NCSL Podcasts

Wildfire, Utilities and Mitigation Plans | OAS Episode 223 Nov 17, 2024

Massive wildfires in the U.S. have caused widespread damage in recent decades. The Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas this year, the Marshall Fire in Colorado in 2021 and a series of fires in California in 2020 that were the worst in the state's history are just a few examples. Over the past few decades, the U.S. has spent more than a billion dollars annually to fight wildfires, including $3.5 billion in 2022.

In the past few years, legislators concerned about this trend have asked utilities to provide disaster mitigation plans. In Washington state last year, bipartisan legislation was enacted that requires utilities to provide wildfire mitigation plans for legislators to review.

Rep. Kristine Reeves (D) of Washington state joined the podcast to discuss the origin of the legislation in her state and why it's important for legislators to review and understand the steps utilities are taking to reduce the risk of wildfires, particularly in Western states.

Also joining the podcast was Anne Sherwood, area vice president for wildfire mitigation for Xcel Energy, a utility that operates in eight states. She explained how utilities are using wildfire mitigation plans to try to prevent wildfires and also to better manage the effect on utilities when fires do start.

Tackling Affordability and Outcomes in Higher Education | OAS Episode 222 Nov 03, 2024

Recent polls find that many Americans have declining confidence in higher education, in large part because of the levels of student debt, the cost of college and concerns about uneven student outcomes.

To better understand these challenges, NCSL formed a Task Force on Higher Education Affordability and Student Outcomes in 2022. The group has now issued its report. The co-chairs of the task force – Senators Ann Millner (R) of Utah and Michael Dembrow (D) of Oregon – talked with us about what they discovered. Also on the show is Austin Reid of NCSL, a federal affairs adviser in the Washington D.C., office, who worked with the task force.

Reid explained the genesis of the task force and the importance of trying to better coordinate the efforts of state government, the federal government and institutions of higher education.

Dembrow and Millner explained how the bipartisan group of legislators on the task force came to understand the importance of a degree of value. The also expressed hope that the task force’s work will lead to greater coordination between state and federal officials.

Resources

Election 2024: State Legislative Races and Ballot Measures | Oct. 27, 2024 Oct 27, 2024

On this episode, we sat down with two election experts from NCSL to discuss the state legislative races and statewide ballot measures in the Nov. 5 election.

Ben Williams, NCSL’s associate director of Elections and Redistricting, discussed the 5,508 legislative seats on ballots in 44 states, more than 78% of all legislative seats nationwide. He also explained how the outcomes could affect legislative control in the states, overall state control and veto-proof majorities in some states.

Helen Brewer with NCSL explained the range of topics covered by the more than 150 statewide ballot measures voters will decide. She discussed the large number of abortion-related measures and others uses such election administration, taxes, criminal justice and education.

Resources

NCSL State Elections 2024

NCSL at 50: Evolution of the Legislature | OAS Episode 220 Oct 20, 2024

This is one of the series of shows this year and next reflecting on the 50th anniversary of NCSL. For this episode, our focus is the legislative institution and how today’s legislatures evolved over the last 400 years.

Guests include historian Pev Squire, who sketches out how legislatures developed both from the colonial assemblies and from the territorial legislatures. We also spoke with three people who have spent considerable time in legislatures and given a great deal of thought to the institution itself— Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Raul Burciaga, who recently retired as director of the New Mexico Legislative Council Service. They reflected on where the institution is now and the challenges it will face in the next 50 years.

Resources

NCSL Marks 50 Years of Service to State Legislatures, NCSL

Legislatures Focused on AI in 2024 | OAS Episode 219 Sep 29, 2024

Artificial intelligence, most broadly thought of as the use of computer systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, is being employed in a wide array of ways, from self-driving cars to health care. But concerns about the potential misuse and unintended consequences of AI is prompting legislatures around the country to study the issue and in many cases, pass legislation.

In 2024, NCSL is tracking more than 400 pieces of legislation related to AI. This year at least 45 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C., introduced AI bills, and 31 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands adopted resolutions or enacted legislation.

Our three guests on this episode offer a look at AI’s legislative impact. Chelsea Canada from NCSL, who tracks state legislation around the country related to AI, is one of our guests and she explained the breadth of the legislation proposed in the states and also noted a trend in some states toward comprehensive AI laws focused on consumer protection.

Our other guests are Sen. Shelley Hughes (R) of Alaska, who worked this year to move a comprehensive bill through the legislature but was unsuccessful. She explained her bill and her hopes for its passage in the next session.

Our third guest is Colorado Rep. Manny Rutinel (D). He was one of the House sponsors of a successful bill focused on consumer protection and trying to remove discriminatory results from the use of AI.

Resources

The Debate Over Weight-Loss Drugs | OAS Episode 218 Sep 08, 2024

A class of drugs that are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity are becoming increasingly popular as a weight-loss drug. However, the high cost of these GLP-1 drugs—the annual list price is around $12,000—has posed a dilemma for states as they decide whether to cover the drugs in their own state health plans, Medicaid and possibly require private insurers to cover the drugs.

On this episode, we get perspectives from three people involved in the debate: Kristen Niakan, a pharmacy management consultant with the actuarial and consulting firm Milliman; North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell (R); and Colorado Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D).

Niakan explained the background of these drugs, who's using them, the costs involved, and the insurance coverage landscape across the country. Folwell walked through the decision in his state not to cover GLP one drugs for the state's employee health plan, and also discussed a separate decision in his state to extend coverage of the drugs to Medicaid recipients. Michaelson Jenet discussed her efforts to pass legislation that would've required all private insurance companies and the state Medicaid program in Colorado to provide coverage for the treatment of the chronic disease of obesity and the treatment of pre-diabetes, including FDA approved anti-obesity medication.

Resources

A Lesson in Civics | OAS Episode 217 Aug 18, 2024

Americans of all ages do not score well on surveys of civic knowledge. One recent survey found a large majority of respondents could not pass a basic civics literacy test and another indicated a third of respondents could not name all three branches of government. And testing of eighth graders in the U.S. and other industrialized countries also reported a decline in civics proficiency.

The vast majority of states, however, do require at least one course in civics and every state has some form of civics education. On this podcast, guest Tammy Wehrle, the legislative education and outreach officer in the Wisconsin State Legislature, talked about what she’s learned about the state of civics education.

Wehrle, who was a classroom educator and holds a doctorate, oversees a variety of programs in the legislature that can involve kids as young as 12. She thinks there is real value in young people seeing the legislature from the inside and understanding the range of roles necessary to run the legislature.

Resources

Civics Education at NCSL
Senate Scholar Program, Wisconsin State Legislature
Staff Snapshots | Tammy Wehrle, NCSL

NCSL Turns 50 | OAS Episode 216 Aug 04, 2024

This podcast is the first of several to observe the 50th anniversary of NCSL. The organization has been an integral part of the change in state legislations over the last half century. NCSL provides research to the states on myriad public policy topics, offers a unified voice in Washington where it lobbies on behalf of the states, and serves as a convener of scores of meetings every year in person and virtually to help legislators and legislative staff from across the nation share ideas and solutions. On this episode we track the development of legislatures over the last 400 years and talk with a range of guests about the role of legislatures in the jigsaw puzzle of American governance.

Our guests include political scientist Don Kettl; former NCSL staffer Karl Kurtz; Sabrina Lewellen, assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate and current staff chair at NCSL; Bill Pound, longtime NCSL executive director; historian Pev Squire, former NCSL staffer Brian Weberg; and Natalie Wood, NCSL’s vice president of policy and research.

Oregon Campaign Finance Reform ATA Episode 15 Jul 28, 2024

After a tsunami of campaign spending on the 2022 governor’s race in Oregon – a record-breaking $70 million – a broad coalition and lawmakers worked together to pass the state’s first campaign finance reform this spring. Legislators scrambled during a short 5-week session to keep everyone at the table. Otherwise, it was shaping up to be a costly and confusing fight over campaign finance reform at the ballot box this fall with two competing measures. This episode of Across the Aisle examines how it came together.

The Role of Data Centers in Rising Energy Demand | OAS Episode 215 Jul 21, 2024

Data centers, the increasing use of AI and reindustrialization in some parts of the country are driving a big increase in energy demand that concerns officials at all levels of government. State legislators in particular, are concerned about the ability of their state utilities to meet that growing demand and the effect on the price residential and business customers pay for energy.

We sat down with two experts on data centers to find out what’s coming in the next several years. Our guests are David Porter, vice president of electrification and sustainable energy strategy at the Electric Power Research Institute or EPRI, and Mukul Anand, global director at Johnson Controls dealing with data center cooling and energy management.

Porter explained the range of energy demand scenarios and the very significant demand that will be put on both the generation and transmission of power in the next several years. Anand discussed the work he does to help data centers explore alternative energy sources and find innovative ways to dissipate the extraordinary amount of heat generated by the racks of servers in the centers. He also expects a tremendous increase in power demand and suggests more planning may be needed to be ready.

Resources

Powering Intelligence: Analyzing Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Energy Consumption, EPRI

What I Wish I Knew | OAS Episode 214 Jul 14, 2024

This is the third of a three-episode series exploring the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in legislatures and how it affected state legislative staff.

We sat down with Jill Reinmuth, staff director for the Office of Program Research in the Washington House; Eric Nauman, principal fiscal analyst for the Minnesota Senate; and Sabrina Lewellen, assistant Secretary of the Arkansas Senate and the current NCSL staff chair.

The three legislative staff leaders discussed how procedures changed in the aftermath of the pandemic, what they learned personally about leadership and how their staff performed under the extraordinary challenges of the health emergency.

Resources

Lessons Learned: Legislative Staff and the Pandemic, NCSL's OAS podcast
Dr. Melissa Furman on the Pandemic and the Workplace, NCSL's OAS podcast

Where Transit and Housing Meet | OAS Episode 213 Jun 23, 2024

Housing historically has been a local issue that was handled by cities and counties. The rising crisis of housing cost and availability, however, has brought more attention from state governments. States have enacted more than 700 laws in 2022 and 2023 related to housing.

The focus of this podcast is the nexus of housing and transportation, and particularly transit-oriented development. We sat down with Cameron Rifkin, a policy expert at NCSL who tracks housing legislation, and Doug Shinkle, who heads NCSL’s transportation program, to discuss housing, transportation and the efforts by state legislators to take on challenges in both those areas.

They discussed the types of legislation passed, how some states have passed legislation directly addressing transit-oriented development and why parking requirements for housing developments are sparking conflict.

Resources

Characteristics of Middle Housing, Missing Middle Housing
Economic Mobility Enacted Legislation Database, NCSL
Expanding Affordable Housing Opportunities: Zoning and Land Use Case Studies, Bipartisan Policy Center
Housing and Homelessness Legislation Database, NCSL
“Housing and Homelessness Toolkit,” NCSL
“Increasing the Housing Supply by Reducing Costs and Barriers,” NCSL
“Middle Housing: Filling a Gap in Available Housing Options,” NCSL
A Series of Policy Briefs on Zoning, Land Use, and a Solution to the Nation’s Housing Shortage, American Enterprise Institute
Transit-Oriented Development, Federal Transit Administration

Making Higher Education Accountable | OAS Episode 212 Jun 16, 2024

Enrollment in higher education has been on the decline for a decade, and research indicates a growing skepticism about the value of higher education. In response, many state legislatures have enacted laws aimed at creating greater accountability in higher education.

To explore the issue, we sat down with Brian Bridges, the secretary of higher education in New Jersey, to discuss legislation passed in that state. A 2021 bill established new requirements for academic programs including sufficient academic quality, evidence of labor market demand, lack of duplication, and requirements for additional state resources. Another bill in 2022 created performance quality standards for career-oriented programs and required the higher education secretary to develop minimum standards for state programs.

Also on the program is Andrew Smalley, a higher education policy expert at NCSL, who discussed the trend in state legislation and what the statistics tell us about the value of higher education.

Resources

Postsecondary Bill Tracking Database, NCSL
“Nondegree Credential Framework,” NCSL

Melissa Furman on the Pandemic and the Workplace | OAS Episode 211 Jun 02, 2024

Melissa Furman is a trainer, coach, and consultant to professionals and businesses who's worked with legislative staff. Furman was a college professor and Dean before founding her firm Career potential. Her expertise includes generational diversity, emotional intelligence and leadership.

She's the guest on the podcast, the second in a series focused on legislative staff, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it changed the workplace. She addressed the persistent problem of burnout in the workplace, how leadership was critical to success during the pandemic, and some lessons to take away from the emergency.

Resources

Career Potential

The Evolution of the ADA | OAS Episode 210 May 19, 2024

The Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990, but who and what it covers has evolved over the decades. Behavioral health issues, long COVID or other conditions that substantially limit one or more major life activities can fall under the ADA.

Joining the podcast are Eve Hill, one of the nation’s top disability rights lawyers and the policy and legislative counsel for the U.S. Department of Labor’s State Exchange on Employment & Disability or SEED, and Nevada Assemblywoman Tracy Brown-May, who has worked on numerous initiatives to aid those with disabilities. Both joined the podcast to discuss the current state of the ADA.

