP’s grip on state legislatures Tuesday, bolstering conservative policy priorities and giving Republicans increased power leading into the crucial redistricting process in 2021.
POLICY BRIEF
Drone Policies Soar in 2020
From aiding in the pandemic response to helping in the fight against invasive Burmese pythons, lawmakers put unmanned aerial systems to a broadening variety of uses this year.
ELECTIONS
On Election Day, NCSL Looks Back at Expert Q&As From ‘The Canvass’
Nearly 100 million Americans had already cast ballots when the polls opened this morning. And while the presidential and congressional results are top of mind for many, on Election Day, NCSL is your go-to source for news and analysis on what’s happening in state elections.
ELECTIONS | SAFETY AT THE POLLS
Police Have ‘No Clear Playbook’ for This Election, Experts Say
With tensions high and many observers concerned about voter intimidation, local election officials plan to add security at polling places and police prepare to face challenges they haven’t encountered in modern memory.
TWILIGHT ZONES
A New Wrinkle in Time: Will Lawmakers End Our Clock-Changing Grind?
In the last five years, virtually every state has considered bills to stop changing our clocks in and out of daylight saving time, with 13 states enacting such measures. Still, federal law prohibits states from enacting DST permanently, so the states will need help from Congress.
REMOTE HEALTH SERVICES
States Turn to Telehealth During the Pandemic
By letting health care providers screen, triage and treat symptoms remotely, states are coping with workforce shortages and reducing the risk of patients being exposed to coronavirus while visiting health care facilities.
LEGISLATORS | DEMOGRAPHICS
The ‘Average’ State Legislator Is Changing, Slowly
The average legislator today is a white male baby boomer with an advanced degree—just as in 2015. But that seemingly static, big-picture takeaway belies significant shifts in legislator demographics over the past five years.
EDUCATION | ONLINE LEARNING
States Use CARES Act Funds to Address Digital Divide
Funding streams available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act are helping states to provide students with the resources they need to keep learning online during a pandemic-disrupted school year.
HEALTHY HOLIDAYS
How to Have a Boo-tifully Safe Halloween
As Halloween approaches, complete with a rare blue full moon, a group of private partners has launched a website that breaks down how to get in the spooky spirit while minding health officials’ safety recommendations.
HEALTH INSURANCE | ACA
Amid Uncertainty, Open Enrollment Begins Nov. 1
The pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis have led to a disruption in coverage for many, especially those losing employer-sponsored insurance. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear arguments to overturn the entire federal health law.
ELECTIONS | ABSENTEE VOTING
Rise in Use of Ballot Drop Boxes Sparks Partisan Battles
Supporters of drop boxes say they make voting easier and safer, especially during the pandemic. Opponents say they worry about ballot security. The conflict has led to court cases, political back-and-forth and uncertainty for local election officials and voters.
POLICY BRIEF | MAIL VOTING
What States Have Done to Avoid Glitches With Mail-In Voting
With just two weeks to go until the election, absentee/mail voting continues to be a headline issue among election administrators and policy pundits. What have states done to ensure the election operates smoothly?
TOOLBOX | WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
Three Questions to Help You Uncover Unconscious Bias
There are various ways to reveal exclusion and unconscious bias in an organization—and eventually eradicate them—but you can start the process by asking yourself these three questions.
NCSL NEWS
Recent Meeting Highlights Value of Afterschool Programs
NCSL’s two-day virtual meeting “Afterschool During COVID-19 and Beyond” spotlighted the importance of the 21st Century Learning Centers initiative and the renewed urgency of the “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids” report, which shows that kids and communities benefit when students have access to afterschool programs.
INNOVATIONS | TELEWORK
States Craft Remote Work Policies That Work
Legislative staff directors and human resources staff are working hard to create and refine remote-work policies and to find new, creative ways for staff to get their jobs done from afar—without impeding the legislative process.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Two Perspectives on Addressing Racial Disparities
National experts joined NCSL Base Camp to share their thoughts and experiences, and to challenge assumptions, broaden worldviews and provide potential solutions to racial disparities.
