NCSL Podcasts

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Government
**NCSL Podcasts**

Learn about the people, policies and politics of America’s state legislatures with NCSL’s three podcasts: “Our American States,” “Across the Aisle” and the special limited series “Building Democracy.”

Latest Episodes:

Douglas Shinkle — **Traffic Safety: Legislative Trends and the Effects of the Pandemic | OAS Episode 104** Aug 17, 2020
Show notes

The focus of today’s podcast is transportation safety and the type of legislation states have enacted to address concerns in that area.

Our guests are two NCSL staffers, Doug Shinkle, who directs the Transportation Program, and Samantha Bloch, an NCSL transportation and traffic safety policy expert.

We discussed a range of topics—school bus safety, hand-held devices, alcohol and drug impaired driving. I also asked them to share their thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic might change some aspects of transportation and how states may respond.

Resources

NCSL Transportation Legislation Tracking Database

NCSL Transportation Program Homepage

OAS Episode 104 Transcription

**Traffic Safety: Legislative Trends and the Effects of the Pandemic | OAS Episode 104** Aug 17, 2020
Show notes

The focus of today’s podcast is transportation safety and the type of legislation states have enacted to address concerns in that area.

Our guests are two NCSL staffers, Doug Shinkle, who directs the Transportation Program, and Samantha Bloch, an NCSL transportation and traffic safety policy expert.

We discussed a range of topics—school bus safety, hand-held devices, alcohol and drug impaired driving. I also asked them to share their thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic might change some aspects of transportation and how states may respond.

Resources

NCSL Transportation Legislation Tracking Database

NCSL Transportation Program Homepage

OAS Episode 104 Transcription

**COVID-19: Contact Tracing, the CDC and the States | OAS Episode 103** Aug 10, 2020
Show notes

Today’s podcast focuses on contact tracing, a longtime tool used by public health officials. During this pandemic, contact tracers identify people infected with the coronavirus and then contact others they’ve interacted with recently. Contact tracers then help people get testing and offer support for self-isolating.

While every state receives some funding from the federal government to support contact tracing, states have the flexibility to manage their contact tracing plans differently. At least 17 states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation related to contact tracing, with at least and 11 states and D.C. having enacted these measures so far.

Our guest is Dr. Kyle Bernstein, chief of the Epidemiology and Statistics Branch in the Division of STD Prevention at the CDC and an expert in contact tracing.

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $120,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. government.

Coronavirus Resources for States Page

COVID-19: State Efforts on Testing and Contact Tracing, Archived NCSL Webinar

NCSL COVID-19 Testing and Contact Tracing Resources

OAS Episode 103 Transcription

**COVID-19: Connecting Behavioral and Public Health | OAS Episode 102** Aug 03, 2020
Show notes

This podcast focuses on how states can ensure that their public health systems are connecting people with physical and behavioral health services in an integrated system, an issue made even more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our guests include:

**Karmen Hanson,** a health policy expert from NCSL.

**New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D),** a longtime legislator, physician and a county director of health.

**Dr. Anne Zink,** chief medical officer for the state of Alaska.

Resources

NCSL Behavioral Health Overview

Bridging the Gap: Connecting Behavioral and Public Health

Interconnecting Behavioral and Public Health Systems Improves State Performance

Transcription OAS Episode 102

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $250,000 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

**COVID-19: Connecting Behavioral and Public Health | OAS Episode 102** Aug 03, 2020
Show notes

This podcast focuses on how states can ensure that their public health systems are connecting people with physical and behavioral health services in an integrated system, an issue made even more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our guests include:

**Karmen Hanson,** a health policy expert from NCSL.

**New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D),** a longtime legislator, physician and a county director of health.

**Dr. Anne Zink,** chief medical officer for the state of Alaska.

Resources

NCSL Behavioral Health Overview

Bridging the Gap: Connecting Behavioral and Public Health

Interconnecting Behavioral and Public Health Systems Improves State Performance

Transcription OAS Episode 102

This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $250,000 with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin (D) — **The ADA at 30: A Conversation With Former Senator Tom Harkin | OAS Episode 101** Jul 16, 2020
Show notes

Today’s podcast focuses on the Americans With Disabilities Act, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on July 26.

We’re fortunate to have former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin (D) as our guest. Senator Harkin, who spent 30 years in the U.S. Senate, was the author and chief sponsor of the ADA.

Senator Harkin shares the history of the ADA and how he came to play such a pivotal role. We also talked about his brother Frank, who helped inspire his work on the ADA; the political effort it took to pass the legislation; and the still unfinished business of ensuring that people with disabilities have the chance for a full life in American society.

Americans With Disabilities Act: Celebrating 30 Years

The Harkin Institute

Transcription of OAS Episode 101

Podcast Hits the Century Mark | OAS Episode 100 Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

Today’s podcast is the 100th episode of “Our American States,” a milestone we marked by bringing back the original host of the podcast, Gene Rose, and recalling some of our favorite moments from the last 3 ½ years. Those included interviews with political consultant Frank Luntz, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Matthew Desmond, who wrote “Evictions,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction.

We review some of the major policy issues that the podcast has covered, including how states have reacted to the COVID-19 crisis. We also share some clips from memorable interviews with a number of legislators and legislative staffers, as well as former NCSL Executive Director William Pound and current Executive Director Tim Storey.