Hill explained how interpretation of the law has changed since the early ’90s when she started her law career, how it has been further altered by legislation and the substantial role state legislators can take in their states around the issue. Note that’s Hill’s personal observations do not represent those of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Brown-May explained how her background working with people with disabilities has informed her legislative efforts and her experience with fellow lawmakers who come to her for advice on how to address a disability-related issue in legislation.

Resources

Assemblywoman Tract Brown-May, Nevada Legislature
Eve Hill, Brown, Goldstein and Levy
State Exchange on Employment & Disability, U.S. Department of Labor

Lessons Learned: Legislative Staff and the Pandemic | OAS Episode 209 May 05, 2024

This podcast kicks off Legislative Staff Week, an annual NCSL effort to focus on legislative staff. This episode is part of three-podcast services focused on legislative staff that will roll out over the next couple of months.

Our guests include Sabrina Lewellen, assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate and the current NCSL staff chair; Anne Sappenfield, director of the Wisconsin Legislative Council; and Jay Hartz, director of the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. All three joined to talk about the long-term effects of the pandemic and how their institutions coped with the emergency.

They talked about how their institutions were affected, some of the innovations staff devised to cope with the emergency and some of the lasting changes resulting from the pandemic. There was even discussion of how a stack of table, a laptop and a camera helped ensure transparent government.

RESOURCES

Legislative Staff homepage, NCSL

New Career Paths for Young People | OAS Episode 208 Apr 21, 2024

College enrollment among young people has been in a steady decline, according to research from Pew. Some indicators show young people increasingly turning toward apprenticeships and other work-based learning and credential programs that help them get a good job.

Indiana and Maryland have been leaders in the field and on this podcast, we sat down with two legislators intimately involved in the issue--Rep. Bob Behning (R-Ind.) and Sen. Malcolm Augustine (D-Md.)

Behning said participation in an NCSL study group helped inform legislation he has pursued to ensure more options for youth employment and to destigmatize technical education. Augustine explained the approach Maryland has taken to youth employment and the role of the Maryland Apprenticeship 2030 Commission in shaping future efforts.

Resources

Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, Maryland Public Schools
Nondegree Credential State Policy Framework, NCSL
Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship, State of Indiana
Strategies for Youth Employment, NCSL

Kentucky Momnibus Tackles High Maternal Death Rate | Episode 14 Apr 17, 2024

Public health officials and lawmakers in Kentucky had been trying to address the complex issue of maternal mortality for years. Rep. Kimberly Moser had long been a neonatal and intensive care nurse, and knew the struggles around maternal health in the state. Lawmakers had taken steps in past sessions, but last year when the latest numbers came out, Moser decided it was time to bring the best minds together to finally improve the odds for Kentucky mothers and babies. The result of months of research and discussion yielded a range of solutions in a bill dubbed the “Momnibus.”

Checking in on State Budgets | OAS Episode 207 Apr 07, 2024

It's budget season and in the 46 states that start the new fiscal year on July 1, people are hard at work getting their budgets ready. Those state operating budgets amount to more than a trillion dollars a year.

But what exactly does getting the budget ready entail? To discuss that, we sat down with Krista Lee Carsner, the executive director of the Fiscal Review Committee for the Tennessee General Assembly and the president of the National Association of Legislative Fiscal Offices.

She explained the importance of accurate revenue forecasts, how the budget hearing process works on both the executive and legislative sides of state government and how individual legislators can get a say in the budget process.

Our second guest on this podcast was Erica MacKellar, a fiscal policy expert with NCSL. She broke down the fiscal condition of the states, how they're coping in the post pandemic period and how revenue projections are very much on the mind of those crafting state budgets.

Resources

FY 2025 State Budget Status, NCSL
VIDEO: State Budgets and Taxes, NCSL

Tackling fees and Fines in the Court System | OAS Episode 206 Mar 31, 2024

Cities, states, courts and district attorneys’ offices levy fines and fees on defendants at nearly every stage of the criminal justice system. Fines and fees are often used to finance essential functions of the court and as a deterrent for people from committing future offenses.

In recent years, critics have argued that fines and fees used to fund the judiciary create a perverse incentive for judges to impose more fees. Another target for critics are jurisdictions that use criminal justice fees as revenue generators. For those with few resources, fines and fees stemming from traffic tickets and criminal convictions can perpetuate a cycle of poverty.

A significant state legislative trend has been to limit the number and amount of fines and fees in the justice system or abolish them altogether.

Our two guests on this episode both sponsored successful legislation in their states to abolish fees and fines for juveniles. Rep. Sean Lynn, a Democrat from Delaware, and Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, a Republican from Montana, talked about why they got involved in this policy area and the changes they want to see in their states.

Resources

States, Feds Work Together to Prevent Overdoses | OAS Episode 205 Mar 17, 2024

Overdose deaths from all drugs, including opioids, have risen to more than 110,000 in the 12-month period that ended last September. The vast majority of those deaths near 80% involved fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

State legislatures have been active in passing legislation to address the crisis and enacting more than 180 bills in 2022 and 2023, most of them focusing on harm reduction strategies such as medication-assisted treatment. However, the number of deaths remain stubbornly high.

On this podcast, we sat down with Michelle Putnam from the Division of Overdose Prevention at the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Charlie Severance-Medaris, who tracks state policy related to drug overdose prevention for NCSL.

Putnam discussed the steps her office is taking to understand the patterns of drug use and overdoses and working with local public health departments to better equip them to deal with the situation. She also talked about the frustration faced by state and local officials, families, law enforcement, and others at the ongoing death toll despite decades of efforts to control illegal drugs.

Severance-Medaris discussed the trends in legislation aimed at addressing the drug overdose problem and whether states may change their approach.

Resources

States Take Up Social Media Regulation | Episode 13 Feb 25, 2024

State legislatures in blue and red states are taking up measures to protect children on social media, especially because Congress has been unable to agree on solutions and the evidence of harm to young users continues to mount. It's a complicated problem and most of the states' laws are being challenged in court by a trade association and other groups who believe they are unconstitutional.

States and the Deployment of New Electric Transmission Lines | OAS Episode 204 Feb 18, 2024

A key part of modernizing the nation’s electric grid involves adding long-distance transmission lines, the power lines that carry electricity over hundreds of miles.

To better understand this critical part of the electrical infrastructure, we sat down with Melissa Birchard, a senior adviser in the Grid Deployment Office of the U.S. Department of Energy. The office was created in 2022 to work on a variety of issues related to the electrical grid and, in particular, integrating power from new renewable energy projects.

Melissa talked about some of the issues involved particularly in the planning and siting of transmission lines. She explained the need for new transmission lines to bring renewable energy from remote areas of the country to the cities and towns where it’s needed.

Our other guest is Alex McWard from NCSL, who tracks legislation related to the state role in transmission line planning and siting. He discussed the role of state legislatures in transmission projects and in working with other states on regional projects.

Resources

Exploring Federalism | OAS Episode 203 Feb 04, 2024

Federalism is the foundational structure of our nation’s government. The dynamic sharing of power among federal, state and local governments is the key to understanding American governance in the view our guest on this podcast, Don Kettl, professor emeritus and the former dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an expert on federalism.

Kettl, who is the author of more than two dozen books and also writes a monthly column for Governing, joined the podcast to discuss the current state of power sharing between the state and federal governments. He explained why he thinks states increasingly are the center of domestic policymaking, talked about the power relationship between legislatures and governors, and how he expects the balance of federalism to shift in the coming decades.

Texas Senator Breaks Records in Bipartisan Style | Episode 12 Jan 28, 2024

Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini has broken state records by a long shot. She has cast more than 72-thousand consecutive votes. She has had a perfect attendance record—except that one time she skipped on purpose to make a point. She has passed 1,388 bills—more than any other legislator in Texas history. All with bipartisan support—no matter who was in the majority. After becoming the first Hispanic woman elected to the Senate in 1986, the Democrat will become Dean of the Senate as the most senior member this session.

Exploring Innovative Paths to Pay for College | OAS Episode 202 Jan 21, 2024

Paying for college and other post-secondary education continues to be a challenge for many. Already, 44 million Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan balances. At the same time, there's strong evidence that lifetime earnings increase for those who attend and complete college or other post-secondary education.

The guests for this podcast are Ethan Pollack , a senior director at Jobs for the Future, a national nonprofit aimed at expanding economic opportunity, and Andrew Smalley, an education policy expert at NCSL.

Pollack discussed a number of innovative financing strategies involving philanthropic organizations, employers, government and financial institutions that offer the promise of helping students pay for their education at a lower cost. And in some instances that better scale the cost to the potential earnings of the graduate.

Smalley explained the steps states are taking to help facilitate these innovative approaches and also broke down what most students and families pay for post-secondary education.

Resources

A 2024 Legislative Preview | OAS Episode 201 Jan 07, 2024

Tim Storey, NCSL’s CEO, joined the podcast to discuss the year ahead in legislatures and what we can expect in policy and politics in 2024.

Storey said most state budgets will start the year in excellent shape, though legislators will continue to cast a cautious eye on economic conditions. He also pointed out that it’s important to keep in mind that 2024 is an election year and that tends to influence what happens in legislatures, including what is often a somewhat less active legislative agenda than you usually see in the first half of a two-year session.

Storey expects concerns about technology, especially artificial intelligence, to be high on the priority list. Housing challenges and the fentanyl overdose crisis are also likely to get a great deal of attention in most legislatures. At least some legislatures also are likely to look at legislation affecting migrants, especially in light of inaction at the federal level. And, of course, education and health care, two big budget items for states, also will get considerable attention.

Resources

Special Report: A Look at 2024’s Trending Legislative Topics

Getting Ready for Primary Season | OAS Episode 200 Dec 17, 2023

While many voters may think of primaries as the warmup act for the general election, many races in this country at the local, state and federal level are decided by primaries. By some estimates, fewer than 40 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are actually competitive between the parties. In most districts, whoever wins the primary in the dominant party wins the general election.

The 2024 primaries are right around the corner so on this podcast, we sat down with Ben Williams, an elections expert at NCSL, to talk about the different types of primaries and why primaries are so important. Williams explained the different approaches states take to the primary system and some of the election history that brought us to this system we now use. He also discussed NCSL’s recent publication, “The State’s Primary Toolkit,” that includes extensive background information on primaries’ changes in states since 2000 and a great deal more.

Resources

State Primaries Toolkit

Remote Work and State Tax Systems | OAS Episode 199 Dec 03, 2023

The popularity of remote work soared during the pandemic, but only for those is some jobs, particularly tech focused or computer-based jobs. While exact figures are not available, some estimates are that more than 25% of the workforce still is working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement, where employees spend some time in the office and some working remotely. That’s a decline from the pandemic but still a significant portion of the workforce.

On this episode, we explore the tax ramifications for states of remote work. We’re joined by Charlie Kearns, a tax attorney, and James Privette, until recently a legislative specialist in NCSL’s Washington, D.C., office.

They discussed how remote work affects personal income taxes and business taxes, and how states are responding to the changing landscape. They also had suggestions for learning more about the issue.

Resources

NCSL Legislator Police Academy Sparks Bipartisanship | ATA Ep. 11 Nov 27, 2023

NCSL’s yearlong Legislator Police Academy brought together lawmakers from very different backgrounds to work across the aisle and across the country on policy topics related to police accountability. In this episode, we learn how the legislators put aside seemingly insurmountable differences and, with patience and constructive conversation, discovered plenty of common ground.

Emergency Medicine in Rural America | OAS Episode 198 Nov 19, 2023

Emergency medical services face significant challenges in rural America. Just one is the time it takes to summon an ambulance. While most people living in urban and suburban areas expect an ambulance to show up within minutes of making a 911 call, the situation is very different for about 4.5 million Americans who live in ambulance deserts, according to a nation study conducted by Maine Rural Health Research Center and the Rural Health Research & Policy Centers. Those folks can expect to wait 25 minutes or more for emergency services to arrive.

We sat down with two experts on the subject -- Dia Gainor, executive director of National Association of State EMS Officials, and Davis Patterson, director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center at University of Washington—to discuss that and other challenges to EMS in rural areas. Other issues they discussed included the severe workforce challenges in staffing rural EMS services, the role of legislatures in addressing rural EMS needs and the promise of community paramedicine in addressing both emergency and nonemergency care in rural areas.

RESOURCES

Ambulance Deserts: Addressing Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services, Rural Health Research Gateway (May 2023)
Beyond 911: Expanding the Primary Care Role of First Responders through Community Paramedicine
Community Paramedicine: Connecting Patients to Care and Reducing Costs
EMS Legislative Database
The EMS and Community Paramedic Workforces Respond to COVID-19, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center (June 2023)
The National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials
State Actions To Address EMS Workforce Shortages
You might need an ambulance, but your state may not see it as ‘essential,’ Stateline (September 2023)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Understanding the Drivers of Health Care Costs | OAS Episode 197 Nov 05, 2023

Health care costs in the U.S. over the last 20 years have grown faster than the cost of other goods and services. Commercial health care costs, which include about half the health care market, have grown faster than Medicaid and Medicare spending.

Our guest on this episode is Alyssa Vangeli, a senior consultant with Bailit Health, a consulting firm in Massachusetts where she works with states to provide health policy analysis and consulting around the commercial health market. Vangeli explained what's driving the increase in costs, which segments of the health care economy are seeing the greatest cost increases, and the efforts by the federal and state governments to better understand the cost drivers and try to contain them. She also offered examples of what different states are doing and the success of those efforts.