TAXATION
Remote Work Boom Complicates State Income Taxes
With millions of people working remotely, and business experts predicting that many of them will continue to do so after the pandemic ebbs, tax departments in more states will be examining the feasibility of taxing remote workers.
IN MEMORIAM
Remembering Tim Rice, Former NCSL Staff Chair
Tim Rice, former executive director of the Illinois Legislative Information System who served a term as NCSL staff chair, and who was an enthusiastic supporter of the National Association of Legislative Information Technology, died Oct. 2. He was 64.
COMMUNICATIONS
4 Ways Legislatures Are Making Citizen Participation Easier
The legislative process relies on input from the public. Contacting a legislator may sound straightforward, but it’s not always so easy—especially if someone has a disability. Legislatures, however, are making public participation easier by offering reasonable access to auxiliary communication mechanisms.
POLICY TREND | TRAFFIC SAFETY
Pump the Brakes or Hit the Gas? Lawmakers Debate Speed Limits
Lawmakers continue to allow local officials to lower vehicle speed limits, while they raise limits on highways and interstates. A new challenge is reining in the surge in speeding brought on by the pandemic in some states.
EDUCATION
Will the Pandemic Change the Way We Deliver K-12 Education?
School looks and feels different this fall. In some communities, if school buildings are open at all, it’s only to teachers and administrators who guide instruction remotely. Other districts have welcomed students back but with strict health-safety rules. Still others are combining face-to-face teaching with distance learning.
ELECTION 2020 | POLL WORKERS
Wanted: Poll Workers Able to Brave the Pandemic
Election officials in many states are looking for people to run the polls on Nov. 3. The pandemic has exacerbated an already-critical shortage of poll workers at the same time many people anticipate a larger-than-average voter turnout.
POLICY TREND | PUBLIC PENSIONS
Three Ways to Measure Public Employee Retirement Security
Market losses incurred in the early weeks of the pandemic have largely been offset by recent rebounds, but increases in market volatility and uncertainty resulting from the crisis have prompted concern over the investment portfolios of many individuals and institutions.
POLICY TREND | UNEMPLOYMENT
State Strategies for Stopping Unemployment Fraud Amid the Pandemic
Scammers have seized the opportunity to defraud state unemployment systems out of millions of dollars. A report by the Secret Service found that the scams are being operated by organized crime using stolen personal information to submit false applications.
POLICY TREND | REDISTRICTING
Why Only Some Redistricting Cases Get Three-Judge Courts
In an era where the Supreme Court hears fewer than 100 cases per term, why would redistricting hold such a prominent position in its docket? The answer lies in the procedural rules set out by Congress.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Legislative Leaders, Our Real American Superheroes
In a year unlike any other, legislative leaders have been thrust into the spotlight—guiding their chambers through a global pandemic’s myriad challenges. At NCSL Base Camp last week, five legislative leaders shared what they learned about leading and legislating beyond crisis.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Jessica Buchanan on Building Resilience in Trying Times
Jessica Buchanan was working as a humanitarian aid worker in 2011 when she was kidnapped by Somali land pirates and held outside in the scrub desert for 93 days before being rescued by Navy SEALs. She shared the lessons she learned and offered advice during a salute to legislative staff session.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Elections: What to Expect When the Unexpected Happens
In this session, six legislators—Wisconsin Senator Kathy Bernier (R), Kansas Senator Elaine Bowers (R), Nebraska Senator Adam Morfeld (D), Nevada Senator Pat Spearman (D), Indiana Senator Greg Walker (R) and New Jersey Assemblymember Andrew Zwicker (D)—kindly agreed to take part in an unscripted election exercise.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
State Actions to Create Safe, Inclusive Workplaces
In addition to shining a spotlight on horrendous personal behavior, the #MeToo movement launched a wide-ranging dialogue resulting in significant state legislation aiming to fill legal gaps in laws dealing with workplace inequities and discrimination.
