Ethics Commissions: Representing the Public Interest
In a representative democracy, lawmakers constantly face a critical ethical dilemma—deciding whether to represent the views of their constituents or to pursue their personal self-interest. Such ethical conflicts are an inherent part of the legislative process as elected officials work within the complex, multifaceted sphere of political and legislative ethics. It is within this complicated, ever-changing context that oversight agencies come into play. Ethics commissions work to ensure voters’ trust in policymakers and political institutions through external oversight and transparency. 
Letters to the Editor
The Revisor's Project: An NCSL Undertaking
by Jennifer Gilroy, Colorado Revisor of Statutes
The Beginning:
The idea for the Revisors Project was originally born out of the extreme trepidation I experienced as I approached the dreaded tenth anniversary of our state's publication contract. Colorado law dictates that we issue an RFP (request for proposals) for the publication of Colorado's state statutes and session laws at least every ten years. I was not involved in the process ten years ago, but I knew enough to know that the world of publishing had changed significantly since then. Consider that just ten years ago terms such as "smart phone", "iPad", and "Droid" didn't even exist, the word "application" was certainly not synonymous with a completely new form of digital publication that could simultaneously make me feel stupid and old. And the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws had not yet determined a need for common statutory language among the fifty states to preserve and protect the integrity of the law on the world wide web! Ten years ago, if you simply made your state's statutes available to the public on the internet, you considered yourself fairly progressive.
Webinar: Need a Well-Structured Sentence? Use an Old Tool for a Modern Job.
Legislative attorneys and editors must prepare legislation that is clear, concise, and accurate. The job is language-intensive, and the lost art of sentence diagramming may help you do it better. In this one-hour webinar, Wendy Jackson and Cathlene Hanaman (a legislative editor and a legislative attorney in Wisconsin) will show you the basics of diagramming sentences, beginning with one subject and one verb and ending with complex examples. More
Archived Webinar: Employment Law and Workplace Relationships
How can managers and employees protect themselves and their workplace from relationship-related problems but also avoid overly rigid rules and policies that take the fun out of work? More
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Mason's Manual!
Get ready for the 2012 legislative session by purchasing your copy of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure. Designed for state legislatures, Mason’s Manual addresses problems and concepts in the context legislators are most likely to face. The 2010 edition is revised and updated, easy to understand and use, and extensively referenced and indexed. Legislative staff members are eligible for the special rate of $60 per copy. Visit the online NCSL Bookstore to order your copy today and also check out our customer service page for information on volume discounts.
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State News
December State news includes:
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Several states deal with redistricting.
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Colorado launches a staff blog.
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Delaware and Washington pass medical marijuana bills.
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Maine and West Virginia dive into bath-salts iissue.
2011 Legislative Summit: Handouts & Recordings
 The Legal Services Staff Section session handouts from the Legislative Summit are available online. More
The Supreme Court Roundup was recorded. More
NCSL’s The Canvass
 If your professional portfolio includes voter ID, early voting, voter registration, poll worker qualifications, or any other elections-related topic, you might like to subscribe to NCSL’s The Canvass. This electronic newsletter is produced by our elections team with support from The Pew Center on the States. It tackles one big topic in each issue, plus gives the news from the states.
Here are some recent issues:
October - Ballot Design Matters
September—Elections are NOT Priceless
August—Vote Centers Come of Age
June-- Online Voter Registration: Coming to a State Near You?
May—A Primer on Primaries
This is a FREE newsletter; just email TheCanvass@ncsl.org with your name, title, phone, and mailing address, and you’ll be added to the distribution list. Or, call Wendy Underhill at 303-364-7700 for more details.
The TRANSPORT REPORT
 The TRANSPORT REPORT is a monthly newsletter produced by NCSL’s Transportation Programs. The newsletter focuses on state and federal transportation news, trends and analysis. Legislative updates and bill lists are often featured. For more information or to be added to the distribution list, please contact Helen Narvasa or call (202) 624-8678.
A Few NCSL Databases
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NCSL has launched the first-of-its-kind database tracking state actions on major provisions in the Affordable Care Act. The database contains 2011 legislation, including pending, failed and enacted bills and resolutions.
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Track 2011 collective bargaining legislation in NCSL’s new searchable database. More
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Unemployment legislation is available for 2010 and 2011 in NCSL’s searchable database. More
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This database contains state legislation that was introduced in 2011 related to the administration of elections. More
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See what legislative ethics and lobbying bills are making their way through the nation's state legislatures at NCSL's Center for Ethics in Government's Ethics and Lobbying Legislation Database. More
NCSL provides two databases of state-level election reform legislation. Both databases use the same categories, so searching in either is easy.
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The new 2011 database, powered by State Net, provides easy access to this year's election-related bills; bill status is automatically updated every two weeks.
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The 2001-2010 database is still available, providing users with historical data.
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