March 14, 2007
LegisBriefs: Competing for Water, Immigration Enforcement in the Workplace, Primary Seat Belt Laws, Ethics Committees and Dual Enrollment
Capitol Ideas is a periodic listing of story ideas and background information from new NCSL research.
Each of the topics below is highlighted in NCSL's LegisBrief series. LegisBriefs are concise, easy-to-read and informative two-page reports. The goal of LegisBrief is to give reporters a wealth of insight into the issues that affect us all. For members of the press to obtain a free copy of LegisBrief, contact NCSL's Press Team.
Competing for Water
Water is an important issue for many states, and not just out west. Drought and rapid population growth in many parts of the country are pitting users and states against each other. Although states are coming up with creative solutions, the federal government can play an important role in facilitating discussions and ratifying agreements. This brief explains the agreements signed by states in the Southeast and Colorado River Basin to address water shortages and usage.
Immigration in the Workforce
State lawmakers considered more than 1,500 bills related to immigration in 2007. Ultimately, 240 were enacted. Many of these laws focused on both workers and employers. The federal government prohibits employers from hiring unauthorized workers and has established a voluntary Internet-based pilot program called E-Verify. E-Verify can help check the immigration status of new employees, but the system has been challenged in various courts of law. Find out if your state is using the E-Verify system and what challenges surround immigration legislation in the workplace.
Primary Seat Belt Laws
More than 30,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes each year. Statistics show that seat belts save approximately 15,000 lives annually and have prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries. Seat belt laws encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up, and now a number of states have made this type of law a primary offense. This means you can be pulled over by police solely for not wearing your seatbelt. Learn which 26 states have primary seat belt laws and which states are considering this move.
Ethics Committee: Internal Oversight of Ethics Laws
The challenges facing legislative ethics committees is to solidify their credibility with the public. Forty states have some form of ethics committees and most of them are composed of only legislators. Find out how these ethics committees vary from state to state, what type of jurisdiction they have, and how states handle ethics complaints.
Dual Enrollment
A variety of accelerated classes are offered to high school students so they can satisfy high school graduation requirements and earn college credit at the same time. Dual enrollment may improve high school graduation rates and increase success at college for some students, but there are also some risks involved. Discover how many states offer some type of dual enrollment policy and which ones are receiving national attention.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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