SPOTLIGHT | EDUCATION
COVID-19 Brings New Uncertainty for Schools at All Levels
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically reshaped higher education. From admission to graduation, no aspect of the college experience is unchanged, and the disruptions are far from over. States face daunting funding challenges, and the very survival of some institutions is in doubt.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Transportation Predictions for 2021
Those attending the NCSL Base Camp session “Transportation: Predictions for 2021” made it clear from the start what was on their minds: money. Specifically, where can we get more of it to pay for roadway and transit improvements?
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
The Future of Redistricting
Ohio Senator Matt Huffman (R), North Carolina Senator Dan Blue (D) and Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the nonpartisan Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, kept attendees engaged with their insight and advice for the upcoming round of redistricting.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Deliver, Don’t Deny: The Art of Legislative Negotiation
“A legislature is a constant clash of agendas and goals and objectives,” Curt Stedron, NCSL’s director of legislative training, says. “If we’re always negotiating, are we doing it in the best possible way to come up with the most optimal solutions?”
SPOTLIGHT | PRIVACY
Facial Recognition Gaining Measured Acceptance
Facial recognition technology has state lawmakers, government officials, businesspeople and consumers everywhere exploring the opportunities and benefits it may offer. So why have Amazon, IBM and Microsoft announced plans to limit their sales of the technology?
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Experts Weigh In on State-Federal Clash Over the Energy Mix
NCSL hosted a discussion on the state and federal role in shaping energy markets and resource mix with experts Ari Peskoe, director of Harvard Law School’s Electricity Law Initiative and Richard Doying, executive vice president of markets for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Perspectives on Policing Policy
The deaths this year of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Daniel Prude, among others, during confrontations with law enforcement have sparked demonstrations and national conversations about policy, along with calls to create better police accountability.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Larry Kudlow, Ben Harris Talk Current U.S. Economy
Larry Kudlow and Ben Harris presented NCSL Base Camp 2020 attendees with two very different visions of the current state of the economy in what sometimes seemed like two different countries.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
'A Big Election Year in the States'
Every time Tim Storey gives a presentation on legislative elections, he notes, in earnest, that, “It’s a big election year in the states.” Well, this year it’s a really, really, really big election year in the states, NCSL’s executive director told a session of NCSL’s Base Camp 2020.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Dr. Deborah Birx on COVID-19 Vaccine, Testing and More
When a vaccine for COVID-19 is developed, manufactured and distributed, the final decisions on its delivery into Americans’ biceps will be heavily influenced largely by state and local officials, says Dr. Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Advice for Managing in Challenging Times
Much is being said about the unprecedented time we’re living in. COVID-19, ongoing racial unrest, wildfires in the West, an emotionally charged election season. And all of this is, Johnny C. Taylor Jr. reminds us, the backdrop for work.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Cyberattacks on the Rise During Coronavirus Pandemic
Are state governments in a position to handle these growing threats, and what can lawmakers do to help prevent them? Those were among the questions addressed in the web presentation “Taking Advantage of a Crisis: Cyberattacks in the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Chris Evans and A Starting Point Aim to Shield Democracy
The actor, along with actor/producer Mark Kassen and tech entrepreneur Joe Kiani, recently launched A Starting Point, a video-based website and app aimed at creating bipartisan communications between elected officials and voters.
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Amy Walter Looks Ahead to the Presidential Election
The national editor of The Cook Political Report presented a session on the November election, noting that, at this point, Biden's lead in the polls, along with other factors, point to the president remaining “a very serious underdog for reelection.”
NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
Mark Zandi Talks U.S. Economic Outlook
The U.S. economy is growing but is largely moving sideways. That was the view from Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, during the first session of NCSL’s Base Camp 2020.
SPOTLIGHT | ELECTIONS
State Elections 2020: A Voting Season Unlike Any Other
Labor Day is in the rearview mirror, campaigning is in full swing and pundits are out in force. And yet there are only two safe predictions any of them can offer: November’s elections will be unlike any other (just like 2020 as a whole is a year unlike any other), and—eventually—we’ll know which party will have control of Congress, the presidency and state legislatures.
