The Thicket at State Legislatures

Same-Sex Marriage. Where do states stand?

by Meagan Dorsch

This has been a big year for the topic of same-sex marriage in state legislatures across the country.

Six states have legalized same-sex marriages, but in at least one state, the law could be challenged.

In this edition of The Buzz, we sit down with NCSL's Christine Nelson to get an update on state legislative activity, learn what the next step could be for California and what smaller steps have been taken at the federal level.

We also discuss public opinion polls on same-sex marriage and what those numbers could mean to lawmakers.

Has this issued peaked in state legislatures? Listen to our podcast (8:43) to find out.

The Buzz: States Hit a 'Home Run'

by Michelle Blackston

NCSL and states scored a major victory when President Barack Obama released guidelines regarding federal agencies and departments establishing new rules and regulations. The president, in his memo to agency executives, said federal agencies must avoid preempting state laws without a sound legal basis to do so.

In this podcast, Senior Federal Affairs Counsel Michael Bird in the Washington, D.C., office discusses the enormity of this memo and what it means moving forward not only for states, but also for the federal agencies that set regulations. The issue of federal preemption of state laws has been a top 10 policy issue for NCSL and is a big win for states. Listen to our podcast (5:23) and click on "Dateline Washington" at www.ncsl.org for the latest State-Federal news from NCSL.

Death Penalty is Still an Issue for State Legislatures

by Meagan Dorsch

New Mexico has become the most recent state to abolish its death penalty. This brings the total number of states with the death penalty to 35. New Mexico is the second state to abolish capital punishment since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976; New Jersey did so in December, 2007.

A little more than a year ago, we sat down with NCSL's Sarah Hammond, to discuss the activity surrounding the death penalty at the federal level. While there was a narrowing of the death penalty in recent years at the federal level, the majority of activity this year was seen in the states. Eight states total introduced measures to abolish the death penalty during the 2009 legislative session.

Listen to our podcast (8:49) to learn some of the factors states might be considering when proposing legislation to abolish the death penalty, what happens if a states does change their law on capital punishment and why the federal government has said they have taken some of their leads on this issue from states.

Voting Overseas

by Meagan Dorsch

It is difficult for Americans overseas to vote. Today, many military and overseas voters face an obstacle course of state and local regulations that often delay receipt and processing of both their registration forms and absentee ballots.

Back in 2006, only 26.5 percent of the nearly one million ballots requested by military and Americans living overseas were actually cast and counted. In a recent report by the Pew Center on the States, researchers found that one-third of all states do not provide enough time for military personnel stationed overseas to vote, and as many as half of all states need to improve their absentee voting process to ensure the votes of servicemen and women abroad will be counted.

In this edition of The Buzz, we discuss this very issue with Tom Intorcio, a policy specialist at NCSL. In this podcast (12:35), Tom discusses the steps legislatures are taking to ensure that every vote cast in an election will count, and why 2010 could be a big test for states.

Recently, absentee voting for military and overseas citizens has become a hot topic in legislatures across the country. In fact, back in March, the governor of Virginia signed legislation that authorizes elections officials to send blank absentee ballots by email to military and overseas voters and their families who are located outside the Commonwealth. However, the bill maintains the requirement that the voted ballot must be returned by mail. For more information on legislation to help military and overseas voters, please go here.

Texting While Driving Can Spell D-A-N-G-E-R

by Meagan Dorsch

The popularity and availability of cellular phone technology make it possible for anyone, anywhere, to be connected. In June 2005, about 57.2 billion text messages were sent in the United States. By 2008, that number skyrocketed to 600.5 billion. Many are concerned, however, that
sending text messages while driving is a traffic safety danger.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute say driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes. Because texting while driving is a relatively new activity, few studies have attempted to measure the distraction it causes.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance conducted a survey of 1,500 drivers. Nearly 40 percent of the teenagers and young adults surveyed admitted they send and receive text messages while driving. In the same study, 45 percent of all people surveyed reported they have nearly been hit by someone using a cell phone.

As of January 2009, eight states prohibit all drivers from texting while driving.