Resources

Bruce Mehlman on Politics, PowerPoints and the New Gilded Age | LTIS Episode 24 Oct 29, 2023

On this episode, Tim Storey sat down with Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, a D.C-based bipartisan lobbying firm whose clients include Walmart, AARP, Boeing and the Mayo Clinic. Mehlman’s perspective is also shaped by his experience as an assistant secretary of Commerce in the George W. Bush administration and time in private industry.

Mehlman has a savvy, insider’s take on how Washington works and sees the day’s events with a historical perspective that is often missing from our political analysis.

Mehlman and Storey talked about the forces shaping our political world, the turn to populism in recent years in numerous countries the challenge that poses to our institutions. They also talked about Mehlman’s slide decks, that over the years have become well-known among policy types for their clear, data-driven, often humorous analysis of political, economic and social trends.

Resources

Wolves Spark Urban vs Rural Divide in Colorado Episode 10 Oct 22, 2023

Summary: Sometimes, the aisle lawmakers work across isn’t the one that separates the two parties. It’s the divide between rural and urban. That’s what happened in Colorado when urban voters narrowly passed a plan to reintroduce the endangered gray wolf. Lawmakers from both parties representing the rural part of the state—where ranchers and hunting outfitters feared livestock and business losses with wolves on the prowl—teamed up to minimize any economic impact.

Disease Forecasting, Nowcasting and Scenario Modeling | OAS Episode 196 Oct 15, 2023

The ability to forecast how an infectious disease like COVID-19 will behave is a critical tool for public health officials.

On this podcast, we sat down with Dr. Roni Rosenfeld, a computer scientist and a leader in the field of disease forecasting. Rosenfeld leads the machine learning department at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and also works with Carnegie Mellon’s Delphi Research Group, which is one of several organizations that are part of the newly developed Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling Network established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rosenfeld explained that, over more than a decade, researchers working on disease forecasting have taken weather forecasting as their model in creating usable tools to better understand the path of infectious diseases. He explained the type of data disease forecasters use – everything from hospital records to Google searches—to develop their forecasts and how that information can help those in health care. He also discussed why it’s important for legislators and others in state government to understand how to use and interpret disease forecasting.

Resources

Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University

Cyberattacks and the Energy System | OAS Episode 195 Oct 01, 2023

Safeguarding energy systems from cyberattacks in a growing concern in the U.S. The Colonial pipeline ransomware attack a few years ago and some other high-profile incidents caught the public’s attention. But as the guests on this podcast point out, energy systems are facing an increasing number of attacks.

On the podcast to discuss the situation are Lynn Constantini, a cybersecurity expert with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and Patrick Miller, CEO and owner of Ampere Industrial Security who brings more than 35 years of experience in the security field to the discussion.

While the federal government has some regulatory authority over utilities, state legislatures have a key role in this area through their oversight of public utility commissions. Since the start of 2021, states introduced nearly 500 bills and passed 99 measures related to energy security as of August 2022.

Constantini and Miller discussed the rise in threats and attacks, the type of attacks that are most common and the difference between attacks on information technology, or IT, and operational technology, or OT. They also discussed the steps states already have taken to counter cyberattacks.

Resources

2021-2022 Energy Security State Legislative Review: Cybersecurity and Physical Security, NCSL
Ampere Industrial Security
Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, U.S. Department of Energy
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Cybersecurity Standards

ATA Swift Action on Ticketing | Episode 9 Sep 24, 2023

Taylor Swift is making a big splash on stages this year, and also in state legislatures. That's because ticket sales devolved into online chaos, highlighting the problem of bots buying up tickets faster than humanly possible and putting them up for resale at exorbitant prices. The snafu became the catalyst for 24 states and Puerto Rico to consider 70 bills addressing ticket sales and fees. In this episode we look at how Texas came up with a bipartisan solution.

An Unblinking Focus on State News | LTIS Episode 23 Sep 10, 2023

Reid Wilson is the founder and editor of Pluribus News, a 10-month-old news platform that focuses on the states and the policy trends that start there. On this episode, host Tim Storey sat down with Wilson to talk about how states are tackling some of their toughest issues: broadband, infrastructure projects, housing policy and artificial intelligence.

Wilson started out his career as an assistant to Chuck Todd on the National Journal’s Hotline and also worked for years at the Washington Post and The Hill before striking out on his own last year. He is an astute observer of state policy and politics as well as how the media covers those topics. In addition to state policy, Storey and Wilson also discussed the ongoing changes in the media coverage of legislatures.

Resources

Pluribus News

An Unlikely Pairing of Comedy and Policy | OAS Episode 194 Sep 03, 2023

Improv comedy may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of public policy, but Tane Danger suggests maybe it should be. Danger is the keynote speaker at this year's professional development seminar for two legislative staff groups—the Research Editorial, Legal and Committee Staff (RELACS) and the Legislative Research Librarians (LRL). The meeting is Sept. 19-22 in Minneapolis and at the state Capitol in St. Paul.

Danger co-founded the Theater of Public Policy in Minnesota, which combines serious public policy discussion with improv comedy. On the podcast, he discussed how the skills you need for improv, such as careful listening, are also skills that can help in a legislative environment. He also laid out how his two-day presentation to the legislative staff groups will involve both a talk and a workshop.

Resources

The Evolution of 911 | OAS Episode 193 Aug 20, 2023

The 911 system was created in the U.S. more than 50 years ago to provide people with a single number to call in an emergency. Changes in technology have created enormous challenges for the system, which now receives more than 80% of its 240 million calls annually from cellphones and about 500,000 texts.

On this episode, we sat down with Brian Tegtmeyer, the National 911 Program Coordinator. The program is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA.

Tegtmeyer discussed some of the challenges facing the system. Like so many sectors of government and private industry, the 911 system is facing workforce shortages, so much so that nearly half of all call centers face staffing shortfalls even as the number of emergency calls rise every year.

He also discussed the advantages of the Next Generation 911, the progress states have made in adopting to these new standards, funding to help with the transition and how legislators can find out more about the 911 system in their states.

Resources

Talking Politics With Lou Jacobson | LTIS Episode 22 Aug 13, 2023

Host Tim Storey’s guest on this episode is Lou Jacobson, a senior correspondent with PolitiFact and a longtime reporter with extensive experience covering politics and policy at the state and federal level. Jacobson is among the most astute observers of our political process, especially in the states. He proudly notes that he has filed stories from 49 states and 43 state capitols.

Storey sat down with Jacobson to discuss the 2024 edition of “The Almanac of American Politics,” a 2,000-page plus tome that will answer every question you might have and some you haven’t thought of about the state of our politics.

They also talked about how rapidly the political scene has changed in the last 20 years and his assessment of the key Electoral College states in the 2024 election.

Resources

The Almanac of American Politics

Charitable Nonprofits Working With States | OAS Episode 192 Aug 06, 2023

The charitable nonprofit sector of the economy is substantial, employing about 10% of the workforce and contributing about 6% of GDP.

To better understand how charitable nonprofits work with legislatures and the states, we sat down with David Thompson, vice president of public policy for the National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest network of nonprofit organizations.

Thompson explained the role of charitable nonprofits in our communities and how state government and nonprofits work together to address any number of challenges, and specifically the value of community-based organizations when it comes to helping government implement programs.

He also noted a challenge that charitable nonprofits have in common with state government—a shortage of workers—and ways government and the nonprofit sector can advance policies to try to address those shortages.

Thompson also invited legislators around the country to join the National Nonprofit Legislative Caucus. For more information or to be added to the caucus for future communications, please contact the office of Maryland Senator Cheryl Kagan or Tiffany Carter at the National Council of Nonprofits.

RESOURCES

Kentucky Backs Bipartisan Election Reform | Episode 8 Jul 30, 2023

As the pandemic raged during 2020, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, and Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, were required by law to team up on the question of whether to postpone the election. They went much further, with bipartisan support from the Legislature, and instituted a long window for voting in a state that in modern times had only allowed voting on Election Day, with a few exceptions for absentee ballots. Voter turnout was high, and ballot security was unquestioned. That led the state to pass a bipartisan bill in 2021 making some of the expanded access permanent.

Following the Rules: Ethics and the Legislature | OAS Episode 191 Jul 16, 2023

Every state has rules governing interactions among legislators, legislative staff and lobbyists, whether those lobbyists represent business interests, nonprofit groups and others. The rules have evolved over the past few decades and are often being updated.

On this episode, three experts on lobbying and compliance with ethics rules sat down to discuss how ethics rules have evolved and how attitudes about ethics rules have changed. Our guests are Doug Himes, the House ethics counsel in Tennessee; Mark Quiner, director of NCSL’s Center for Ethics in Government; and Elizabeth Bartz, the CEO and president of State and Federal Communications.

Resources

Code of Ethics, National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics
House Ethics Committee, Tennessee General Assembly
State and Federal Communications

Keeping Up With Redistricting | OAS Episode 190 Jul 09, 2023

Redistricting of state and congressional legislative districts happens every decade following the census. But once those maps are drawn and implemented, there are still ongoing court cases and state legislation that affect redistricting. Just in recent weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on two significant redistricting cases.

For this podcast, the guest is Ben Williams from NCSL, an expert on redistricting who discussed some of the interesting developments around the topic, including efforts in some states to reallocate inmate data.

He talked about the recent legal developments and also about the efforts in 13 states to reallocate inmate data, for purposes of redistricting, from where people are incarcerated to where they lived before going to prison. Williams explained the pro and con arguments for such legislation. He also talked about what you can expect in the next several years around redistricting before the next census, and what attendees at the NCSL Legislative Summit in Indianapolis in August can expect from NCSL’s Elections and redistricting team.

This is a fast-moving policy area and just since this recording was finished, two more states have approved policies. As of today 15 states have adopted the policy—13 for the 2020 cycle and two more, Illinois and Maine, for the 2030 cycle.

Resources

Darcy Luoma on Coaching, Facing Trauma and Resilience | OAS Episode 189 Jul 02, 2023

Darcy Luoma, a coach and consultant, will speak at the Legislative Staff Breakfast at NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Indianapolis in August. Before founding her consulting business, Luoma had extensive experience working on Capitol Hill, working on two presidential campaigns and as a senior adviser to a governor. She has also worked with state legislators and staff.

Luoma discussed her Thoughtfully Fit approach and how it can help legislative staff and the rest of us cope with stress. She also shared that her Summit presentation will focus on how to develop flexibility that allows you to work well with people who are different from you.

She also talked about resilience in the face of trauma and tragedy in her own life that helped her hone these coping skills.

Resources

Arizona Finds Common Ground on Water | ATA Episode 7 Jun 25, 2023

ATA Episode 7 SUMMARY The Colorado River is a key source of water in Arizona, and it’s dwindling in the face of a mega-drought now in its second decade. Arizona lawmakers are working across the aisle to find new water supplies for the arid state, where some farming areas get only three inches of rain a year.

The Growing Nursing Shortage | OAS Episode 188 Jun 18, 2023

Even before the pandemic, there was a growing shortage of registered nurses in the majority of states. From 2020 to 2021, during the height of the pandemic, more than 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce, the largest exodus in at least 40 years. Adding to the problem, in 2019, nursing schools turned away about 80,000 qualified applicants because of too few faculty, clinical sites and preceptors, and the problem persists.

Our first guest is Dr. Cynthia McCurren, a dean and professor at the School of Nursing of the University of Michigan in Flint. McCurren, who also serves as the board chair of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, discussed the role of nurses in the health care system, a variety of initiatives aimed at increasing the number of qualified faculty, and state and federal efforts to help address the problem.

Our other guest is Sarah Jaromin from NCSL, who drilled down into a variety of state efforts aimed at increasing the supply of nursing faculty and also where legislators can learn more about different approaches being tried around the country.

Resources

AI and the Legislative World | LTIS Episode 21 Jun 11, 2023

On this episode, host Tim Storey dives into the world of artificial intelligence with Alex Wirth, the co-founder and CEO of Quorum, a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs tech platform that organizations use to manage engagement, launch advocacy campaigns and keep track of legislation and policy trends in Washington, all 50 states, thousands of cities and even in Brussels.

Storey talked with Wirth about how the platform evolved and how his tech team has increasing used artificial intelligence tools to perform sophisticated analysis. Wirth broke down how he thought AI would affect state government, legislatures and individual legislators. He also offered some advice on managing the use of AI in legislatures, and explained why legislative offices may soon need AI tools to handle all the AI-generated communications they will be receiving.

Resources

Quorum

New Options for Retirement Savings | OAS Episode 187 Jun 04, 2023

As many as 56 million private sector workers in the U.S. lack access to a retirement savings plan through their jobs. The subsequent lack of retirement savings could cost federal and state governments hundreds of billions of dollars by 2040.

Joining the podcast is John Scott, the director of the Retirement Savings Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts. Scott explained the scope of the retirement savings problem, the difference between public and private employers, and the most promising approaches to help more people save for retirement.

Also on the show are two lawmakers involved in sponsoring legislation for state-facilitated savings plans. Senator Dallas Harris, a Democrat from Nevada, and Representative Michael O'Donnell, a Republican from Missouri, talked about the legislation they've introduced, how they've worked with employers in their states and the key challenges they faced in passing their legislation.