TOOLBOX | EMAIL
3 Tips to Ensure Your Email Message Is Read
Writing and reading emails consume a considerable chunk of time for many employees every day. Don’t waste people’s time. Here are three ways to ensure sure your message isn’t confusing or misunderstood.
NEWS BRIEFS
Flying Cars, QAnon and Workplace Coronavirus Protections
For the week of Sept. 7: Flying cars are up, up and away in New Hampshire; some legislative candidates tilt toward QAnon; and a new Nevada law protects hospitality workers from the virus and employers from lawsuits.
2020 CENSUS
What Is Going on With the 2020 Census?
This decade’s census has been rocked by uncertainty based on a global pandemic and eleventh-hour administrative changes. COVID-19 has forced the Census Bureau to reevaluate and redesign its plans. As questions keep swirling around census operations and data, here are the best answers we have.
POLICY TREND | TRAFFIC SAFETY
2020 Impaired-Driving Trends to Watch
Alcohol-impaired driving continues to kill thousands of Americans every year, while drug use compounds the problem. Lawmakers continue to seek strategies to use in battling this persistent public health issue.
TOOLBOX | VIRTUAL MEETINGS
How to Make Your Next Virtual Meeting More Engaging
Since it looks like meeting remotely and attending virtual sessions are here to stay, at least occasionally, it’s time to look at what we’ve learned over the past few months on what works. By following these simple principles, and coaching your co-presenters in advance to do so as well, almost anyone’s virtual gathering can improve.
NEWS BRIEF | CIVICS EDUCATION
American Democracy Game Makes Learning Civics Fun
The American Democracy Game teaches the concepts of representative democracy—that every individual has equal rights and value, for example, that compromise is necessary at times and that the minority still has rights under majority rule.
ELECTIONS
Postal Service Schedules and Election Timelines: A Disconnect?
Recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service have raised concerns about mail delivery, particularly for absentee ballots given that mail voting has skyrocketed this year. Some states may consider pushing back their deadlines for requesting and returning mail-in ballots. Others will focus on educating voters to cast ballots early and make use of drop boxes. And still others may maintain the status quo.
NEWS BRIEF | STUDENT-ATHLETES
News Brief | College Athletes Could Get ‘Bill of Rights’
California's “Fair Pay to Play” law, enacted in September last year, lets student-athletes endorse products and use their name, sport and school to identify themselves, but prevents them from using school logos or other trademarked property in the endorsements.
POLICY TREND | HIGHER EDUCATION
The Hidden Costs of College Can Take Students by Surprise
College costs a lot more than the tuition. Some institutions rarely mention housing, food, transportation and other related expenses, which can catch students by surprise. Several states want to change that.
STATE LEGISLATURES SPOTLIGHT
A Closer Look at August’s Cover Story
Tune into the new edition of State Legislatures Spotlight, a video series that takes an in-depth look at our feature stories. In this episode, we chat with NCSL’s Suzanne Hultine, co-author of “Are High Unemployment Rates Here for the Long Term?” The story looks at industries hit especially hard by the pandemic, what states are doing to keep workers safe and what’s new on the jobs horizon.
NEWS BRIEF | FISCAL
Small Businesses Face Difficult Post-Pandemic Recovery
After the Great Recession, larger companies needed four years to recover their contribution to the GDP, but small businesses on average took six years to rebound, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
POLICY TREND | ELECTIONS
2020 Ballot Measures: A Preview
As of Aug. 17, voters across the country will weigh in on at least 106 ballot measures on Election Day, though that number will likely inch upward through September as states continue to certify measures for November.
STATE-FEDERAL
NCSL on the Hill
New this month: NCSL, Big 7 coalition host congressional briefing on FMAP; NCSL’s Living Room Town Hall series on federal stimulus funding; state, local groups press Congress and administration to find agreement and more.
