NCSL Podcasts

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2026 State Elections Preview | OAS Episode 271 Oct 11, 2026

Show notes

The 2026 elections will see 6,139 of the nation’s 7,386 legislative seats on the ballot. There will be 146 measures on the November ballot, and including measures voted on earlier in 2026 the total for the year is 165 measures. Voters also will cast ballots for governor in 36 states.

We sat down with two NCSL elections experts -- Katy Owens Hubler, director of NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting Program, and Helen Brewer, who tracks statewide ballot measures—to find out where things stand about a month before Election Day.

Hubler discussed how the election may affect governing trifectas, where one party controls both houses and the legislature and the governor’s mansion; how many states will still have divided legislative control after the voting; and where supermajorities might be won or lost.

Brewer noted that measures related to taxes, bonds and funding are the most numerous, including a number around housing. There also a notable number of measures related to education, and others on election administration, including the ballot measure process itself.

Resources

2026 Elections Put Statehouses, Ballot Measures in the Spotlight, NCSL

Cybersecurity Threats Facing Utilities | OAS Episode 270 Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

Our focus on this podcast is cybersecurity at utilities. Electric, gas, and water utilities face billions of automated probes every year. While only a fraction of probes is successful, the cost of such attacks runs into the billions and systems are vulnerable because of aging infrastructure, a large number of small systems without large IT staffs, and sometimes poor cybersecurity culture.

To discuss the threat situation, we talked with David Ketchen, the assistant general manager at the Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments in Littleton, Mass. , and Bill Murray, a senior vice president with Dominion Energy, an energy holding company in Virginia.

Ketchen detailed a widely reported attack by Chinese hackers at his small utility in 2023 that he and others at the utility became aware of after being contacted by the FBI. Working with the FBI and federal officials from Homeland Security, the utility was able to monitor the hackers and there was no disruption of service. But Ketchen said the utility learned valuable lessons that others, particularly at smaller utilities, can learn from.

Murray offered the perspective of large utilities and the systems their organizations use, defend off attacks from attackers, from transnational criminal organizations and nation states.

Resources

U.S. DOE Resources for State Energy Security

Putting Data to Work in the Criminal Justice System | OAS Episode 269 Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

The focus of this podcast is how to use criminal justice data to better understand how a range of programs affect people in the justice system and how policymakers can use such data to decide which programs to support.

Criminal justice data in the U.S. is fragmented. Traditionally, there's been no structure to collect and integrate data in a consistent fashion that would allow policymakers to see trends across the states, regions or the nation.

To better understand the issue, we sat down with Mike Mueller-Smith, an associate professor of economics at the University of Michigan and the director of the Criminal Justice Administrative Record System, or CJARS. CJARS is a joint project between the University of Michigan and the U.S. Census Bureau. The decade-old effort seeks to modernize the data reporting and collection and allow policymakers to track people from their first encounter with the justice system through the eventual resolution of their case.

Mueller-Smith explained how the project came to be and how legislators and others in state government and beyond can use it.

Our other guest is Senator Barry Usher of Montana, who serves as majority whip and is the president of NCSL. Usher, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been a long-time advocate for collecting and using criminal justice data to better inform policy. He discussed legislation passed in Montana and how he thinks it will help the state better evaluate criminal justice programs in the future.

Resources

Criminal Justice Administrative Records System (CJARS)
Incorporating Data and Evidence Into Criminal Justice Policy Decisions: Options and Resources, NCSL brief
Justice Outcomes Explorer
Montana HJR 31, 2021
Montana SB 11, 2023
Montana HB 117, 2025
Policymakers Use of Data to Inform Criminal Justice Decisions, NCSL

Focus on Energy Affordability: Part 2 | OAS Episode 268 Aug 09, 2026

Show notes

This is the second part of a two-part podcast on energy affordability. In our previous episode, we talked with Representative Craig Williams of Pennsylvania and Janine Benner, director of the Oregon Department of Energy.