Resources

Retirement Policy Project, Pew Charitable Trusts

Exploring Policy Solutions to Mental Health Treatment | OAS Episode 186 May 31, 2023

Millions of Americans experience mental health problems and frequently experience challenges finding treatment, including in the workplace.

That’s the context for national task force— Mental Health Matters: National Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy—funded by the U.S. Department of Labor working with NCSL and the Council of State Governments (CSG).

The guests on this podcast are Colorado Lt Gov Dianne Primavera (D) and Tennessee Sen. Becky Massey (R). The two are at-large co-chairs of the task force, which also includes 27 other state lawmakers from both parties.

The two spoke about what they’d learned in the course of the task force’s work, and about the goals, which include developing improved benefit and employment; access to mental health resources in the workplace; addressing underserved communities; and the shortage of mental health care workers.

The task force plans to issue the policy framework this summer that can serve as a resource for policymakers across the country.

Resources

"Mental Health in the Workplace Toolkit," NCSL

Parties Join Forces to Free Alabama Constitution of Racist Wording | ATA Episode 6 May 28, 2023

Until recently Alabama's constitution still had racist language from the original document written in 1901, led by an avowed white supremacist. Though the provisions weren't operable today, plenty of people have wanted them gone for years. But it wasn't easy to revise a constitution that is the longest such document in the world, one that has nearly 1,000 amendments. Still, the state legislature reached unanimous agreement, and 75 percent of voters supported the revisions last November after a long and complicated process.

Cedric King: A Lesson in Resilience | LTIS Episode 20 May 14, 2023

On this episode, Host Tim Storey talks with Cedric King, a retired army master sergeant, speaker, and author, who will be the keynote speaker at NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Indianapolis in August.

King joined the army in 1995, eventually rising to a leadership role in the elite Army Rangers. On his third combat deployment in Afghanistan in 2012, King was leading a patrol in a small village when he stepped on an improvised explosive device and suffered horrific injuries, including the loss of both his legs.

He survived those wounds and just 21 months later, King did what most of us would think impossible: He ran the Boston Marathon on prosthetic blades. He hasn't stopped since. He's competed in marathons, triathlons. He's written books, talked to audiences all over the country, and he's talked about his injuries and why that opened him up to the possibilities that we all have in our lives.

Resources

NCSL 2023 Legislative Summit

The “Why” of Working for the Legislature | OAS Episode 185 May 07, 2023

This is Legislative Staff Week 2023 at NCSL, and we sat down with two staffers to talk about why people come to work in the legislature and why they stay.

Our guests are Anne Sappenfield, director of the Wisconsin Legislative Council and NCSL staff chair, and Heshani Wijemanne, assistant secretary of the California Senate. Sappenfield began working in the legislature in the mid-‘90s while Wijemanne has been a legislative staffer since 2016.

Sappenfield and Wijemanne are both lawyers and they talked about why public service in the legislature was an attractive option after law school. They discussed the appeal of being involved in the legislative process, how things have changed in legislatures over the years and the challenge of explaining what they do to family and friends.

They also talked about the challenges they faced during the pandemic and the critical role staff play in preserving the institution of the legislature.

Resources

Legislative Staff Week 2023, NCSL
Office of the Secretary of the Senate, California
Wisconsin Legislative Council

A Long View on Staff | LTIS Episode 19 Apr 30, 2023

Host Tim Storey’s guest for this episode is Leonor Ehling, the executive director of the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State University. She is also co-director of the Legislative Staff Management Institute (LSMI), which is a flagship program that NCSL produces jointly with Sacramento State and the University of Southern California.

They discussed LSMI and the hundreds of legislative staffers who have had the opportunity to enhance their management and leadership skills. Ehling also discussed her role as director of the Capital Fellows Program, which places 64 fellows each year in all three branches of California government. She reflected on how two decades as a legislative staffer helped her understand the value of recruiting a diverse group of fellows, many of whom still work in the legislature today.

Resources

Center for California Studies

Fifth Graders Fight for New Mexico State Aroma - ATA Episode 5 Apr 23, 2023

Young students in New Mexico made history when they convinced lawmakers that the smell of roasting chilis should be the state's official aroma. They researched, wrote letters, testified in hearings and celebrated when the Governor signed the bill at their school. It's the only state with a designated aroma, and it was the first time students were the force behind a new law, with the help of Senator William Soules, a former teacher and administrator in their Las Cruces school district.

Childhood Vaccinations in Post-Pandemic America | OAS Episode 184 Apr 16, 2023

Childhood vaccinations in the U.S. were steady for the decade before the pandemic, but have shown a decline for the past couple of years. We sat down with Dr. Pam Shaw, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who explained some of the reasons for that decline. She also discussed other disruptions to vaccinations and some of the challenges to getting children vaccinated, particularly those who were uninsured.

Also on the show is Shannon Kolman, who follows vaccine policy for NCSL. She notes the large number of vaccine related bills introduced in the past couple of years, and explains how legislatures have tried to make it easier for children to get vaccinated.

Resources

Young People in the Justice System | OAS Episode 183 Apr 09, 2023

Resources

Senator Whitney Westerfield
The Sentencing Project
Why Youth Incarceration Fails: An Updated Review of the Evidence, The Sentencing Project

Coaching, Leadership and Legislative Staff | LTIS Episode 18 Mar 26, 2023

Resources

Exploring Bipartisanship - ATA Episode 4 Mar 19, 2023

National Conference of State Legislators Center for Legislative Strengthening

National Institute for Civil Discourse Next Generation Program

Millennial Action Project

Remembering Bobby Silverstein and the Fight for Social Justice | OAS Episode 182 Mar 12, 2023

Resources

State Exchange on Employment and Disability, U.S. Department of Labor

Coping With the Cost of College | OAS Episode 181 Mar 05, 2023

Resources

Earn to Learn

The Critical Role of Supporting State Governments | LTIS Episode 17 Feb 26, 2023

Resources

Council of State Governments

Education Report Is Call to Action | OAS Episode 180 Feb 12, 2023

Resources

“The Time Is Now,” NCSL

Elections Legislation: Recap and Preview | OAS Episode 179 Feb 05, 2023

Resources

State Elections Database, NCSL

Alabama and Race | ATA Episode 3 Jan 29, 2023

The Power of Art | LTIS Episode 16 Jan 22, 2023

Resources

Americans for the Arts

A Guide to Being Human | OAS Episode 178 Jan 15, 2023

Resources

100% Human

2023 Legislative Forecast: Uncertainty Ahead | OAS Episode 177 Jan 08, 2023

Resources

NCSL

Role of Rebates in Cutting Drug Costs | OAS Episode 176 Dec 21, 2022

RESOURCES

The Missouri 11: Bipartisan Senate Women Team Up | ATA Episode 2 Dec 18, 2022

Contact Host and Producer Kelley Griffin, Sr. Editor at NCSL
kelley.griffin@ncsl.org

A Walk Through the History of Legislatures | LTIS Episode 15 Dec 11, 2022

Resources

Peverill Squire, University of Missouri

Broadband Funding Aims to Connect America | OAS Episode 175 Dec 04, 2022

Resources

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $5.6 Million in Internet for All Grants to Two Minority-Serving Colleges and Universities in California, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, NDIA
High-Speed Internet for All
Join the NDIA Community
The New Broadband Maps Are Finally Here, Federal Communications Commission, FCC
State Digital Equity Plan Toolkit, NDIA
See more about NDIA
Updates on the Affordable Connectivity Program, NDIA
Video and slides from NDIA Digital Equity Act and BEAD Webinar

Bipartisanship and Mt. Kilimanjaro | ATA Episode 1 Nov 27, 2022

Contact Kelley Griffin at kelley.griffin@ncsl.org.

Terry Gerton: A Public Service Champion | LTIS Episode 14 Nov 13, 2022

Resources

National Academy of Public Administration

How Two New Federal Laws Will Change the Energy System | OAS Episode 174 Nov 06, 2022

Resources

Two Approaches to Portable Benefits | OAS Episode 173 Oct 30, 2022

Resources

Portable Benefits for Gig Workers, NCSL LegisBrief

Listen Up! Charlie Cook Is Talking Elections | LTIS Episode 13 Oct 16, 2022

Resources

The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter

Post-Pandemic Medicaid Changes Pose a Challenge for States | OAS Episode 172 Oct 02, 2022

Resources

Grappling With the Traffic Safety Crisis | OAS Episode 171 Sep 25, 2022

Resources

Clint Hurdle: Winning, Losing and Leading | LTIS Episode 12 Sep 11, 2022

Resources

Clint Hurdle’s website

Meeting Threats to Our Energy Security | OAS Episode 170 Sep 04, 2022

Resources

Shining a Light on Drug Prices OAS Episode 169 Aug 28, 2022

Resources

Transportation and the Infrastructure Bill OAS Episode 168 Aug 21, 2022

Resources

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation, AASHTO
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NCSL
U.S. DOT Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act information

The Critical Role of Public Health Data OAS Episode 167 Aug 14, 2022

Resources

Robyn Benincasa: Lessons in Extreme Teamwork OAS Episode 166 Jul 31, 2022

Resources

Robyn Benincasa website

Keeping Securities Safe | OAS Episode 165 Jul 24, 2022

Resources

Kevin O’Leary Lessons From the Shark Tank OAS Episode 164 Jul 20, 2022

Resources

Kevin O’Leary website
Closing General Session: Of Spaceships and Shark Tanks, NCSL 2022 Legislative Summit

Digging Into Cannabis Policy OAS Episode 163 Jul 17, 2022

Resources

Unpacking the Housing Crisis OAS Episode 162 Jul 10, 2022

Resources

Bipartisan Policy Center
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
Getting Serious About Housing Supply Series, Bipartisan Policy Center
How much are government regulations costing multifamily developers? Hint: A lot, Bipartisan Policy Center
National Association of Home Builders
NMHC-NAHB Cost of Regulations Report (2022), National Multifamily Housing Council
“Opening Doors to Housing Security,” NCSL 2022 Legislative Summit
Which Metro Areas Are Seeing Rising Rents and Home Prices? All of Them, Bipartisan Policy Center

Visiting History With Clay Jenkinson, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt LTIS Episode 11 Jul 03, 2022

Resources

Clay Jenkinson website

Alaska’s New Frontier: Ranked Choice Voting OAS Episode 161 Jun 26, 2022

Resources

Ranked Choice Voting, NCSL

Tackling Prescription Drug Costs OAS Episode 160 Jun 19, 2022

Resources

Keith Allred on Keeping Our Democracy LTIS Episode 10 Jun 12, 2022

Resources

National Institute for Civil Discourse

Talking Books With Florida’s House Speaker OAS Episode 159 May 29, 2022

Resources

Chris Sprowls wraps first season of ‘Read, White & Blue’ podcast, Florida Politics

A Changing Approach to Mental Health Emergencies OAS Episode 158 May 15, 2022

Resources

Mental Health Emergencies, Law Enforcement and Deflection Pathways, NCSL

Amy Walter on Politics, Money and the Midterms LTIS Episode 9 May 08, 2022

Resources

The Cook Political Report

Erica Keswin on the Power of Rituals OAS Episode 157 May 01, 2022

Resources

Going Big on Clean Water OAS Episode 156 Apr 24, 2022

Resources

A Lesson From Ireland: Negotiating the Peace LTIS Episode 8 Apr 08, 2022

The Good Friday Agreement that ended most of the violence in Northern Ireland was signed on April 10, 1998. It is widely regarded as a monumental peace deal after 30 years of violence. Bertie Ahern, who served as Taoiseach or prime minister of the Republic of Ireland from 1997 to 2008, was a key player in the negotiations. On this podcast, Ahern talks with NCSL’s Tim Storey on how the deal was struck and what politicians today can learn from the challenges he and his colleagues faced. A core principle he stressed is that both sides need to feel they’ve won to have a successful negotiation, and both sides must agree the status quo is unacceptable. Ahern is joined by Senator Mark Daly, the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann or chair of the Senate of Ireland. He discussed the critical role of Irish-American relations to his country and new initiative to reach out to state legislators in the U.S.

Left, Right Perspectives on Redistricting OAS Episode 155 Apr 03, 2022

Resources

Building a Strong Workforce OAS Episode 154 Mar 27, 2022

RESOURCES

Donna Washington and the Power of Storytelling LTIS Episode 7 Mar 20, 2022

RESOURCES

Donna Washington website

Data Privacy, Bipartisanship and a Podcast OAS Episode 153 Mar 07, 2022

Resources

2021 Consumer Data Privacy Legislation, NCSL

Breaking Down the Infrastructure Bill | OAS Episode 152 Feb 27, 2022

Resources

David Toscano on How States Shape the Nation | LTIS Episode 6 Feb 20, 2022

RESOURCES

David Toscano’s website
“Fighting Political Gridlock: How States Shape Our Nation and Our Lives,” University of Virginia Press

How Two States Took On the Cost of Insulin | OAS episode 151 Feb 13, 2022

Sorting Through the Stimulus | OAS Episode 150 Jan 23, 2022

Resources

ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Fund Allocations, NCSL database
Fiscal Policy homepage, NCSL
How States Are Spending Their Stimulus Funds, NCSL

FlyGirl: The Critical Role of Teams and Communications | LTIS Episode 5 Jan 16, 2022

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour website

State of State Legislatures 2022 | OAS Episode 149 Jan 09, 2022

RESOURCES

**How States Are Planning for an Aging Population | OAS Episode 148** Dec 19, 2021
Our American States

The U.S. population is aging. In a little more than a decade, people 65 and older will outnumber children. Those older adults face economic, social and other challenges including the need for an array of long-term services.