LEGISLATOR PROFILE
Tennessee Representative Kirk Haston
Kirk Haston, who won a scholarship to Indiana University to play basketball under legendary coach Bobby Knight and had a brief stint in the NBA, is now a freshman member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. But much to his surprise, there’s one aspect of legislative work that reminds him of his playing days: the sportsmanship present on the House floor.
POLICY TREND | HEALTH CARE
Patients Fled Primary Care During COVID-19
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on all levels of medicine, not least of which are primary care doctors, whose patient visits dipped as low as 30% of normal as people avoided routine doctor visits during the height of coronavirus infections.
STATE BUDGETS | FISCAL LEADERS
How 3 State Finance Committee Chairs Plan to Weather Economic Storm
No one sees a promising short-term outcome to the current fiscal disaster, but legislators on the front line of budget battles have some suggestions about what to do and where to find hope, reminding us that disruptions like the pandemic often drive innovation and create opportunities.
NEWSMAKERS
Legislative Leaders in the News | August 2020
Alaska Representative Gary Knopp dies in plane crash, Georgia Senator Nikema Williams replaces the late U.S. Representative John Lewis on November ballot, former Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma retires, Ohio elects new speaker, and more.
NCSL NEWS | NCSL BASE CAMP 2020
NCSL Base Camp 2020: New Event for Legislators, Staff
NCSL created NCSL Base Camp 2020 for state legislators and state legislative staff to meet online Sept. 15-17. The event is a three-day experience providing unique opportunities to engage with national thought leaders, ask burning questions and walk away with new ideas, covering every angle of state policy.
POLICY TREND | BUDGETS
State Uses of the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds
As Congress debates a fourth stimulus bill, state lawmakers and governors have been doing the hard work of deciding how to spend the funds from the previous stimulus, the CARES Act, which provided $150 billion in direct assistance to state, territorial and tribal governments.
POLICY TREND | RURAL HEALTH
Rural Hospitals Hang On as Pandemic Reaches Smaller Communities
Federal money has helped struggling rural hospitals stay afloat. But as Congress considers additional aid, advocates and policymakers would like to move beyond stopgap measures to change the hospitals’ long-term trajectory.
TOOLBOX
10 Tips to Help Get You Through Redistricting Successfully
Redistricting is filled with conflicting legal mandates, and newly adopted maps are often litigated. Because redistricting requires so many specialized skills—data analytics and GIS proficiency, legal acumen, negotiation prowess—these 10 pieces of advice will help you navigate the process successfully.
POLICY FEATURE | CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Data Analysis Is Driving Justice Reforms
Lawmakers are examining all parts of their criminal justice systems with an eye toward making meaningful reforms, based on data. They’re learning that data is essential to improving pretrial practices and refining the rules on who goes to jail or prison and for how long.
NEWS BRIEFS | CORONAVIRUS
News Briefs | COVID-19: Census Impact, Asian Americans Targeted, Travel Options
New Census Bureau survey measures food and housing security and physical and mental well-being; racist behaviors directed at Asian Americans increased with virus’ arrival in U.S.; only 44% of Americans are planning an overnight vacation in 2020, according to a survey conducted for the hard-hit hotel industry.
U.S. SUPREME COURT
3 Recent Cases With Implications for States
The U.S. Supreme Court heard fewer cases than usual this term due to the coronavirus outbreak, but as always, its decisions were of interest to the states. The court’s recent rulings on abortion, “faithless electors” and copyright of statutory annotations are discussed below.
LEGISLATOR PROFILE
Meet Texas Representative Tom Oliverson
Since his election in 2016, Texas Representative Tom Oliverson—an anesthesiologist who is vice chair of the House Committee on Insurance—has earned a reputation for civility, for working across party lines and for learning about the nuts and bolts of policy.
NEWS BRIEF
Many Americans View Virus Along Party Lines
Republicans and Democrats largely disagree over the seriousness of several major problems currently facing the country, even as the United States grapples with issues including a surge in new coronavirus cases and an economic recession.