For this episode, we’re joined by Katherine Jereza, an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy who directs the Office of Electricity, and Joseph Pereira, the director of Colorado's Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate.

In the worlds of both politics and policy, energy affordability is a hot topic. The U.S. saw largely flat electricity demand from the late ’90s until just a couple of years ago. Increasing demand from both homes and businesses, electrification of cars and trucks, the growth of data centers and other factors have strained the nation's ability to meet demand. Rates have increased and legislators are increasingly concerned that consumers will face more and larger rate increases.

Assistant Secretary Jereza discussed how energy affordability is affected by challenges in both generation and transmission of energy and how data centers offer promise to help run the grid more efficiently. She also discussed resources for states that are trying to keep down energy costs for their residents.

Pereira explained how his office functions as a consumer advocate, how his agency approaches energy affordability, and the concerns he brings to the debate around data centers and how they can affect ratepayers.

Resources

Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate
Factors Affecting Electricity Prices, U.S. Energy Information Administration
NCSL 2025 State Legislative Energy Trends Report
Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

ROI and the Workforce | OAS Episode 267 Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

The focus of the podcast is how states are working toward connecting education and training systems with the workforce. State policymakers are keenly interested in measuring the return on investment or ROI that they can see from state investment in education and training programs of all kinds.

Our guests are Mary Alice McCarthy, founder and senior director of the Center on Education and Labor at New America, a nonpartisan think tank; Alabama Senator Arthur Orr and Utah Representative Norm Thurston.

All three joined a group of more than 30 legislators, speakers, and staff at a recent conference in Bozeman, Montana convened by NCSL. They discussed ROI and the related issue of career pathways and a variety of other topics and at how to align career and technical education, credentialed programs and apprenticeship opportunities with high-demand occupations.

McCarthy explained the concept of ROI as it applies to assessing the effectiveness of educational and training programs, the types of questions legislators have about this approach and the different types of data most useful to policymakers. Senator Orr and Representative Thurston offered different perspectives from their states and discussed what they saw as the most valuable data to consider in evaluating the success of programs.

Resources

Focus on Energy Affordability: Part 1 | OAS Episode 266 Jun 21, 2026

Show notes

Our topic on this episode is energy affordability. In the worlds of both politics and policy, energy affordability is a hot topic. The U.S. saw largely flat electricity demand from the late ’90s until just a couple of years ago. Increasing demand from both homes and businesses, electrification of cars and trucks, the growth of data centers and other factors has strained the nation's ability to meet demand. Rates also have increased and legislators are increasingly concerned that consumers will face more and larger rate increases.

To offer some perspective, we sat down with Representative Craig Williams of Pennsylvania, and Janine Benner, the director of the Oregon Department of Energy.

Benner discussed how her agency focuses on an energy strategy for the state, how it works with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, and the challenge posed by scores of data centers around Oregon. She also explained how all of these elements work in the context of Oregon's ambitious clean energy goals.

Williams, who has extensive experience in the energy industry as a lawyer, talked about the demand challenge that's hitting the electrical system now and is expected to continue to increase, the effect of data center growth in Pennsylvania and what he sees as the right legislative approach to the problem.

Resources

Factors Affecting Electricity Prices, U.S. Energy Information Administration
NCSL 2025 State Legislative Energy Trends Report
Oregon Department of Energy

Assessing Mid-Decade Redistricting | OAS Episode 265 Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

The last year has seen an unusual spate of mid-decade redistricting. It was initiated by President Trump in 2025 when he urged the Texas legislature to redraw maps to favor Republicans in hopes of helping the GOP hold the House and the 2026 midterms.

State legislatures are at the center of these efforts in blue and red states. To offer some perspective, we sat down with Erin Covey, who leads coverage of the U.S. House for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, and Helen Brewer, who tracks redistricting legislation and developments for NCSL.

Covey explained the change to congressional maps in Texas, California, Virginia, and other states and discussed how the Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana case involving the Voting Rights Act could affect numerous districts over the next few elections.