Policymakers in a number of states are considering comprehensive approaches to support older adults. A few states have created what are termed master plans for aging that outline how the state can take on challenges in housing, transportation, health care, and other sectors.

Th guests on this podcast are Holly Riley, the aging services coordination director for Texas Health and Human Services, and Jarett Hughes, a senior policy advisor on aging for the governor of Colorado.

My guests discuss how their states are planning for this aging population, how they’ve tried to get key groups to work together on the effort and some of the lessons learned over years of developing their state plans.

Resources

Building a Master Plan for Aging: Key Elements from States Planning for an Aging Population, The SCAN Foundation

Comprehensive Policy Approaches to Support the Aging Population, NCSL

Getting Started with a Master Plan for Aging, The SCAN Foundation

Graying Gracefully: As the U.S. Ages, States Step Up Support, NCSL

OAS Episode 148 Transcription

Holly Riley, Texas — **How States Are Planning for an Aging Population | OAS Episode 148** Dec 19, 2021
Our American States

The U.S. population is aging. In a little more than a decade, people 65 and older will outnumber children. Those older adults face economic, social and other challenges including the need for an array of long-term services.

Policymakers in a number of states are considering comprehensive approaches to support older adults. A few states have created what are termed master plans for aging that outline how the state can take on challenges in housing, transportation, health care, and other sectors.

Th guests on this podcast are Holly Riley, the aging services coordination director for Texas Health and Human Services, and Jarett Hughes, a senior policy advisor on aging for the governor of Colorado.

My guests discuss how their states are planning for this aging population, how they’ve tried to get key groups to work together on the effort and some of the lessons learned over years of developing their state plans.

Resources

Building a Master Plan for Aging: Key Elements from States Planning for an Aging Population, The SCAN Foundation

Comprehensive Policy Approaches to Support the Aging Population, NCSL

Getting Started with a Master Plan for Aging, The SCAN Foundation

Graying Gracefully: As the U.S. Ages, States Step Up Support, NCSL

OAS Episode 148 Transcription

Peter Groff, The Education Trust — **Peter Groff: Leading Is All About Relationships | LTIS Episode 4** Dec 12, 2021
Legislatures: The Inside Storey

The guest for this episode of the podcast is Peter Groff, the former Senate president in Colorado, who also served in the Obama administration as head of the Faith Based Initiative Center for the U.S. Department of Education. He now works with the Education Trust in Washington, D.C., as a policy and political consultant.

Groff, who served first in the Colorado House and then the Senate, talked with NCSL Executive Director Tim Storey about a variety of topics around legislative leadership. They include how he navigated his role as the first Black person to lead a legislative chamber in Colorado, how to bridge divides with other legislators, and strategies to be an effective leader.

He also talked about the role model he had in his father, who spent 20 years in the Colorado Senate, and the historic nature of the day he was sworn in.

Resources

LTIS Episode 4 Transcription

The Education Trust

Peter Kyriacopoulus, APHL — **The Critical Role of Newborn Screening | OAS Episode 147** Dec 05, 2021
Our American States

Newborn screening in the U.S. is the practice of testing every child in the country for a number of disorders, many of which can be addressed if caught early. States are in charge of newborn screening and receive advice from federal agencies.

On this podcast, Peter Kyriacopoulos, the director for public policy at the Association of Public Health Laboratories, discusses how the screening works, how it differs from state to state, the role public health laboratories play and the challenges they face. He also explains how the recommended uniform screening panel, or the RUSP, helps guide states in deciding which screenings to include.

A second guest is Kelsie George from NCSL, who tracks legislation related to newborn screening. She fills us in on the legislative landscape on the topic.

Resources

American Association of Public Health Laboratories

Early Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment Through Newborn Screening, NCSL LegisBrief

NewSTEPs Newborn Screening Status for All Disorders, Association of Public Health Laboratories

OAS Episode 147 Transcription

**Mike Haridopolos on Politics, Power and Navigating the Legislature | LTIS Episode 3** Nov 28, 2021
Legislatures: The Inside Storey

Mike Haridopolos, former Senate president in Florida, talks with Tim about how he went from teaching college history to taking the reins as the president of the Senate in one of our largest states.

Haridopolos, who spent 12 years in the Florida Legislature and led the Senate from 2010-12 now runs his own consulting firm, writes books and works frequently with political campaigns. He discusses his own path in politics, the challenge of keeping a caucus together, offers some advice for aspiring leaders and shares a few thoughts about his political heroes.

Resources

LTIS Episode 3 Transcription

MJH Consulting

Heather Noble, Arizona — **A New Approach to Child Support | OAS Episode 146** Nov 14, 2021
Our American States

State agencies charged with ensuring that custodial parents collect child support face a daunting challenge. Census Bureau data indicates fewer than half of custodial parents receive their full support payments.

Traditionally states have relied on civil contempt statutes to compel the noncustodial parent to pay up. But that process—which can result in onerous civil procedures and even jail time—often is unsuccessful and some research shows states can end up paying more to collect the payments than the custodial parent receives.

On this podcast, Heather Noble, assistant director for the Arizona Division of Child Support Services, and Michael Hayes, an official with the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, discuss a new procedural justice approach to child support that seeks to use principles such as respect, understanding and neutrality to increase the sense of fairness that parents feel in what is often a difficult process.

While the project is not finished, they discussed what the data shows so far and the difference it appears to be making. They also explained the research that is the foundation of the approach, and the role legislatures can have in their states.

Resources

Arizona Division of Child Support Services

Office of Child Support Enforcement

OAS Episode 146 Transcription

Procedural Justice: Alternatives to Civil Contempt in Child Support Cases, NCSL LegisBrief

Mark Kassen, A Starting Point — **Bipartisanship Gets Some Star Power | OAS Episode 145** Nov 07, 2021
Our American States

A Starting Point is a civic engagement platform with some unusual star power behind it.

The website, which features a bipartisan cast of elected officials discussing policy, was co-founded by actors Chris Evans and Mark Kassen with another friend, medical tech entrepreneur Joe Kiani.

Kassen is the guest on the podcast, and he discusses why they started the site, the pros and cons of being from Hollywood in the political world and why it helps to have Captain America on your side.

The site, which has been up for about a year, features a series of video collections that range from pieces shot and produced by the platform’s crew to daily video posts sent in by elected officials from around the country. Kassen and his partners want more engagement with state legislators, and they hope that will happen as pandemic restrictions ease.

Resources

A Starting Point

OAS Episode 145 Transcription

Lisa Soronen, State and Local Legal Center — **Supreme Court Update | OAS Episode 144** Oct 24, 2021
Our American States

On this podcast, we look ahead to the new term of the U.S. Supreme Court and look back at some decisions from the past term.

Our guide is Lisa Soronen, the executive director of the State and Local Legal Center. Soronen keeps a sharp eye on the U.S Supreme Court and monitors the court for decisions that affect state and local governments. The center also files amicus briefs in some cases.

We discussed the court’s new term and high-stakes cases around abortion, gun rights and the so-called shadow docket. She also discussed cases from the previous term.

Resources

OAS Episode 144 Transcription

State and Local Legal Center

Amber Widgery, NCSL — **Policing Policy: How Two Legislatures Responded | Episode 143** Oct 17, 2021
Our American States

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020 sparked a cascade of state legislation affecting policing policy. There were more than 3,000 bills that were considered in legislatures, and more than 400 were signed into law.

The legislation came from both sides of the aisle. For this podcast, we spoke with Rep. Leslie Herod, a Democract from Colorado, and Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Republican from Kentucky.

Herod discusses legislation she sponsored shortly after Floyd’s death that was one of the first pieces of legislation enacted in the nation. She also talks about how the death of Elijah McClain in Colorado galvanized efforts to pass legislation.

Westerfield is a leader in criminal justice issues in Kentucky, where the death of Breonna Taylor helped spur action around no-knock warrants. He discusses how bringing all the parties together was critical to passing good legislation.

Also on this episode is Amber Widgery, who tracks a number of criminal justice issues for NCSL. Amber talks about the trends in legislation, the bipartisan nature of the efforts in many places and the surprising fact that legislatures are addressing policies that affect law enforcement at the local level. She’s also putting together a session on this topic for NCSL’s Legislative Summit Nov. 3-5 in Tampa, Fla.

Resources

NCSL Policing Legislation Database

NCSL Statutory Database

OAS Episode 143 Transcription

Rep. Leslie Herod’s website

Sen. Whitney Westerfield’s website

**Nancy Koehn: The Nature of Leadership | LTIS Episode 2** Oct 10, 2021
Legislatures: The Inside Storey

Leadership is a perennial topic of interest for those in the legislative world and few are better at digging into the topic that Nancy Koehn.

Koehn is a historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robinson chair of Business Administration. She is a prolific writer, the author of dozens of journal articles and several books. Her most recent book was “Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times.” It explores how five great leaders dealt with crisis. She is also frequently quoted in the press and shares what she’s learned studying leaders for more than two decades.

She joins host Tim Storey, the executive director of NCSL, for this wide-ranging conversation about the qualities of great leaders, the nature of courage, whether a great leader needs a vision and much more. Koehn also shares her favorite books and movies, some of which might surprise you.

Resources

Nancy Koehn, Harvard Business School

LTIS Episode 2 Transcription

Wendy Underhill, NCSL — **Redistricting: Numbers Are In, Race is On | OAS Episode 141** Sep 19, 2021
Our American States

Redistricting is finally upon us. The once-a-decade process uses data from the census to draw congressional and state legislative districts in the states. Legislatures are in charge of redistricting, though commissions also play a role in some states.

Delayed data from the U.S. Census Bureau has left states behind in the process compared to earlier cycles. On this podcast, Wendy Underhill, who oversees election and redistricting issues at NCSL, talks about how the delays have affected states, what they did to prepare, new tools citizens can use to make their voices heard, and some thoughts on what she’s learned during her immersion over the past few years in the world of redistricting.

Resources

NCSL Redistricting Homepage

OAS Episode 141 Transcription

**Digging Into Brain Science With John Medina | LTIS Episode 1** Sep 08, 2021
Legislatures: The Inside Storey

Welcome to the inaugural episode of “Legislatures: The Inside Storey,” a new podcast from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

On this first episode, Tim Storey, the executive director of NCSL, sits down with John Medina, a molecular biologist best known for his book “Brain Rules,” which explains how what we know about the brain can affect how we teach our children, approach our jobs and even change our daily lives.

They discussed how we communicate, the perils of power and how Medina switched from being an animator to studying brain science.

Resources

Brain Rules website

Kevin Carey, New America — **Free College? It’s More Complicated Than That | OAS Episode 140** Aug 22, 2021
Our American States

The cost of higher education, the amount of student loan debt, the percentage of students who receive degrees and other related issues have been debated in legislatures and on the campaign trail. Proposals for a new federal state-partnership on higher education and for free community college are among the issues being debated.

On this podcast we hear from Kevin Carey and Jason Delisle, both experts on higher education policy. Carey is the vice president for education policy and knowledge management at New America, a policy research organization. Delisle is a senior policy fellow at the Urban Institute.

The two discussed the track record on affordability, access and outcomes in U.S public higher education and the different approaches states have taken. They also assessed proposals for state-federal partnerships and the likelihood that different states might have very different attitudes toward the type of partnerships being proposed.

While they differ on a number of points, both agreed the complexities of how a federal-state partnership would work are largely missing from the public debate.

This topic also will be on the agenda for NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Tampa, Fla., Nov. 3-5.

Resources

NCSL Higher Education Resources

New America

OAS Episode 140 Transcription

The Urban Institute

Dr Luis Padilla, HRSA — **Helping Health Care Workers Cope | OAS Episode 139** Aug 15, 2021
The crushing strain of caring for patients the last year and half of pandemic has taken a toll on health care workers. Legislatures play an important role in this area by creating laws for licensure and regulation.

On the podcast to discuss the workforce and how to help health care workers cope with the current challenges is Dr. Luis Padilla, the associate administrator for health workforce at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Padilla also serves as director of the National Health Service Corps.

Padilla discusses how HRSA supports states in strengthening the workforce. He also talked about the growing role of telehealth and the important role states have in regulating scope of practice rules.

The other guest is Sydne Enlund from NCSL. Enlund tracks of scope of practice laws across the country and maintains a website on the topic with interactive maps dealing with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists and more. She discusses the role legislatures have played in modifying regulations for workers during the pandemic.

Resources

Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Data Warehouse

Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center

OAS Episode 139 Transcription

Scope of Practice Policy website, NCSL

The Telehealth Explainer Series, NCSL

Telehealth: Health Care From the safety of Our Homes, HHS

Sydne Enlund, NCSL — **Helping Health Care Workers Cope | OAS Episode 139** Aug 15, 2021
The crushing strain of caring for patients the last year and half of pandemic has taken a toll on health care workers. Legislatures play an important role in this area by creating laws for licensure and regulation.