POLICY TREND | INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY
Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Peoples’ Right to Protest
As the debate over climate change has heated up, so have protests targeting energy pipelines, electric power lines and other projects, sometimes causing significant delays to work. In response, several states have passed laws criminalizing unlawful entry to such facilities or enhancing penalties associated with those offenses.
INNOVATIONS
Legislatures Get Creative in Adapting to the New Business as Usual
From March Madness to the Olympics, cancellations due to COVID-19 are unprecedented. Even NCSL’s Legislative Summit was canceled. No legislative sessions were completely canceled, however, and legislatures found ways to operate: innovating, getting creative and temporarily changing business as usual.
POLICY TREND | MARIJUANA
States Move to Clear Records of People With Previous Pot Convictions
Recreational marijuana was first legalized in 2012, through ballot measures in Colorado and Washington. The movement has since spread to 11 states, the District of Columbia and the Northern Mariana Islands. As legalization has increased, so too has legislation to clear the records of those convicted previously of minor cannabis offenses.
STATESTATS
Revenue Declines Put State Budgets in Turmoil
Decreased consumer spending and shuttered businesses have lowered sales tax revenues. Travel restrictions are cutting into lodging, car rental and other tourism-related taxes. Job losses and weak economic activity will reduce personal and corporate income tax collections.
SPOTLIGHT
Legislative Leaders Pivot to Non-COVID-19 Challenges
Every legislature’s—indeed, each legislator’s—experience during the coronavirus pandemic has been different. Yet chamber leaders across the country tell similar stories. They are trying to coordinate with their governors while coping with budgets that suddenly went from sound to sapped.
FEATURE STORY
Mississippi Removes Confederate Battle Emblem From Flag
Lawmakers have introduced bills in the Mississippi Legislature for at least 40 years to replace the flag that prominently displays the Confederate battle emblem. The bills have always suffered a quiet death on deadline day, however, so no one had reason to think this year would be different. They were in for a big surprise.
NCSL PODCAST
NCSL Celebrates 100th ‘Our American States’ Podcast
NCSL jumped on the podcast bandwagon at the end of 2016, and posts its 100th podcast today. “Our American States” has hosted a number of remarkable people and has focused on topics of interest to legislators and staff: election security, marijuana legalization, cybersecurity, the opioid crisis, and many more. What will the next 100 cover?
NEWSMAKERS
Legislative Leaders in the News | July
Pennsylvania Representative Bryan Cutler (R), was elected the chamber's 141st speaker (watch his speech), Senate Republicans name a new minority leader in New York, Delaware's longest-serving lawmaker retires and more.
LEGISLATOR PROFILE
Meet Alaska Representative Tiffany Zulkosky
The only Alaska Native woman serving in the House, Zulkosky is something of a rising star, with a professional background that has prepared her well for membership on the Energy, Education and Environmental Conservation committees and for her role as chair of the House Health and Social Services Committee.
FROM THE EDITOR
We’ve Gone Digital!
It wasn’t an easy decision, but after 45 years of producing State Legislatures, NCSL’s magazine that covers state policy and politics, we’ve decided to take the publication digital, offering a new online version to better keep you updated on the people and news surrounding state legislatures. Love it in print? Watch out for two keepsake editions each year for in-depth looks at the issues our members care most about.
ON THE SAME PAGE
Iowa Passes Bipartisan Police Reform Bill
In Washington, D.C., lawmakers face a large gap to bridge as Democrats and Republicans are split on banning chokeholds and qualified immunity, among other partisan policy differences. Iowa’s legislation, meanwhile, achieved unanimous support in both chambers after two days of deliberation. Including the drafting of the bill, the whole process took a total of 10 days.
STATE LEGISLATURES SPOTLIGHT
A Closer Look at Our Cover Story
Tune into State Legislatures Spotlight, a new video series that takes an in-depth look at our feature stories. In this episode, we chat with Alan Greenblatt, author of “Legislative Leaders Pivot to Non-Virus Challenges in a Spirit of Cooperation,” about how leaders are dealing with the pandemic, working virtually and an increased spirit of cooperation.
