| A Bipartisan Blog by and for Legislative Junkies |
| 1At the Thicket, we know legislative junkies. So to help you get your daily fix of news and opinion about legislatures and state politics, here's a bipartisan list of some statehouse blogs. Suggestions? |
By Meagan Dorsch and Michelle Blackston
Each year, NCSL hosts a Spring Forum in Washington, D.C. This year, our Forum fell during the last week of April. More than 600 state legislators and legislative staff were able to attend.
NCSL hosted plenary sessions highlighting federal and state policy issues ranging from REAL ID to the 2008 Elections. Over 12 of these session are now available on-line for you to listen to and enjoy.
by Michelle Blackston A little-known provision in the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 would strip states of their higher education budgeting authority by punishing those states that don't maintain or increase such funding appropriations. Called a Maintenance of Effort or MOE, if not met, then states would lose vital federal assistance for the most needy students.
In this podcast, David Shreve and Robert Strange, NCSL's higher education education policy analysts, discuss the details of this measure and what states can do to preserve their authority to determine higher education spending.
by Meagan Dorsch
The United States Supreme Court will hear two death penalty cases this term. The Court will examine the constitutionality of the most common method of execution, lethal injection, and answer a categorical question about which crimes are appropriate for the death penalty, specifically if death can be imposed for rape of a child.
In this podcast (4:36), NCSL's Sarah Hammond highlights these cases and other related current issues surrounding capital punishment.
by Meagan Dorsch
In 2000, the state of Florida gained a lot of notoriety during the presidential election.
Fast forward eight years and the Florida state legislature is putting its new election reform package into practice. This new package includes a paper trail for all ballots, election audits and new ways to manage voter registration.
Senator Lee Constantine of Florida gives us some insight into what this new election reform package means to voters, candidates and the state. He also tells us why the state of Florida decided to go ahead with its presidential primary on January 29, instead of waiting until Super Tuesday.
Listen to our podcast with Senator Constantine of Florida (7:40).
by Meagan Dorsch
Although this issue may be number 10 on NCSL's Top Issues Forecast for 2008, it is definitely issue number one for many baby boomers and state legislatures across the country.
Because of the large number of baby boomers expected to retire in the coming years, states have paid increasing attention to the issue of funding state pension plans. Right now, they are listed in good to excellent condition. But for retiree health care costs, however, no easy solutions present themselves.
We sit down with Ron Snell (6:01) director of state services at NCSL, to talk about this issue and what solutions states are bringing to the table in 2008.
You can review all 10 of NCSL Top Legislative Issues or listen to our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
Issue number nine on NCSL's Top 10 Issues Forecast is Protecting the Consumer.
Outbreaks in 2007 of contaminated spinach, peanut butter, and pet food led consumers to be wary of our food safety system. In addition, the recalls of toys from China and the Consumer Product Safety Council's inability to protect consumers from these products created even more concern.
We sit down with NCSL's Doug Farquhar (4:14) to discuss how states are looking at tightening the law surrounding sales of products with lead and what is happening on the federal level with this issue.
You can review all 10 issues on NCSL's Forecast or listen to our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
States are beginning to see what some are calling the direct effects of climate change: elevated temperatures, more severe forest fires, an increase in severe weather, and drought.
While discussion continues to evolve as to the role of human activities in these events, states are taking action to limit the greenhouse gases contributing to the rise in global temperatures.
Water policy is also receiving increased attention in state legislatures as drought and rapid growth in many areas of the country pit competing users and states against each other.
NCSL's Glen Andersen and Larry Morandi sit down to talk about how legislatures could tackle environmental issues during 2008 sessions.
You can track all 10 of NCSL's top legislative issues of 2008 by reading our press release or listening to our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
Does a state law that requires voters to show a government issued identification card before they vote, violate the U.S. constitution? The U.S. Supreme Court is asking that question as it reviews the state of Indiana's voter ID law.
We sit down with Michael Pitts, associate professor of law at Indiana University to talk about how difficult it could be for the Supreme Court to issue a clear ruling in this case and why some states have had voter ID laws challenged in a court of law.
Listen to our podcast (4:54) and log onto NCSL's Elections, Campaigns and Redistricting page for more information about voter identification laws.
by Meagan Dorsch
Did you know one-third of families in the United States has no net worth or is in debt? Gas prices, rising health care costs and adjustable rate mortgages are subjecting more families to serious financial hardship.