On the podcast to discuss the workforce and how to help health care workers cope with the current challenges is Dr. Luis Padilla, the associate administrator for health workforce at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Padilla also serves as director of the National Health Service Corps.

Padilla discusses how HRSA supports states in strengthening the workforce. He also talked about the growing role of telehealth and the important role states have in regulating scope of practice rules.

The other guest is Sydne Enlund from NCSL. Enlund tracks of scope of practice laws across the country and maintains a website on the topic with interactive maps dealing with nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists and more. She discusses the role legislatures have played in modifying regulations for workers during the pandemic.

Resources

Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Data Warehouse

Health Workforce Technical Assistance Center

OAS Episode 139 Transcription

Scope of Practice Policy website, NCSL

The Telehealth Explainer Series, NCSL

Telehealth: Health Care From the safety of Our Homes, HHS

**New Era of Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment | OAS Episode 138** Aug 08, 2021
One of the most promising areas of cancer treatment involves identifying the cancer a person has and using therapies targeted at just that cancer. This field of precision medicine or targeted medicine is not well understood by most lawmakers or the general public.

On the podcast to discuss this emerging field is Dr. Carl Morrison, a molecular biologist and pathologist who is the senior vice president of Scientific Development and Integrative Medicine at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field.

Our second guest is Karmen Hanson, a policy expert at NCSL. She explains why these new treatments are important for legislators to understand, both so they can aid their constituents and because of the costs to the health care system.

Resources

Advancing Health Equity, Addressing Cancer Disparities, American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network

Biomarker Testing, LUNGevity

Cancer Disparities, National Cancer Institute

Cancer in the 21st Century, NCSL

Common Cancer Testing Terminology, Consistent Testing Terminology Working Group

“Improving Access to Biomarker Testing,” American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network

“Development of an Actionable Framework to Address Cancer Care Disparities in Medically Underserved Populations in the United States,” JCO Oncology Practice

“Know Your Biomarker,” Global Colon Cancer Association

No One Missed, LUNGevity

OAS Episode 138 Transcription

“Precision Medicine,” Cancer Support Community

Karmen Hanson, NCSL — **New Era of Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment | OAS Episode 138** Aug 08, 2021
One of the most promising areas of cancer treatment involves identifying the cancer a person has and using therapies targeted at just that cancer. This field of precision medicine or targeted medicine is not well understood by most lawmakers or the general public.

On the podcast to discuss this emerging field is Dr. Carl Morrison, a molecular biologist and pathologist who is the senior vice president of Scientific Development and Integrative Medicine at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y. He is one of the nation’s leading researchers in the field.

Our second guest is Karmen Hanson, a policy expert at NCSL. She explains why these new treatments are important for legislators to understand, both so they can aid their constituents and because of the costs to the health care system.

Resources

Advancing Health Equity, Addressing Cancer Disparities, American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network

Biomarker Testing, LUNGevity

Cancer Disparities, National Cancer Institute

Cancer in the 21st Century, NCSL

Common Cancer Testing Terminology, Consistent Testing Terminology Working Group

“Improving Access to Biomarker Testing,” American Cancer Society/Cancer Action Network

“Development of an Actionable Framework to Address Cancer Care Disparities in Medically Underserved Populations in the United States,” JCO Oncology Practice

“Know Your Biomarker,” Global Colon Cancer Association

No One Missed, LUNGevity

OAS Episode 138 Transcription

“Precision Medicine,” Cancer Support Community

Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto, New Mexico — **Understanding the Quad Caucus, Part 2 | OAS Episode 137** Jul 25, 2021
This is the second of a two-part series on the Quad Caucus, a coalition of the four national caucuses of color representing Asian-Pacific American, Black, Native American and Hispanic legislators. Combined, the four groups represent more than 1,400 state lawmakers.

On the earlier podcast, we spoke with Washington Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) and Kansas Representative Barbara Ballard (D) about their work with the Quad Caucus.

On this show, we talk with Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D), president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and Senator Benny Shendo (D), chair of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators. Both are from New Mexico.

They discussed the work of their caucuses, the census and redistricting, some of the challenges facing their communities and more.

Resources

National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Caucus of Native American State Legislators

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

OAS Episode 137 Transcription

Quad Caucus, NCSL

Senator Benny Shendo, New Mexico — **Understanding the Quad Caucus, Part 2 | OAS Episode 137** Jul 25, 2021
This is the second of a two-part series on the Quad Caucus, a coalition of the four national caucuses of color representing Asian-Pacific American, Black, Native American and Hispanic legislators. Combined, the four groups represent more than 1,400 state lawmakers.

On the earlier podcast, we spoke with Washington Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) and Kansas Representative Barbara Ballard (D) about their work with the Quad Caucus.

On this show, we talk with Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D), president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and Senator Benny Shendo (D), chair of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators. Both are from New Mexico.

They discussed the work of their caucuses, the census and redistricting, some of the challenges facing their communities and more.

Resources

National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Caucus of Native American State Legislators

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

OAS Episode 137 Transcription

Quad Caucus, NCSL

Teresa Bejan — **Exploring Civility | OAS Episode 136** Jul 18, 2021
Civility in politics seems to be a subject of almost constant discussion. Our guest today has written and spoken extensively on the topic. Teresa M. Bejan is an associate professor of political theory and fellow of Oriel College at the University of Oxford. She is the author of “Mere Civility: Disagreement and the Limits of Toleration,” published in 2017.

Bejan will be the keynote speaker at NCSL’s online Base Camp event on Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. ET.

In this podcast, she talks about how civility works in politics, the difference between civility and talking about civility, the polarized state of our politics and more.

Resources

NCSL Base Camp

OAS Episode 136 Transcription

Teresabejan.com

Steven Cliff, NHTSA — **NHTSA Administrator on Traffic Safety Challenges | OAS Episode 135** Jul 11, 2021
Traffic safety is an issue of critical concern to state leaders, especially after a year that saw a sharp increase in traffic deaths.

On this podcast to address the issue is Steven Cliff, the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA.

Cliff spent several years in a variety of roles at the California Air Resources Board and previously worked as a research professor at the University of California at Davis. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Cliff discussed how NHTSA and the states can work together on traffic safety issues, the increase in traffic fatalities during the pandemic, ongoing efforts to combat impaired driving and much more.

Resources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NCSL Transportation Homepage

OAS Episode 135 Transcription

**Building a Principal Pipeline | OAS Episode 134** Jun 20, 2021
The guest on this podcast is Paul Manna, a professor of government and public policy at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Manna has written extensively about federal and state education policy.

A key focus of Manna’s research concerns the role of principals in K-12 education and ways to identify and groom candidates to become principals.

Manna talks about the critical role principals play, how a principal pipeline can work and why the investment in principal training is worthwhile. He also shared some thoughts for how legislators can approach the issue and policies that can help foster school leaders.

Resources

Developing Excellent School Principals to Advance Teaching and Learning: Considerations for State Policy, Wallace Foundation

New book tells story of Illinois’ principal preparation reform, Illinois State University

North Carolina State University Educational Leadership Academy

OAS Episode 134 Transcription

“Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way for Districts to Improve Schools,” Wallace Foundation

Principals Pipeline Homepage, Wallace Foundation

George Schutter, DC — **Procurement During the Pandemic: Lessons Learned | OAS EPpsode 133** Jun 13, 2021
States faced myriad challenges trying to acquire everything from personal protective equipment to hospital sinks during the pandemic. The guests on this podcast—George Schutter, chief procurement officer for the District of Columbia, and Lindle Hatton, the CEO of the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)—know those challenges all too well.

Our two guests discuss when the emergency first became clear, the rush to acquire goods, how emergency operations centers were activated during the crisis and the key lessons learned. They offer advice to legislators, suggest policy and process changes for the next emergency and reflect on what they learned.

Resources

“Assessing State PPE Procurement During COVID-19: A RESEARCH REPORT”

National Association of State Procurement Officials

NASPO ValuePoint

OAS Episode 133 Transcription

Lindle Hatton, NASPO — **Procurement During the Pandemic: Lessons Learned | OAS EPpsode 133** Jun 13, 2021
States faced myriad challenges trying to acquire everything from personal protective equipment to hospital sinks during the pandemic. The guests on this podcast—George Schutter, chief procurement officer for the District of Columbia, and Lindle Hatton, the CEO of the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)—know those challenges all too well.

Our two guests discuss when the emergency first became clear, the rush to acquire goods, how emergency operations centers were activated during the crisis and the key lessons learned. They offer advice to legislators, suggest policy and process changes for the next emergency and reflect on what they learned.

Resources

“Assessing State PPE Procurement During COVID-19: A RESEARCH REPORT”

National Association of State Procurement Officials

NASPO ValuePoint

OAS Episode 133 Transcription

Niall Brennan, Health Care Cost Institute — **Price Transparency in Health Care | OAS Episode 132** Jun 07, 2021
There is an increasing focus at the state and federal level on policies to require greater cost transparency in health care. While there’s debate about how effective these policies are, the goal is to allow comparison shopping on the part of consumers and employers with the aim of controlling the increasing cost of health care.

The guest on the podcast is an expert in the area of health data and analytics. Niall Brennan is the president and CEO of the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on data to analyze key issues affecting the U.S. health care system. Brennan previously was chief data officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Brennan discusses the pros and cons of price transparency, examples of where it’s been effective and his skepticism about the individual consumer’s use of the information. He also shares some surprising examples of price variation for the same medical procedure in the same area—even in the same hospital group.

Resources

Bringing Health Care Prices to Light, NCSL LegisBrief

Cost and Quality Homepage, NCSL

Health Care Cost Institute

OAS Episode 132 Transcription

Dave Cooper, Economic Policy Institute — **Understanding the Minimum Wage | OAS Episode 131** May 24, 2021
The federal minimum wage has been a hot topic this year and was debated during discussion of the 2021 Raise the Wage Act before Congress. The wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, and proponents of an increase say it is not adequate given the rising cost of living. Opponents argue an increase will place an undue burden on businesses, especially small businesses just coming out of the pandemic.

Many businesses have set higher minimum wages and 29 states and Washington, D.C., also have rates above the federal minimum.

On the podcast to discuss the topic are Dave Cooper, a senior economic analyst at the Economic policy Institute and an expert on the minimum wage. Also on the show is Saige Draeger, an NCSL policy expert.

Cooper, whose organization did research that informed the legislation, discussed who earns both the federal and state minimum wage and how raising it might affect public benefits and small businesses. He also talked about pros and cons of state legislators setting the minimum wage for their states. Draeger explained how states have taken action regarding the minimum wage.

Resources

Economic Policy Institute

Increasing the Minimum Wage, NCSL LegisBrief

NCSL Labor and Employment Homepage

OAS Episode 131 Transcription

State Minimum Wages, NCSL

Your Guide to the Ongoing Minimum Wage Debate, State Legislatures magazine

Saige Draeger, NCSL — **Understanding the Minimum Wage | OAS Episode 131** May 24, 2021
The federal minimum wage has been a hot topic this year and was debated during discussion of the 2021 Raise the Wage Act before Congress. The wage has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, and proponents of an increase say it is not adequate given the rising cost of living. Opponents argue an increase will place an undue burden on businesses, especially small businesses just coming out of the pandemic.

Many businesses have set higher minimum wages and 29 states and Washington, D.C., also have rates above the federal minimum.

On the podcast to discuss the topic are Dave Cooper, a senior economic analyst at the Economic policy Institute and an expert on the minimum wage. Also on the show is Saige Draeger, an NCSL policy expert.

Cooper, whose organization did research that informed the legislation, discussed who earns both the federal and state minimum wage and how raising it might affect public benefits and small businesses. He also talked about pros and cons of state legislators setting the minimum wage for their states. Draeger explained how states have taken action regarding the minimum wage.

Resources

Economic Policy Institute

Increasing the Minimum Wage, NCSL LegisBrief

NCSL Labor and Employment Homepage

OAS Episode 131 Transcription

State Minimum Wages, NCSL

Your Guide to the Ongoing Minimum Wage Debate, State Legislatures magazine

**COVID-19 and Employment for People With Disabilities | OAS Episode 130** May 16, 2021
As people slowly head back to the workplace as the pandemic begins to fade, there is concern about whether people with disabilities will face steeper hurdles to employment. In the recovery following the Great Recession, for example, employment growth for people with disabilities lagged years behind those without disabilities.

Illinois Senator Dan McConchie, the Senate minority leader, is one of the guests on the podcast. McConchie, who lost the use of his legs following a traffic accident more than a decade ago, has been a strong advocate for enforcement of the accessibility requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He talks about the pros and cons of the trend toward teleworking for people with disabilities and the role state lawmakers can play in ensuring those with disabilities are treated fairly and included in the economic recovery. He also reflected on the 30th anniversary of the ADA and where states can go from here to make it better.

The second guest is Saige Draeger, a policy expert at NCSL, who discusses the roles of state legislators in this area, a new NCSL report that dives into the topic and other resources NCSL can provide to lawmakers.