Brewer offered some perspective on the history of redistricting, including mid-decade redistricting. She also discussed the basis and ramifications of the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

Resources

Mental Health and the Workplace | OAS Episode 264 | May 17, 2026 May 17, 2026

Show notes

This episode explored mental health and behavioral health in the workplace, including the role of employers and legislators in helping people facing mental health conditions.

Our guests included Julie Hocker, assistant secretary for Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, and Michigan Representative Curtis VanderWall.

This discussion came during Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to take stock of how mental health issues can affect the workplace, communities, and families.

Assistant Secretary Hocker addressed the scope of the problem, noting that despite a growing need, nearly 140 million Americans live in places with a shortage of behavioral health workers. She also discussed ways the federal government, states, and employers can support workers facing mental health-related issues.

Representative VanderWall discussed legislation he sponsored to create a student mental health apprenticeship and internship program in Michigan. He explained why it was needed and his hopes for the program long-term.

Resources

Apprenticeship.gov
Behavioral Health at Work policy briefs, NCSL. A series of briefs that explore policies and practices related to the behavioral health workforce and ways to remove barriers to employment for people with behavioral health conditions or related disabilities.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
Policy examples highlighted in the podcast :
- Wyoming SB 112 (2023) provides an employee assistance program for state employees to deliver short-term counseling, legal benefits, financial benefits counseling and work-life benefits consultations.
- Colorado SB 24-007 (2024) creates a behavioral health first aid training program for educators, law enforcement officers, first responders, military personnel and others.
- Kentucky HB 505 (2024) to set training and registration requirements for alcohol and drug peer support specialists.
State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED) is ODEP-funded initiative that helps states and localities advance disability employment policies through technical assistance, policy expertise, research, and peer learning opportunities. Connect with SEED at info@SEEDdisabilitypolicy.org.

As July 4 Anniversary Approaches, We Remember Some State History | OAS Episode 263 May 03, 2026

Show notes

As the nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, NCSL gathered a trio of experts to discuss the origin stories of their states.

Our group included Tim Powers, chief technology and outreach officer in the Alaska State Legislature; Paul Smith, clerk of the House of Representatives in New Hampshire; and Pev Squire, a professor of political science at the University of Missouri, and one of the nation's experts on the history of state legislatures.

We discussed the status of each state at the time of the American Revolution, how the state's constitutions were written, and some other unusual history, such as New Hampshire crafting the nation's first state constitution, largely out of necessity, and the remarkable brevity of the Alaskan Constitution.

This podcast is part of NCSL's annual Legislative Staff Week, which celebrates the innumerable contributions legislative staff make to the effectiveness of our state legislatures.

Resources

Legislative Staff, NCSL

Using Wage Records to Help Workers | OAS Episode 262 Apr 26, 2026

Show notes

Our focus on this podcast is enhanced wage records and the role they can play in helping states better understand their workforce, evaluate job training programs and show the return on investment for various educational programs.

Collecting enhanced employment data involves asking employers for additional information when they file regular reports with their state unemployment office, such as information about hours worked and establishing consistent coding for similar job types.

Joining the podcast to discuss the issue are Dr. Erica Groshen, former commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and now senior economics adviser at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and Paul Famolari, the assistant executive director for unemployment for the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.

Groshen explained how collection of this information in a standardized manner can help policymakers and researchers see trends in the workplace and know which job programs are paying off for workers. They also can show how new technology is affecting workers, such as which workers appear most vulnerable to losing their jobs to AI.

Famolari discussed how the program has worked in South Carolina, what lawmakers were hoping to learn when they passed the enabling legislation and some of the challenges his agency ran into in trying to implement the law.

Resources

Enhancing Unemployment Insurance Wage Data to Better Understand Education and Employment Outcomes, Data Quality Campaign
How Enhanced Wage Records Can Show the Value of Jobs Training Programs, NCSL
JEDx Value Proposition Research Report, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
What States Should Know about Education and Work -- But Don’t, Strada

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