Monday, July 17

9:30 am - 11:00 am

Opening Plenary
Speaker: U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert

12:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Concurrent Session: How to Talk to a Journalist
Is one sound bite more powerful than an hour-long interview? Understand what reporters are looking for when they ask to speak to you. The international public relations firm of Fleishman-Hillard walks you through the interview minefield.

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Polls and the Legislative Process
Polls and surveys increasingly are being used by special interest groups to promote their agendas. Legislatures and legislators could also benefit from the use of polls, not only to understand public opinion, but also to understand if legislative initiatives are meeting legislative intent. Discover how to separate a good poll from a bad poll and how to use polling data in your public relations.

Tuesday, July 18, 2000

8:00 am – 9:30 am

Staff Breakfast
Gary Wills is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and adjunct professor of history at Northwestern University. His numerous books on politics and government have been widely acclaimed and earned him such prestigious recognition as the national Book Critics Circle Award (twice) and the Presidential Medal of the Endowment for the Humanities. In his most recent book, A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government, Wills argues that our tradition of distrust is "a tradition that belittles America, that asks us to love our country by hating our government…that obliges us to despise the very people we vote for."

Speaker: Gary Wills, Northwestern University, Illinois

10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Concurrent Session: How to Talk to a Journalist
Is one sound bite more powerful than an hour-long interview? Understand what reporters are looking for when they ask to speak to you. The international public relations firm of Fleishman-Hillard walks you through the interview minefield.

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Plenary Session (TBA)

2:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Concurrent Session: Getting the Gist on GIS
In addition to using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool to manage suburban sprawl, prepare for state emergencies and protect the environment, legislatures are taking advantage of GIS to tell the legislative story. By using a GIS, legislators not only can manage pressing state policy issues, but also dramatically demonstrate -- in map form -- the effect of their proposed legislation. Best of all, many states already have these systems in place for reapportionment and redistricting purposes. Please plan to attend and learn how to cost-effectively apply GIS to your constituents' needs.

Wednesday, July 18

8:00 am – 9:30 am

ASI/AFI Breakfast: High Stakes for the States: Reforming
the Presidential Primary Season
The presidential primary season started earlier than ever as states raced to be first to conduct presidential primaries. The result: by March 15, the primary race was essentially over. Now the two parties are considering plans that give states a more equal shot at deciding the people who will head their tickets and stretching the season through the spring. But will the states buy in?

10:15 am – 12:00 pm

Civics: The Crisis of an Uniformed Citizenry
A recent study found that one-third of high school seniors lacked a basic grasp of the principles of American government and that three-quarters were not proficient in civics. An informed and capable citizenry is critical to the preservation of representative democracy. This session explores the crisis in civic education, state efforts to respond to the problem and NCSL's Trust for Representative Democracy.

12:15 pm – 2:45 pm

Lunch/Executive Committee meeting/General Discussion

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Survival Skills for Dealing With the Media (with RACSS, ASLCS,
LSS)
Working with the press can be dicey for legislative staff. In a world saturated with spin, how do staff insure accuracy and objectivity, maintain confidentiality, and avoid landmines that could be hazardous to their career? This session will explore media relationships for legislative staff and provide vital information on ways to work effectively with the media, from both the staff and media perspective.

Thursday, July 20

9:00 am – 10:30 am

Closing Plenary Breakfast (National Pollsters Hart and Luntz)

10:45 am – 12:00 pm

Customer Service (with nearly every staff section)