Resources

COVID-19 and Employment for People With Disabilities, NCSL

OAS Episode 130 Transcription

Reports and Policy Briefs, U.S. Department of Labor

State Exchange on Employment & Disability, U.S. Department of Labor

Sabrina Lewellen, Arkansas — **The “Why” Of Working in the Legislature | OAS Episode 129** May 02, 2021
This is a special episode of “Our American States” to observe Legislative Staff Week 2021. This annual event recognizes the enormous contributions that thousands of legislative staffers make every day in statehouses across the nation.

Our guests are Sabrina Lewellen, deputy director and assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate, and Eric Nauman, lead fiscal analyst for the Minnesota Senate.

Our focus on this podcast on the “why” of legislative service. As legislatures have grown more partisan and often become more challenging environments in which to work, we asked our two guests, both longtime staffers, to talk about what motivates them, how they deal with the stress and what advice they would offer their colleagues.

Resources

Legislative Staff Services Homepage

OAS Episode 129 Transcription

Eric Nauman, Minnesota — **The “Why” Of Working in the Legislature | OAS Episode 129** May 02, 2021
This is a special episode of “Our American States” to observe Legislative Staff Week 2021. This annual event recognizes the enormous contributions that thousands of legislative staffers make every day in statehouses across the nation.

Our guests are Sabrina Lewellen, deputy director and assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate, and Eric Nauman, lead fiscal analyst for the Minnesota Senate.

Our focus on this podcast on the “why” of legislative service. As legislatures have grown more partisan and often become more challenging environments in which to work, we asked our two guests, both longtime staffers, to talk about what motivates them, how they deal with the stress and what advice they would offer their colleagues.

Resources

Legislative Staff Services Homepage

OAS Episode 129 Transcription

Noah Cruz, NCSL — **Children, Mental Health and Schools | OAS Episode 128** Apr 19, 2021
Sending kids back to the classroom is a goal across the country for many reasons. Along with concerns about falling behind academically and parents’ need to have children in school, experts also are concerned about mental and behavioral health needs. Studies indicate children in need of such services are much more likely to receive them at school.

Our guests include Craig Wethington with the Minnesota Department of Education. He discusses how his state has used collaborative improvement and innovation networks, or CoIINs, to improve the quality of school mental health services. He also talks about a community survey of students that indicates many kids were struggling with mental health issues even before the pandemic and how the legislature in his state worked to improve mental health programs.

Another guest on the show is Rebecca Astorga with the Arizona Department of Education. She discusses programs and resources states can employ to bolster their mental health services and the role that Project AWARE, a federal grant program, has played in expanding the capacity of the state to address mental health issues among young people.

We also talk with Noah Cruz, an NCSL policy researcher, who offers some background on the topic.

Resources

Arizona Social Emotional Learning

Children’s Behavioral Health, NCSL

Enhancing School Capacity to Support Children’s Mental Health, NCSL

Improving the School-Linked Mental Health Program, Report to the Minnesota Legislature

Mitch Warnock Act/ARS15-120

OAS Episode 128 Transcription

Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program

Craig Wethington, Minnesota Department of Education — **Children, Mental Health and Schools | OAS Episode 128** Apr 19, 2021
Sending kids back to the classroom is a goal across the country for many reasons. Along with concerns about falling behind academically and parents’ need to have children in school, experts also are concerned about mental and behavioral health needs. Studies indicate children in need of such services are much more likely to receive them at school.

Our guests include Craig Wethington with the Minnesota Department of Education. He discusses how his state has used collaborative improvement and innovation networks, or CoIINs, to improve the quality of school mental health services. He also talks about a community survey of students that indicates many kids were struggling with mental health issues even before the pandemic and how the legislature in his state worked to improve mental health programs.

Another guest on the show is Rebecca Astorga with the Arizona Department of Education. She discusses programs and resources states can employ to bolster their mental health services and the role that Project AWARE, a federal grant program, has played in expanding the capacity of the state to address mental health issues among young people.

We also talk with Noah Cruz, an NCSL policy researcher, who offers some background on the topic.

Resources

Arizona Social Emotional Learning

Children’s Behavioral Health, NCSL

Enhancing School Capacity to Support Children’s Mental Health, NCSL

Improving the School-Linked Mental Health Program, Report to the Minnesota Legislature

Mitch Warnock Act/ARS15-120

OAS Episode 128 Transcription

Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program

**Evictions and the Pandemic | OAS Episode 127** Apr 12, 2021
Millions of people are evicted from their homes every year in America and the COVID-19 pandemic has only made the situation worse. While poverty in America has been studied extensively, much less is known about evictions. In the last 20 years, the Eviction Lab at Princeton University has gathered records on more than 80 million evictions. Matt Desmond, who created the Eviction Lab and authored the Pulitzer Prize winning book “Evicted,” was interviewed on an earlier episode of “Our American States.”

To discuss how the eviction crisis has grown during the pandemic, we invited Emily Benfer on the podcast. Benfer, a visiting professor of law at Wake Forest University and an expert on housing and health law, is the co-creator of the COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard with the Eviction Lab and principal investigator in a study of nationwide COVID-19 eviction moratoriums and housing policies. She also chairs the American Bar Association's COVID-19 Task Force Committee on Eviction.

Benfer explains how the pandemic has exacerbated the eviction problem, who is being evicted and how the recently extended federal eviction moratorium factors into the situation. She also explains the role state policymakers can play in implementing state eviction moratoriums and how some legal procedures can help people facing eviction.

Resources

The American Eviction Crisis, Explained, The Appeal

Approaches to Eviction Protection

Eviction, Health Inequity, and the Spread of COVID-19: Housing Policy as a Primary Pandemic Mitigation Strategy, Journal of Urban Health

OAS Episode 127 Transcription

**Understanding the Quad Caucus | OAS Episode 126** Apr 05, 2021
The Quad Caucus is a coalition of the four national caucuses of color representing Asian-Pacific American, Black, Native American and Hispanic legislators. Combined, the four groups represent more than 1,400 state lawmakers. The group came together in 2012 with the support of NCSL and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and is focused on promoting equitable outcomes in all communities focusing on people of color in the areas of health, education, economic security and justice.

On this podcast we talk with Washington Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) and Kansas Rep. Barbara Ballard (D). Both are veteran legislators and longtime members of the Quad Caucus. Santos and Ballard discussed the work of the caucus and the effort to create more diverse legislatures.

Resources

National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Caucus of Native American State Legislators

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

OAS Episode 126 Transcript

**Understanding the Quad Caucus | OAS Episode 126** Apr 05, 2021
The Quad Caucus is a coalition of the four national caucuses of color representing Asian-Pacific American, Black, Native American and Hispanic legislators. Combined, the four groups represent more than 1,400 state lawmakers. The group came together in 2012 with the support of NCSL and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and is focused on promoting equitable outcomes in all communities focusing on people of color in the areas of health, education, economic security and justice.

On this podcast we talk with Washington Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D) and Kansas Rep. Barbara Ballard (D). Both are veteran legislators and longtime members of the Quad Caucus. Santos and Ballard discussed the work of the caucus and the effort to create more diverse legislatures.

Resources

National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators

National Black Caucus of State Legislators

National Caucus of Native American State Legislators

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators

OAS Episode 126 Transcript

Building Democracy: The Story of Legislatures | Episode 5 Mar 17, 2021

Overview

Podcast logo NCSL’s Our American States podcast presents a special six-part series, “Building Democracy: The Story of Legislatures.” This new mini-series covers the history, characters and stories of state legislatures in America, from the beginnings in Jamestown, to the present day and into the future.

Each episode in the series will contain interviews with experts from inside and outside the legislative world to provide a comprehensive view of historical events and their legacy in today’s legislatures. Extras will include extended guest interview clips, articles in NCSL’s State Legislatures magazine, blogs and resources for those who want to dive deeper into topics covered in the podcast.

Episode 5

The fifth installment of NCSL’s six-episode podcast series takes place in the not-too-distant past. The work of legislating changed dramatically between the 1960s and the 1990s, resulting in more responsive and representative legislatures.

By the early 1900s, legislatures had become increasingly dependent upon the executive branch, decreasing their coequal status in state government. Beginning in the late ’50s and early ’60s, demands on legislatures grew and lawmakers and their constituencies became more diverse.

In response to 20th-century challenges, lawmakers began to spend more time on the job, with sessions getting longer and more frequent, often including interim work. These changes, along with exponential increases in the number of legislative staff, brought the work of legislators and the mission of legislative institutions into a new age.

Delve into the characters, stories and organizations that believed in representative democracy and the legislative institution enough to come together and study, innovate and create stronger legislatures.

Guests

Representative Senfronia Thompson, Texas | Bio
Former Senator Fred Risser, Wisconsin | Bio
E. Dotson Wilson, former chief clerk, California State Assembly | Bio
Speaker Bryan Cutler, Pennsylvania | Bio
Bill Pound, former executive director, NCSL | Bio

Additional Resources

Building Democracy: Episode 5 | Transcript (coming soon)
Building Democracy: Episode 5 | Show Notes (coming soon)
Building Democracy: Episode 5 | Resources and Reading List
Women in Legislatures
Legislator Demographics

Ann Morse, NCSL — **Trends in State Immigration Law | OAS Episode 125** Mar 14, 2021
A new report from NCSL, “Immigrant Policy Project: Report on State Immigration Laws, 2020,” summarizes state laws and resolutions enacted between January and December 2020 and trends in immigration legislation throughout the year.

The report’s author, Ann Morse, is federal affairs counsel for NCSL’s Immigrant Policy Project and a longtime observer of state legislation related to immigrants. Morse is the guest on this podcast.

Morse discusses the findings in the report, including a trend to address occupational licensing laws to reduce barriers to employment for foreign trained professionals who are in the country legally. She also talks about legislation related to education, law enforcement, driver’s licenses and more.

It’s been 35 years since the federal government has enacted comprehensive immigration legislation and Morse explains how that has motivated states to take action on their own and the possibility of action at the federal level under the new administration.

Resources

"Immigrant Policy Project: Report on State Immigration Laws, 2020"

NCSL Immigration Homepage

OAS Episode 125 Transcription

James Whitehorne, U.S. Census Bureau — **Census Delays and Redistricting | OAS Episode 124** Mar 07, 2021
The U.S. census is an enormous once-a-decade undertaking aimed at counting everyone in the country. Despite its scope and importance, the census rarely makes headlines. This past year, however, upset virtually everything in society and the census was no exception. The data state legislatures rely on for redistricting congressional and state legislative seats will not be available until Sept. 30, six months later than usual.

James Whitehorne, chief of the Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office at U.S. Census Bureau, is the first guest on the podcast. Whitehorne discusses how the pandemic affected the bureau’s ability to collect data, other challenges the bureau faced, the success of using online forms and offers some historical perspective on the 2020 count.

The second guest is Wendy Underhill, who oversees the Elections and Redistricting Program at NCSL. Underhill discusses steps states are taking to deal with the delayed data delivery and how it might affect election filing dates, and also reminds listeners that he census forms the basis of how the federal government distributes about $1.5 trillion annually to states.

Resources

NCSL Redistricting Homepage

NCSL Redistricting Seminars

OAS Episode 124 Transcription

Redistricting Law 2020

U.S. Census Bureau

Abby Walsh, CCJ — **COVID-19 and the Criminal Justice System | OAS Episode 123** Mar 01, 2021
Like many areas of society, the criminal justice system has struggled over the last year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank that works to advance understanding of the criminal justice system and help inform the development of public policy, decided to take a deep dive into the system to see how it was coping. The council formed a task force in mid-2020 to examine how the criminal justice system has responded to the pandemic, offer guidance in the short term on how to deal with those challenges and a longer term assessment to help criminal justice leaders develop policies for the future.

The guests on this podcast discuss what they discovered, the type of guidance the council offered leaders in the criminal justice system and what needs to change to prepare for the next catastrophe.

Our guests are Abby Walsh, the council’s vice president for strategy and operations, and Thomas Abt, director of the task force and an expert on criminal justice policy. He is also the author of “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence—and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets.”

Resources

Council on Criminal Justice

National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice

OAS Episode 123 Transcription

Reports From the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice

Thomas Abt, CCJ — **COVID-19 and the Criminal Justice System | OAS Episode 123** Mar 01, 2021
Like many areas of society, the criminal justice system has struggled over the last year dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank that works to advance understanding of the criminal justice system and help inform the development of public policy, decided to take a deep dive into the system to see how it was coping. The council formed a task force in mid-2020 to examine how the criminal justice system has responded to the pandemic, offer guidance in the short term on how to deal with those challenges and a longer term assessment to help criminal justice leaders develop policies for the future.

The guests on this podcast discuss what they discovered, the type of guidance the council offered leaders in the criminal justice system and what needs to change to prepare for the next catastrophe.

Our guests are Abby Walsh, the council’s vice president for strategy and operations, and Thomas Abt, director of the task force and an expert on criminal justice policy. He is also the author of “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence—and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets.”