As more people see their adjustable rate mortgages increase, many cannot afford the payments, and are at risk of losing their homes. This increase in foreclosures could have an impact on state budgets as property values fluctuate.
Heather Morton and Mary Fairchild with NCSL talk about what policies legislatures are working on to help families. Some include policies to build wealth, while other focus on protecting consumers from predatory lending.
Listen to our podcast on Helping Families, (5:28) issue number seven on NCSL Top 10 Issues Forecast in 2008. You can read about all 10 issues in our press release or listen to our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
Education is always a top issue for state legislatures. It is also high on NCSL's list of top 10 issues state legislatures will deal with in 2008. Education is number six.
Dealing with high school drop outs, retaining teachers and principals, and making college more affordable are three of the top education issues legislatures deal with this year.
Trying to lower the drop out rate could mean making the high school curriculum more challenging for students. In order to retain teachers and principals, schools may have to spend more time dealing with issues of pay and salary. And when it comes to affording a college education, states are looking to identify factors that are driving up costs and exploring new ways to offer financial aid.
You can listen to our podcast (5:24) with NCSL's education group director Julie Bell for more on how states plan to tackle education issues in 2008. For more information on all of NCSL's top 10 issues you can link to our press release or our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
What will voting be like for you and me in 2008? Experts say this year is going to be "interesting" and it has nothing to do with the candidates running for state office or the presidency.
There have been more changes made to America's voting process over the last 8 years than in the past 80 years. And many of those changes will culminate in 2008, such as a new breed of voting technology and voter identification.
Doug Chapin, director of Pew's electionline.org examines the voting process in our country. He talks to NCSL about why the voting process in some states could captivate the country's attention during the presidential primaries and state elections. We also discuss how important it is for candidates to take an interest in America's voter reform act and why a new responsibility is being placed on us, the voters.
Listen to our podcast with Doug Chapin (6:15).
by Meagan Dorsch
The difficulty of insuring the uninsured in America is expected to be a big issue for state legislatures in 2008.
This issue made its way into state houses across the country in 2007. Twenty eight states passed or considered new health care laws or proposals.
State legislatures will also have to deal with the president's veto of SCHIP. Congress could pass a temporary extension for SCHIP funding, but 21 states are expected to have federal funding problems in 2008.
Laura Tobler with NCSL's health program explains in this podcast (5:32) how health care is the single largest portion of state budgets. One in six people are uninsured and millions more are under-insured, which is why this issue is on NCSL's top 10 list.
You can read about all 10 issues in NCSL's press release or listen to our podcast series.
by Meagan Dorsch
We are up to NCSL's fourth issue on its top 10 issues list. Financing America's roads and infrastructure (4:54) is expected to be a hot issue in 2008 legislatures across the country.
Urgency was added to this issue after the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, Minn. last summer.
There is a feeling among lawmakers that the capacity and maintenance of roads, highways and bridges fall short of meeting the nation's transportation needs. Transportation is incredibly vital to all sectors of the economy, connecting people to jobs and allowing products to be shipped worldwide. Motor vehicles travel more than 2.9 trillion miles each year on U.S. highways.
The traditional source of much state transportation funding, the gasoline excise tax, is not keeping pace with highway use. So states are trying to come up with new ideas in order to find funding solutions. States are also trying to compensate for a projected nationwide shortfall in transportation spending. It is estimated to be $1 trillion by 2015.
Click here to learn what other issues made it on NCSL's top 10 forecast, or you can listen to our series of top 10 podcasts.
by Meagan Dorsch
Real ID is the third issue state legislatures are expected to deal with in 2008, according to NCSL's top 10 issues forecast.
Approximately 44 states considered 130 bills related to Real ID in 2007 and 24 states passed resolutions. More state legislatures are expected to pass legislation or deal with Real ID in 2008.
In this podcast, Matt Sundeen with NCSL's transportation program discusses the time line for states to become compliant with REAL ID and what challenges could be in store. The cost of Real ID is a concern for legislatures. Real ID is estimated to be $11 billion over 5 years for states and projections by the federal government are even higher.
In addition to cost, Sundeen talks about lawmakers concerns over privacy and federalism.