In this edition of The Buzz, we talk with Anne Teigen, transportation policy expert at the National Conference of State Legislatures about the dangers of texting while driving. Listen to our podcast (6:40) and learn why this type of distracted driving is catching the eye of law enforcement and legislatures.

Women Serving in State Legislatures

by Meagan Dorsch

Do you know how many women serve in state legislatures? The number continues to rise.

March is Women's History Month and we sat down with Katie Ziegler, policy specialist with the Women's Legislative Network at the National Conference of State Legislatures, to talk about the number of women who serve in state legislatures across the country.  

In this edition of The Buzz, Katie talks about the ratio of women to men in state legislatures, the difference in the number of Democrat vs. Republican women serving and what states have the highest and lowest number of women in office.

Listen to our podcast (6:42) and find why women in office is good for state legislatures.

Climate Change:The Possible Costs to States

by Meagan Dorsch

While the debate rages on about how to protect the planet, the changing climate may threaten some states' economies. 

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER) at the University of Maryland have worked together to develop State Economic and Environmental Costs of Climate Change reports. The reports summarize the climatic changes affecting a range of states, the potential fiscal impact and the affect of any future climate changes. The findings for twelve states were released by NCSL and CIER in 2008. 

We sit down with NCSL's Glen Anderson to discuss these reports and what action states are taking to deal with possible changes in the climate. Scientists say global temperatures have risen about 1° F during the past century and are expected to increase between 3° F to 7° F by the end of this century. Glen explains how the changing climate may be costly for states. Farming, forestry, water resources, tourism and transportation could suffer losses. Costs are likely to vary, depending on the location of the state and the sectors upon which the state’s economy relies.

Listen to our podcast (9:36) and find out how states are implementing policies to address climate change and environmental sustainability.

Community Supervision of Offenders

by Meagan Dorsch

As states struggle to balance their budgets, many states are looking at allowing offenders who break the rules of their probation/parole to serve time in the community and preserve expensive prison beds for more dangerous criminals. 

Nationwide, 35 percent of all state prison admissions in 2006 were for offenders who violated their parole, not for new convictions, according to the most recent figures from the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. California led the nation: nearly two-thirds of its prison admissions were attributed to parole violations.

In this edition of The Buzz, Alison Lawrence, a criminal justice expert with The National Conference of State Legislatures, explains the three broad approaches states have developed to handle violations and what strategies state lawmakers are using to hold offenders accountable for breaking the rules of probation or parole.

NCSL has identified corrections and sentencing as one of the Top 9 Issues legislatures across the country will face during the 2009 legislative session.

Listen to our podcast(8:03) and read Alison Lawrence's Probation and Parole Violations: State Responses report. 

Do Fewer School Days = More Savings?

by Meagan Dorsch

When times are tough for state budgets, legislators sometimes cut  K-12 education funds as a way to save money.

But several states have been trying to help school budgets by giving school districts the flexibility to lengthen the school day, while cutting  back on the number of days that kids attend school each week.

The idea of a four-day school week is gaining ground in many states. 18 states have schools currently on a four-day week and 5 states have introduced legislation to move in that direction.

In this edition of The Buzz, we sit down with Ashley Wallace, senior policy specialist in the National Conference of State Legislatures' education program. Ashley explains why more states are looking into this option, how four-day school weeks operate and why this plan can draw criticism.

Listen to our podcast (7:02) and always log onto NCSL for more information.

Accidential Injuries Can Cost States

by Meagan Dorsch

Injuries are the leading cause of death for people age 1 to 44.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one year's worth of injuries has an estimated lifetime cost of $406 billion
in medical expenses and lost productivity. Nearly 50 million injuries occur each year, placing a staggering burden on the U.S. health care system. State budgets share this burden through Medicaid, state employee health benefits, health care for the uninsured, child welfare services, and lost tax revenue from the injured and their caregivers.

In this edition of The Buzz, Megan Forman of NCSL joins us to talk about unintentional injuries. These are caused by falls, poisoning and motor vehicle crashes. Violence-
related injuries result from homicide, domestic violence, and child abuse. All are
preventable.

Megan also explains why states share in the cost of preventable injuries and what you can do to keep yourself safe.

Listen to our podcast (4:06) and follow NCSL on Twitter.