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Minutes of the Canadian-American Relations Committee ASLCS Fall Meeting Baltimore, Maryland September 26, 2004

The Canadian-American Relations Committee met on Sunday, September 26, 2004 in Baltimore, Maryland, and was called to order by Steven T. James, MA, Chair.

The following members were present:

Steven T. James, MA, Chair Karen Wadsworth, NH, Vice Chair Steve Marshall, VT, Associate Vice Chair Robert Altman, WV Dave Avant, AL Crystaline Jones, AK Diane Keetch, NV Mick Bailey, WV Diane Bell, FL Suzi Lowell, AK Sam Moody, OR Carmela C. Bills, VA Paul Campos, WA Annette Moore, UT Norm Moore, AZ Lynne Collins, AK Polly Emerson, TX Eleanor Ringel, WV Nancy Schaufelberger, AK Londi Ensor, AK Jeff Finch, VA Patsy Spaw, TX Ann-Marie Sweeney, PA John Garrett, VA Elizabeth Hawthorne, MS Nancy Tribble, NV Kirsten Waid, AK Virginia Habansky, VA Joann Hedrick, DE Bo Hoover, WV Denise Weeks, NC Patience Worrell, TX

Minutes:

We were honored to include in our presence three members of the Association of Clerks-at-the-Table of Canada: Deb Deller and Claude DesRosiers, both of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and George MacMinn, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia.

The Chair made a statement regarding the purpose and charge of the committee being the maintaining of good relations with our neighbors to the north.  The Chair then identified the projects that the committee is engaged in this year:

• The creation of an album containing photographs and articles of past Joint Meetings of ASLCS and CATS.

• Topics to recommend for the next Joint Meeting to be held in Alberta, Canada, October, 11 to 16, 2005.

Topics suggested for concurrent sessions for the Alberta Joint Meeting were as follows:

• The differences in legislative and parliamentary staffs in Canada compared to those in the U.S.

• John Garrett of Virginia stated that he would like to learn more about the concept of the Government sitting in the Canadian Parliaments, which is so contrary to our system.

• George MacMinn suggested holding an Oxford style debate on the merits of the unicameral system (used by most Canadian parliaments) vs. the bicameral system (used by 49 of the 50 state legislatures in the U.S.)

• Jeff Finch suggested that a topic for the Joint Meeting in Alberta could be video clips of Canadian meetings compared with video clips of meetings of U.S. state legislatures.

The Chair asked members to try to come up with other ideas for the joint meeting that can be discussed during a conference call sometime prior to the spring meeting in Boston.

President Bruce Jamerson honored us with a visit and brief remarks regarding our 30 plus year good relationship with our friends from Canada.  He suggested that the Canadian system of governing might be an interesting topic for a concurrent session for the next annual meeting of ASLCS in Springfield next fall.  This idea will provide the committee with an opportunity to provide a concurrent session for next year’s meeting.

It was announced that Little Rock, Arkansas is being looked at as the possible site for hosting the 2007 Joint Meeting.

George MacMinn suggested that those attending the NCSL meeting in Seattle next summer should consider a side trip to Victoria.

With no other business before the committee, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded; and without objection the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Steven T. James, Chair, MA