Read our press release for a complete list of NCSL's top 10 issues, or listen to our podcasts on state budgets (7:06) and immigration (3:26).
by Meagan Dorsch
Our special podcast series of the top 10 issues facing state legislatures next year continues with a look at immigration policies. Ann Morse, director of NCSL's Immigration Policy Project, explains in today's podcast (3:26) why this issue has remained such an important one for the states.
States debated and approved a record number of bills on the subject last year, while Congress and the administration failed to reach any agreement. Morse summarizes the key areas state looked this year and what is expected for 2008.
Read our press release for the complete list of top 10 issues for 2008. You can also listen to our first podcast on state budgets. (7:06)
by Meagan Dorsch
NCSL is launching its 2nd annual podcast series on our top 10 legislative issues.
It is a 10-part series on what NCSL sees as the top public policy issues state legislatures will debate next year. (Read our press release for the entire list.) Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday over the next few weeks we will provide a podcast featuring an interview with NCSL experts that track those issues.
Our number one issue this year, state budget concerns, kicks off our podcast series (7 minutes, 6 seconds). NCSL's Corina Eckl provides the latest analysis in this podcast on weakening state budgets and how legislatures will deal with the decline in revenue. She also gives perspective on how the slump in the housing sector has impacted 24 states and Puerto Rico.
Later this week, we will take a look at immigration and Real ID.
by Meagan Dorsch
In this edition of The Buzz, Jeremy Meadows with NCSL's state and federal relations division sits down for a one on one interview with Richard Barth, Assistant Secretary for Real ID Implementation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Barth addressed legislators from all 50 states at NCSL's Fall Forum in Phoenix, Arizona. Barth took the opportunity to update lawmakers on the new rules of Real ID. Barth said they will cut down on the cost for states to implement Real ID and give states more flexibility in creating the new forms of identification.
Barth also talks to Meadows about the role NCSL played in representing states as the Real ID rules were being drafted.
To listen to the podcast and hear the latest on Real ID, click here. (19:22). For more information on Real ID, log onto NCSL.
By Meagan Dorsch and Natalie O'Donnell
Many state legislatures are being hit by the baby boomer effect. Retirements could play a huge role in legislatures over the next 10 years. In this edition of The Buzz Natalie O'Donnell with NCSL legislative management program talks to Jim Tamburro, training and development coordinator for the Connecticut General Assembly. They discuss ways to preserve future leadership positions in the legislature and how to avoid putting up the 'help wanted' sign. Listen to the podcast (5:39)
by Meagan Dorsch
In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures Magazine, I sit down with Jennie Bowser, NCSL's expert on the initiative process.
Tuesday, November 6 is a election day in several states. 34 ballot questions will be in front of voters in 6 different states. Some were initiated by voters, other were referred to the ballot by state legislatures.
Listen to our podcast (10:08) to find what the high profile measures are, what measures are a 180 from what is currently on the books and why some ballot measures this year could put you at the ballot box in the future.
**This podcast was taped before the November 6 election. Click here for complete election results.
by Meagan Dorsch
In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures Magazine, we sit down with Lamar Bailey, an education research analyst with NCSL's education division. Lamar has been tracking prayer in schools or moment of silence legislation in states across the country. Are they the same thing? How long does it last? Did something happen to bring this issue back into the spotlight?
Find out the answers to these questions and more by listening to the podcast. You can learn more about how many states have moment of silence legislation on the books. (Podcast 5:58)
by Meagan Dorsch
This edition of The Buzz is an on-line extra to an article written by NCSL's Karl Kurtz in the October/November edition of State Legislatures Magazine.
Kurtz, who edits and writes for The Thicket, wrote an article on how to bring blogging to life. So I sat down and talked with Georgette Deemer, the director of communications for the house of representatives in the state of Hawaii, to discuss Kurtz's article and see if she used any of the same steps in order to get their blog up and running.
Hawaii has only been blogging for about 6 months and Deemer says it is a new way to keep more than the constituents informed. Listen to the podcast to find out step by step how to start your own legislative blog, keep the content fresh, and connect with your readers. Don't forget about Karl Kurtz's article in NCSL's State Legislatures Magazine.
by Meagan Dorsch
In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures podcast, I sit down with five doctors from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia to talk about Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a staph infection resistant to antibiotics.
This "Superbug" gained national media attention after a high school student in Virginia died due to complications from MRSA and several schools across the country shut down to disinfect.