POLICY TREND | EMPLOYMENT
The Americans With Disabilities Act Turns 30
The legislation was the culmination of decades of political activism by and for the 50 million Americans living with a disability who were seeking equal rights after centuries of discrimination, isolation and dehumanization. It's also one of the rare pieces of legislation that has touched the lives of every American.
POLICY TREND | ELECTIONS
Pandemic Has Lawmakers Eying Remote Elections
Since COVID-19 hit, interest in casting absentee ballots—aka voting by mail and voting at home—has increased due to concerns about maintaining social distancing at polling places. Here’s how some states fared during primaries with increased voting by mail strategies in place.
TOOLBOX
9 Tips for Success When Working Remotely
Is “working from home” beginning to feel more like “living at work?” Check out this expert advice on how to maintain a work-life balance—along with tips on decreasing distractions and feelings of isolation—when your office is simply a few steps down the hall.
CAPITOL STORIES
State Capitols Take Steps to Avoid Fire Destruction
Fire has always been an enemy of old buildings. State capitols are no exception: Fire destroyed at least 25 of our early state capitols in the 19th and 20th centuries, and at least five of Virginia’s pre-independence capitols burned down. Here’s how capitol restoration teams are adding safety measures and suppression systems to prevent losing more of these treasures.
POLICY TREND | ENERGY
Could Hydrogen Be the Next Energy Star?
Hydrogen, regarded as a potential clean energy solution for decades, may finally be ready for the spotlight. The gas burns cleanly, can be used in power plants like natural gas, or in fuel cells to power vehicles or buildings. And it’s declining production costs and ability to produce power free of carbon emissions are driving interest in a “hydrogen economy” in which the gas could take the place of traditional fuels.
NCSL ON THE HILL
D.C. Fly-In Goes Virtual With COVID-19, Fiscal Briefing
NCSL hosted its first virtual Capitol Hill briefing recently to educate select staff on the dire fiscal conditions states are facing due to the pandemic. Watch the briefing and read more on the latest news from D.C.
POLICY TREND | TRANSPORTATION
The Challenge of Recycling Electric Vehicle Batteries
With more than 1.2 million electric vehicles in the United States—a number predicted to soar to 18 million by 2030—concerns of the recovery, safe handling and recycling of the lithium-ion batteries used to charge them is emerging. Learn what states, as well as the federal government, are doing to address the issue.
NCSL NEWS | HUMAN SERVICES
NCSL, U of Texas Join Prenatal-to-3 Partnership
To deepen its support for policymakers with an interest in prenatal-to-3 policies, NCSL’s Children and Families Program is partnering with the new Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
POLICY TREND | TRANSPORTATION
3 More States Say Yes to Hands-Free Driver Laws
Starting July 1, Idaho, Indiana and South Dakota began banning drivers from using cellphones behind the wheel, unless they’re hands-free. They join 22 states and the District of Columbia, which already have hands-free laws for all drivers.
LEADERSHIP | COVID-19
Coronavirus: How It’s Changing State Legislatures
COVID-19 moved quickly through the states, and legislatures sprung to action just as swiftly. It didn’t take long for lawmakers to realize the disease was going to be more devastating than first believed.
POLICY TREND | LABOR
Workers Fit for the Future
The way we work is evolving. Technological advances demand highly skilled workers, and gig jobs require people who can be paid by the task or project, not by the position they hold in a company. The transformation of today’s workplace has left businesses, educators and policymakers playing catch-up. COVID-19 has only accelerated the pace of change.
STATE STATS | FISCAL
States Got More Than a Rainy Day With COVID-19
To prepare for a possible recession, state lawmakers have been building up their budget stabilization—or rainy day—funds for nine years straight, reaching a record combined total of $74.9 billion in fiscal year 2019, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.