Resources

Council on Criminal Justice

National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice

OAS Episode 123 Transcription

Reports From the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice

**Isolation and Loneliness Amid the Pandemic | OAS Episode 122** Feb 15, 2021
Social isolation and loneliness are topics most of us have first-hand experience with after a year of a pandemic has left us unable to spend time with family and friends. The ill effects of such isolation are not just on our mental health but also can affect our physical health just as much as cigarette smoking or obesity.
Our guests are Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University in Utah, and Lori Gerhard, director of the Office of Interagency Innovation at the U.S. Administration for Community Living.
Holt-Lunstad, who has studied the topic for decades, discusses groups in society most at risk for social isolation and how public policy can help address the problem. Gerhard addresses particularly how social isolation affects older Americans and how policies at the federal and state level can help them with these challenges.
Resources
OAS Episode 122 Transcription
"Sustaining Behavioral Health Services Through the Pandemic"
“The Double Pandemic of Social Isolation and COVID-19: Cross-Sector Policy Must Address Both,” by Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad
U.S. Administration for Community Living

**Isolation and Loneliness Amid the Pandemic | OAS Episode 122** Feb 15, 2021
Social isolation and loneliness are topics most of us have first-hand experience with after a year of a pandemic has left us unable to spend time with family and friends. The ill effects of such isolation are not just on our mental health but also can affect our physical health just as much as cigarette smoking or obesity.
Our guests are Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University in Utah, and Lori Gerhard, director of the Office of Interagency Innovation at the U.S. Administration for Community Living.
Holt-Lunstad, who has studied the topic for decades, discusses groups in society most at risk for social isolation and how public policy can help address the problem. Gerhard addresses particularly how social isolation affects older Americans and how policies at the federal and state level can help them with these challenges.
Resources
OAS Episode 122 Transcription
"Sustaining Behavioral Health Services Through the Pandemic"
“The Double Pandemic of Social Isolation and COVID-19: Cross-Sector Policy Must Address Both,” by Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad
U.S. Administration for Community Living

Dr Jonathan Mermin, CDC — **Ending HIV/AIDS in the U.S. | OAS Episode 121** Feb 08, 2021
HIV/AIDS has killed about 700,000 people in the U.S. since it first emerged more than 40 years ago. But deaths have dropped dramatically since the mid-‘90s as new treatments have beome available. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2019 launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative that aims to eliminate the disease in this country.

On this podcast, we talk with Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He discusses the range of treatments available to fight HIV/AIDS, strategies to prevent spread of the disease and the role state policymakers can play in helping eradicate the disease.

Our other guest if Charlie Severance-Medaris, a policy expert at NCSL. Charlie explains the steps states are taking to help people to get access to critical medications, changes in laws that have criminalized some behaviors for people with HIV/AIDS, and other efforts at the state level to end the epidemic.

Resources

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, CDC

Ending the HIV Epidemic: Jurisdictional Plans, NASTAD

HIV and STD Criminalization Laws, CDC

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention

NCSL’s Injury Prevention Database

NCSL’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment Database

OAS Episode 121 Transcription

Preventing Infectious Diseases Caused by Injecting Drugs

Syringe Service Programs, CDC

Charlie Severance-Medaris, NCSL — **Ending HIV/AIDS in the U.S. | OAS Episode 121** Feb 08, 2021
HIV/AIDS has killed about 700,000 people in the U.S. since it first emerged more than 40 years ago. But deaths have dropped dramatically since the mid-‘90s as new treatments have beome available. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2019 launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative that aims to eliminate the disease in this country.

On this podcast, we talk with Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He discusses the range of treatments available to fight HIV/AIDS, strategies to prevent spread of the disease and the role state policymakers can play in helping eradicate the disease.

Our other guest if Charlie Severance-Medaris, a policy expert at NCSL. Charlie explains the steps states are taking to help people to get access to critical medications, changes in laws that have criminalized some behaviors for people with HIV/AIDS, and other efforts at the state level to end the epidemic.

Resources

Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, CDC

Ending the HIV Epidemic: Jurisdictional Plans, NASTAD

HIV and STD Criminalization Laws, CDC

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention

NCSL’s Injury Prevention Database

NCSL’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment Database

OAS Episode 121 Transcription

Preventing Infectious Diseases Caused by Injecting Drugs

Syringe Service Programs, CDC

Let’s Make a Deal: The Art of Legislative Negotiation | OAS Episode 120 Feb 01, 2021

The ability to negotiate skillfully is critical to a well-functioning legislature. On this episode, our guest makes the point that negotiation skills are not only crucial to the legislature, they are similarly important in just about everything you do in life.

Our guest, Monica Giannone, is a consultant and trainer specializing in negotiation and conflict resolution. She also runs the Harvard Kennedy School Negotiation Project and is an adjunct lecturer in negotiation at Babson College.

Resources

**States and COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution | OAS Episode 119** Jan 18, 2021
Every state in the country is involved in distributing and administering the two COVID-19 vaccines now approved for use by the US. Food and Drug Administration. Each state is working with a plan that it created in consultation with the federal government.

On this podcast we discuss how those plans were created, how they’ve had to change as the pandemic has progressed and what lies ahead.

Our guests are Hemi Tewarson, an expert in state plans to distribute the COVID-19 vaccines. She is a visiting senior policy fellow at the Margolis Center for Health policy at Duke University. As a health policy expert, she has studied the state vaccine plans and discusses how those are working, changes in federal guidance and when everyone will have access to the vaccine.

Our other guest is Tahra Johnson, a policy expert at NCSL. Tahra discusses state legislative action related to vaccine plans and how legislators can get involved in the planning process.

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccination Program- Interim Playbook, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

State Action on Coronavirus (COVID-19), NCSL COVID-19 Legislation Database

"First COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in the U.S.," State Legislatures magazine

Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine, National Academy of Medicine

OAS Episode 119 Transcription

State Health Action on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

"State Legislatures Inject Momentum Into COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts," State Legislatures magazine

**States and COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution | OAS Episode 119** Jan 18, 2021
Every state in the country is involved in distributing and administering the two COVID-19 vaccines now approved for use by the US. Food and Drug Administration. Each state is working with a plan that it created in consultation with the federal government.

On this podcast we discuss how those plans were created, how they’ve had to change as the pandemic has progressed and what lies ahead.

Our guests are Hemi Tewarson, an expert in state plans to distribute the COVID-19 vaccines. She is a visiting senior policy fellow at the Margolis Center for Health policy at Duke University. As a health policy expert, she has studied the state vaccine plans and discusses how those are working, changes in federal guidance and when everyone will have access to the vaccine.

Our other guest is Tahra Johnson, a policy expert at NCSL. Tahra discusses state legislative action related to vaccine plans and how legislators can get involved in the planning process.

Resources

COVID-19 Vaccination Program- Interim Playbook, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

State Action on Coronavirus (COVID-19), NCSL COVID-19 Legislation Database

"First COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in the U.S.," State Legislatures magazine

Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine, National Academy of Medicine

OAS Episode 119 Transcription

State Health Action on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

"State Legislatures Inject Momentum Into COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts," State Legislatures magazine

Colleen Becker, NCSL — **The Fiscal Challenge of Emerging Gene Therapies | OAS Episode 118** Jan 11, 2021
A new category of gene therapies is offering life-changing treatments to people with some forms of cancer and other rare disorders. These revolutionary treatments, however, come with a large price tag, sometimes exceeding millions of dollars for a single patient. Often, these costs fall on state Medicaid systems.

On this podcast we discuss how states are dealing with this challenge. One of our guests is Anne Winter, a Medicaid strategist with the national research and consulting firm Health Management Associates. Winter, who has particular expertise in pharmacy benefit management, discusses some of the strategies state are employing.

Our other guest is Colleen Becker, a policy expert at NCSL, who lays out the scope of the challenge facing states.

Additional Resources

NCSL Health Program

OAS Episode 118 Transcription

Anne Winter, Health Management Associates — **The Fiscal Challenge of Emerging Gene Therapies | OAS Episode 118** Jan 11, 2021
A new category of gene therapies is offering life-changing treatments to people with some forms of cancer and other rare disorders. These revolutionary treatments, however, come with a large price tag, sometimes exceeding millions of dollars for a single patient. Often, these costs fall on state Medicaid systems.

On this podcast we discuss how states are dealing with this challenge. One of our guests is Anne Winter, a Medicaid strategist with the national research and consulting firm Health Management Associates. Winter, who has particular expertise in pharmacy benefit management, discusses some of the strategies state are employing.

Our other guest is Colleen Becker, a policy expert at NCSL, who lays out the scope of the challenge facing states.

Additional Resources

NCSL Health Program

OAS Episode 118 Transcription

Tim Storey, NCSL — **State of State Legislatures 2021 | OAS Episode 117** Jan 04, 2021
After a year like no other, legislators face some unprecedented challenges when they return to work in the 2021 sessions. COVID-19 and its effects on every aspect of society—the economy, the health care, education, criminal justice and more—will be front and center for every legislature in the nation.

Tim Storey, executive director of NCSL, is the guest on the podcast and offers his perspective on what it all means. We discussed how legislatures will meet, what their priority lists look like, how budgets are shaping up and what a new administration in Washington, D.C., means for states.

Additional Resources

2021 Session Prep: Resources for Legislative Staff

OAS Episode 117 Transcription

Back to the Future: The Past Year Will Guide Planning for 2021 Sessions

State of State Legislatures 2020, Podcast

**Time to Redistrict | OAS Episode 116** Dec 17, 2020
Possibly the most underreported story during the November 2020 election was the effect it would have on redistricting, the once-a-decade effort to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

On the podcast, Ben Williams, an NCSL policy expert on redistricting, explains how the election sets up legislatures to start the redistricting process, and discusses when the U.S. Census Bureau will supply states with the data they need to do both reapportionment and redistricting. He also fills us in on upcoming three-day redistricting seminar offered by NCSL that will take legislators and legislative staff through the various challenges involved in the process.

Resources

NCSL Online Redistricting Seminar | Jan. 6-8, 2021

OAS Episode 116 Transcription

Redistricting Homepage

Alabama Rep. Debbie Wood — **Some Sage Advice for New Legislators | OAS Episode 115** Dec 14, 2020
As the 2021 legislative sessions begin, about 15% of the lawmakers will be first timers. As with any new job, a little advice from more seasoned colleagues can be helpful.

On this podcast, I’m joined by Alabama Representative Debbie Wood and former Maine Representative Matt Moonen. They bring different perspectives. Wood, a Republican, was elected in 2018, and is completing her first term. Moonen, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and retired this year because of term limits. He served as House majority leader.

They talked about what surprised them the most when they first arrived in the legislature; how they handle relationships with colleagues, lobbyists and constituents; and their best piece of advice for new legislators.

Resources

NCSL New Members Webpage

OAS Episode 115 Transcription

What I Wish I Knew Parts 1 and 2, NCSL podcasts

Former Maine Rep. Matt Moonen — **Some Sage Advice for New Legislators | OAS Episode 115** Dec 14, 2020
As the 2021 legislative sessions begin, about 15% of the lawmakers will be first timers. As with any new job, a little advice from more seasoned colleagues can be helpful.

On this podcast, I’m joined by Alabama Representative Debbie Wood and former Maine Representative Matt Moonen. They bring different perspectives. Wood, a Republican, was elected in 2018, and is completing her first term. Moonen, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and retired this year because of term limits. He served as House majority leader.

They talked about what surprised them the most when they first arrived in the legislature; how they handle relationships with colleagues, lobbyists and constituents; and their best piece of advice for new legislators.

Resources

NCSL New Members Webpage

OAS Episode 115 Transcription

What I Wish I Knew Parts 1 and 2, NCSL podcasts

Dr. Wanda Barfield, CDC — **CDC and States Working to Reduce Maternal Mortality | OAS Episode 114** Dec 07, 2020
An estimated 700 women will die from pregnancy-related complications in the U.S. this year, and most of those deaths are preventable. In addition, Black and Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die of pregnancy related issues than White women.

On this podcast, the focus is on maternal mortality. I talk with Dr. Wanda Barfield, the director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She discusses efforts by the CDC to reduce the number of deaths, including sharing strategies with state legislators as they try to craft solutions that work best in their states.

My second guest is Khanh Nguyen, a policy expert at NCSL who tracks legislation related to maternal mortality. She shares examples of specific legislation and approaches employed by states, including a focus on helping Black and Indigenous women.

Additional Resources

Healthy Women, Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Futures: Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Hear Her campaign, CDC

OAS Episode 114 Transcription

Reproductive Health, CDC

Saving Moms: Strategies to Reduce Maternal Mortality in the U.S., NCSL webinar

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Khanh Nguyen, NCSL — **CDC and States Working to Reduce Maternal Mortality | OAS Episode 114** Dec 07, 2020
An estimated 700 women will die from pregnancy-related complications in the U.S. this year, and most of those deaths are preventable. In addition, Black and Indigenous women are two to three times more likely to die of pregnancy related issues than White women.

On this podcast, the focus is on maternal mortality. I talk with Dr. Wanda Barfield, the director of the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She discusses efforts by the CDC to reduce the number of deaths, including sharing strategies with state legislators as they try to craft solutions that work best in their states.

My second guest is Khanh Nguyen, a policy expert at NCSL who tracks legislation related to maternal mortality. She shares examples of specific legislation and approaches employed by states, including a focus on helping Black and Indigenous women.

Additional Resources

Healthy Women, Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Futures: Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Hear Her campaign, CDC

OAS Episode 114 Transcription

Reproductive Health, CDC

Saving Moms: Strategies to Reduce Maternal Mortality in the U.S., NCSL webinar

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve Maternal Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Building Democracy: The Story of Legislatures | Episode 4 Nov 19, 2020