In our podcast, the doctors break down what an MRSA infection is and destroy some myths surrounding it. They also give advice on what we can all do to stay healthy and how legislatures may play a role. Listen to the podcast
The doctors featured will identify themselves before speaking:
By Meagan Dorsch
In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures podcast, I talk with Natalie O'Donnell of NCSL's Legislative Management Program about which legislatures will not be meeting in 2008. Did you know back in 1941, only four states met annually? All other legislatures met biennially.
Over the years, the trend has changed, and today only a few states continue on a biennial schedule. Find out which states they are and what pressures they face when meeting only once every other year. Listen to the podcast (6:!2)
In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures podcast, I talk with Steve Christian, of NCSL's Child Welfare Program, about what he says is a liberalizing trend in state adoption laws. It's becoming easier for nontraditional couples including same-sex couples to adopt children in some states.
Just this session, Colorado passed a law that effectively allows same-sex couples to adopt each other's children. Over the past few years, Christian says, he's seen a shift from states considering laws to ban such adoptions to considering laws that make it possible. In the latter category, civil union laws allow adoption benefits. Listen to the podcast. (9:54)
Poverty in America has something in common with Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter's notorious foe, says Ralph Smith, a vice president at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It's "the thing that can't be named," Smith told an audience of state legislators and legislative staff members on Monday at the NCSL Opportunities for Working Families meeting in Denver.
Many policymakers and others are wary of even discussing poverty, Smith says, for fear that they'll be labeled liberal. Part of the solution, he believes, is talking about this issue and finding common ground. Smith says Republicans and Democrats have already agreed that the pathway out of poverty should be work, and that personal responsibility is part of the solution. Listen to highlights from Smith's comments about poverty. (4:24)
Smith understands that coming to a consensus is not easy. You don't win an election with the slogan: I agree with everything my opponent says; I'm just better looking, he said. Politics forces candidates to make a big deal out of what might be small differences. Then policymaking demands the opposite. Listen to Smith's comments about politics and policy. (1:51)
You can hear Smith's entire speech, and other highlights from the NCSL Opportunities for Working Families meeting at State Legislatures magazine online.
New on NCSL's podcast, The Buzz at State Legislatures, I talk with NCSL elections expert Jennie Drage Bowser about trends in legislation as the presidential campaign ramps up a lot earlier than usual.
More and more states are moving their primaries earlier in the year so they can play a bigger role in the process of deciding which candidates get their party's nomination.
States are also considering bills that would make it more convenient to vote and allow people to vote absentee without an excuse. And some are also looking back to paper ballots. Listen to the podcast. (7:21)
Americans are perfectly comfortable holding two opposing views at the same time, but they resent when someone else points this out to them. So says Celinda Lake, one of two pollsters who spoke on Saturday at the National Conference of State Legislatures' Spring Forum in Washington, D.C.
Lake said immigration, which is the new wedge issue, illustrates this point. Rather than framing this issue as "immigrants are good for you," she said proponents can try this message: "Immigrants are you." Listen to Lake discuss this. (2:00)
Lake is a Democratic pollster who co-wrote What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live with Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway. The women, who disagreed on little during their address, did have different answers to this question: Global warming or gas prices -- which is more important to the American people?
Calling energy policy "the biggest economic opportunity" for states, Lake said Americans are ready to start changing consumption and sources of energy now, so big adjustments would be in place in the next decade. Listen to Lake talk about energy policy. (2:16)
Conway countered that the electorate is more concerned about day-to-day, rather than big picture issues. She used this issue as a springboard into a rant about polling questions and offered advice to lawmakers looking to get good information, rather than high percentages. Listen to Conway's advice. (4:17)
Lake said unmarried voters will be an important category in the 2008 elections, and today, that group is solidly Democrat. So the party faithful might want to refrain from playing matchmaker until 2009.
Conway said both parties would be smart to reach out to two growing groups: small business owners and Asian-Americans. Listen to Conway's reasoning. (2:44)
Iraq is the No. 1 issue for voters now, and on the state level, that means veterans issues are important, Lake said. Conway said the war gives rise to two categories of voters who might feel alienated: pro-war Democrats and anti-war Republicans.
Good principals are the bridge between school improvement efforts and real student learning, education experts said Friday at the National Conference of State Legislatures' Spring Forum in Washington, D.C. State legislators can help create better school leaders by learning about the principal-training programs in their states, enacting policies like standards and licensing to improve those programs, and increasing funding.
