The Thicket at State Legislatures

Don't Guess, Be Sure! Call a Poison Control Center

by Michelle Blackston

Have you hugged a toxicologist today? It’s Poison Prevention Week.

President John Kennedy authorized the week, March 15-21 is the time of year to highlight poison prevention and potential poison risks back in 1961. Education and outreach activities typically are scheduled in day care centers and schools across the country.

The awareness and prevention strategies appear to be working: poisoning deaths for children under the age of 5 have dropped from a high of 216 in 1972 to just 34 in 2007, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Poison Control Centers are a valuable resource to states. They take calls 24 hours a day via the National Poison Center Toll-Free hotline 800-222-1222. It’s valuable for consumers as well as state legislatures, particularly in tight budget times and with the rising costs of health care. It’s estimated that every dollar spent on Poison Control Centers saves $7 in health care costs. A call to a poison center might just save the health care system the cost of a visit to an emergency room.

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.

S.T.E.M. - The Key to Our Country's Future?

by Meagan Dorsch

In a global economy, many argue that America needs to emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in its schools.

Several states are starting to focus on making STEM a priority in education across the country.

In this edition of The Buzz at State Legislatures Magazine, we sit down with Heather Chikoore, an education policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Heather explains how strong skills in science, technology, engineering and math could help our country remain a economic player in the global economy.

In this podcast (3:39), you will learn what action legislatures have taken, what incentives states are using to get students involved in STEM careers and how far we need to go as a country in order to close the STEM gap.