Harvey Deluge Swamps State, Federal Resources Tuesday, August 29, 2017 The devastation of Hurricane Harvey comes on top of earlier disasters like wildfires, floods, earthquakes that have stressed federal resources to the limit. FEMA’s disaster relief fund is down to $3.3. billion. Any additional funding will require an appropriation from Congress.
Combating Rising Suicide Rates Using Scientific Research Tuesday, August 29, 2017 An American adult dies every 12 minutes by suicide. Rising rates have lifted suicide to the 10th leading cause of death in 2015
SCOTUS Accepts Prisoner's Attorney's Fees Case Tuesday, August 29, 2017 In an unusual move, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted a case during its summer recess. Like much of its docket, this case will affect states and local governments
Drilling Into the Options for Oral Health Wednesday, August 23, 2017 Oral health policy is more than filling cavities and a source for bad puns. Many legislators who attended NCSL’s Legislative Summit in Boston this month were surprised to learn that poor oral health can affect everything from annual income to the Army’s ability to deploy troops overseas.
Can Legislators Block or Ban People on Social Media? Monday, August 21, 2017 The average state legislature has 58 percent of all members on Facebook and 65 percent of all members on Twitter, according to one source. As public officials, they’ve likely had more than their share of online “trolls” following and friending them. But can they block or ban these individuals from their official or personal accounts?
Thursday Webinar: Dual Language Learners Monday, August 21, 2017 The final webinar in NCSL's Early Care and Education series will focus on policy options and strategies to effectively serve preschool through third grade students who are still mastering their native language while also learning English.