President of the Wallace Foundation Christine DeVita talked about why she believes it's important to focus on principals to improve American education. Listen to DeVita (1:33).
Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond presented the results of her new study of effective principal preparation university programs, which outlines what those programs have that others don't. Darling-Hammond said the programs that work recruit participants. They go into schools and invite good teachers to apply. They have high admission standards and robust internships so that principals-to-be get hands-on training from the best role models. They also include continuing education components, among other attributes.
DeVita listed four characteristics of successful school leadership training programs, gleaned from the new Stanford report and other Wallace research and work. Listen to her list (3:46).
Darling-Hammond recommended several "policy levers" state legislators can put in place to help improve the programs in their states. She named Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Connecticut and Delaware as having one or more laws that improved their school leadership training. Hear what those policies are (6:07).
by Bill Wyatt
Immigration reform is complex. Border security, employer enforcement, tuition benefits, health care, education, civic engagement. These are among the various aspects of immigration reform that states are trying to address and that Congress can't seem to get their arms around.
At NCSL's Spring Forum in Washington, D.C., U.S. Representative Charles Rangel (NY) talked about the complexities of the issue.
Given the federal government's failure to enact a comprehensive immigration reform solution, state legislators have been forced to introduced a record number of bills to address immigration and immigrant-related challenges. NCSL's president, Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte, says that states can only do so much.
"It's like we're trying to scale a 12 foot wall with a step stool. The federal government must fix and fund the problem - now," she said.
According to a new analysis of state immigration legislation, at least 1,169 pieces of legislation designed to address immigration or immigrant-related issues have been introduced in all 50 states which is more than twice the total number of bills considered during 2006.
Food Stamps aren't "Food Stamps" in the proposed reauthorization of the Farm Bill, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Mike Johanns told state legislators and legislative staff today at the NCSL Spring Forum in Washington, D.C.
"One of the barriers to increased participation in the Food Stamp program is the stigma associated with the name," Johanns said. "As we modernize the administration of the program, I believe it's time to eliminate the "Food Stamp" program in terms of the name."
Johanns said the administration has goals to increase access in nutrition programs, ensure that taxpayer dollars are used most efficiently and to make Americans healthier. To help achieve these goals, the USDA has proposed renaming Food Stamps the "Food and Nutrition Program." Listen to Johanns discuss this issue and other relevant parts of the Farm Bill reauthorization. (2:46).
Johanns also talked about federal incentives for alternative fuels.
"If someone had told you ten years ago that we'd be growing corn and soybeans to fuel cars, pick ups and trucks, I wonder how much of that we would have believed," he said. "Clean, renewable energy like ethanol and biodeisel allows us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and creates new jobs in rural areas and economic opportunities." Listen to Johanns discuss federal incentives in the Farm Bill. (1:28)
This week on the Buzz at State Legislatures, I speak with Guy Caruso, the administrator of the Energy Information Administration, which is the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy.
He gives a preview of the upcoming Summer Energy Outlook Conference that NCSL will host in Denver on Tuesday, April 17.
Hear how high he thinks gas prices will go, what's driving them up and what innovative energy policies states are pushing. Listen to the podcast. (10:02)
by Bill Wyatt
The federal No Child Left Behind Act was enacted seven years ago over the objections of many state legislators. Improving accountability and raising school standards in and of itself is not controversial. The fact that most states had already invested millions of dollars in established accountability programs that now had to be scrapped was disheartening to many.
Now, as Congress prepares to reauthorize President Bush's signature education policy, members of his own party are calling for significant changes. State legislators spent the better part of two years studying the law and have recommended several key changes and are asking Congress to help them pay for reaching the goals established in No Child Left Behind.
In the latest episode of The Buzz, NCSL's federal education policy expert, David Shreve, talks about some of the concerns states have and offers suggestions on how to make the law more effective.
by Bill Wyatt
The State Children's Health Insurance Program, a state-federal partnership, is in jeopardy of running out of money in many states. Congress is currently debating the future of the program which has provided health coverage for over six million children.
Since its enactment ten years ago, all 50 states have created their own children's health insurance programs to meet the needs of children who are not eligible for Medicaid but do not otherwise have health insurance. Recently, many states have revisited their programs in an attempt to reach more children.
In this latest episode of The Buzz, Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte discusses the key component of SCHIP that has lead to the program's success - state flexibility.
