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Women's Legislative Network of NCSL

Session Overviews, Presentations and Handouts

NCSL Annual Meeting
Boston, Massachusetts
August 5-9, 2007

Visit the Annual Meeting Multimedia Page (link coming soon) for audio and video recordings of many sessions!

How Do You Resolve Conflict? Are You a Turtle or a Shark?
Sunday, August 5, 2007

Faculty: Dr. Myrna Bair, Director, Women’s Leadership Development Program, University of Delaware Institute for Public Administration. 

Dr. Bair served in the Delaware State Senate from 1980 until 2000. During her legislative career, she was very involved with NCSL, serving as Chair of several committees, on the Executive Committee, and as President of the Women's Legislative Network.  It was through her work with the Network that she developed a leadership program for women in state legislatures and continues to provide training programs in regional and national meetings. Dr. Bair was the founder and currently serves as President of the Women's Leadership Center and was the founder and past President of the Delaware Chapter of the International Women's Forum.  She holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and has extensive teaching experience in both the sciences and leadership development.

The legislators and legislative staff who attended the workshop began by taking and scoring the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument.  The TKI assesses an individual’s behavior in conflict situations.  Such behavior can be described along two dimensions: goal-oriented, in which the individual attempts to achieve his or her desired outcome; and relationship-oriented, in which the individual attempts to preserve his or her relationship with the other party in the conflict.  These two dimensions are used to define five specific methods/styles of managing conflict.

Five Conflict-Handling Modes:

Avoidance – (Goals: Low, Relationships: Low).  A person knows there is a conflict but does not acknowledge it or attempt to address his own concerns or the concerns of the other person.

Accommodation – (Goals: Low, Relationships: High).  A person actively works to satisfy the other person’s concerns, without addressing his own needs.

Competition – (Goals: High, Relationships: Low).  A person actively works to “win,” without obvious concern for the needs of the other person.

Compromise – (Goals: Middle, Relationships: Middle).  Both parties give up some concerns to satisfy the other party and come to an agreement.

Collaboration – (Goals: High, Relationships: High).  The two parties work together to find a new and creative way to satisfy both concerns.

Dr. Bair emphasized that there is no “correct” score and that, although some people show a strong preference for one style above all others, many scores show a mix.  Participants discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each style and discussed situations where one style may be more effective than others.  They also discussed ways to recognize and work with the other person’s style during conflict situations. 

 View Dr. Bair's PowerPoint presentation.
(To view PDF files, you must install Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

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Network Executive Board Meeting
Sunday, August 5, 2007

Minutes available upon request.

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Strong Legislative Caucuses
Monday, August 6, 2007

Cosponsored with the NCSL Legislative Effectiveness and State Government Committee

Moderator:  Lana Oleen, President, Lana Oleen Consulting Services LLC, former Senate Majority Leader, Kansas

Panelists: Representative Martha Walz, Massachusetts, Co-Chair, Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators.
Representative Shane Jett, Oklahoma
Representative Gloria Fox, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus, Vice-Chair

Representative John McCoy, Washington, National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, Chair.
Paul Tokasz, Partner, Patricia Lynch Associates, former Assembly Majority Leader, New York
Justin Sargent, Director of Operations and Outreach, Office of Senate Majority Leader, Wisconsin

Lana Oleen led the panelists through a series of questions in a talk show format.  The panelists suggested a number of ideas toward improving the strength of legislative caucuses, whether they are traditional Republican or Democrat majority or minority caucuses or something along the line of an African American, tribal, women’s or some other kind of caucus:

• A caucus works much better with staff.  Legislators may have a genuine interest in the work of the caucus, but even a “specialized” caucus really needs staff who can focus on the day-to day needs of the group. 
• Native American caucuses in some states have found a natural affinity with rural legislators, as many of the tribes have significant populations in rural areas.   The building of relationships along rural lines has been a common occurrence.
• New York has shown that the specialized caucuses have tremendous strength when they act together on items of common interest.  They recently collaborated on some immigration-related issues that had a significant impact.
• The Oklahoma Native American Caucus found it very valuable to concentrate on defining their purpose, which is to promote what is best for the state from the focus of the tribes.  They have found that the unity of the caucus is more important than any one issue.
• The Massachusetts Black Caucus has tried to focus on problems that plague communities of color, such as health care disparities.
• The Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators decided not to take a position on legislative or budgetary priorities, but to focus on educational forums and building relationships.  Their events are always open to everyone.  They also found it helpful to frame issues so that they are relevant to male legislators (so they aren’t perceived as isolated or only focused on “women’s issues.”).
• All agreed that building trust within the caucus is a critical step.  You have to examine how you are going to handle issues where you don’t all agree, and then create a system to work through disagreements.
• The participants varied on their use of open or closed caucuses.  Some favored using closed caucuses to iron out differences and plan strategy, while others favored the democratic spirit of open caucuses.
• To move from minority to majority party status, a caucus often has to make some critical changes and do some hard work.  Minority party caucuses have to recruit good candidates because that more than anything else will make them competitive.  Also, you need to craft a message and then keep your candidates on message.  The words are important in a campaign.
• The minority party is often at risk because the majority is constantly looking to splinter off votes.  One of the hardest legislative positions can be whether to stick with your caucus and personal beliefs on an issue or compromise that when you have the opportunity to do something substantial for your constituents.
• Some specialized caucuses have found value in creating helpful materials for other legislators.  The Oklahoma Native American Caucus developed a map showing the tribes and their distribution throughout the state, all keyed to legislative districts.  The material also created a key contacts list for the various tribal leaders.  They have gotten great feedback on the practical value of the materials.

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The Creative Economy Advantage: How States are Cashing In on Culture
Monday, August 6, 2007

Cosponsored with the NCSL Labor and Economic Development Committee

It’s no secret that state officials compete with each other to attract businesses and high paying jobs to their states.  But the secret to success may lie in the ability to nurture and draw knowledge-based workers since many of these jobs follow the workforce.  This session explored how some states have accomplished this by developing the creative economy and what the effects have been. 

Moderator: Representative Sheryl Allen, Utah
Immediate Past Chair, NCSL Economic Development, Trade & Cultural Affairs Committee

Speakers:

Jay Dick, Director of State and Local Government Affairs, Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C.
  View Jay Dick's PowerPoint.

Jane Preston, Director of Programs, New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
 View Jane Preston's PowerPoint.

Opportunities for Working Families Networking Breakfast
Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Cosponsored with the NCSL/Annie E. Casey Partnership

Legislators gathered for an informal breakfast to discuss state policy related to economic development and helping low-income working families succeed.

Inaugural Reception for Incoming Network President, Representative Sheryl Allen, Utah
Tuesday, August 7, 2007

The reception was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Avon Products Inc.; The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association; EnergySolutions; Equipment Leasing and Finance Association; General Motors Corporation; Mary Kay Inc. ; Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Procter & Gamble Company; SelectHealth; Utah Education Association; and Utah Medical Association.

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Walk for Wellness
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

More than 125 Annual Meeting attendees gathered at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade for the second annual NCSL Walk for Wellness, organized by the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators and the Women’s Legislative Network of NCSL.  The Walk was dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of eliminating health disparities in minority and underserved populations. 

Before the Walk began, the caucuses and the Women’s Legislative Network honored the work of two Boston-area organizations with a monetary donation. 
Project Bread is dedicated to ending hunger in Massachusetts and ensuring that all Massachusetts residents have access to nutritious food, as an unhealthy diet is one of the greatest risk factors for numerous health problems.  Ellen Parker, the executive director of Project Bread, accepted the donation.

The second organization, Critical MASS For Eliminating Health Disparities, constructs sustainable partnerships and builds knowledge for action to end unequal health among racial and ethnic groups in Massachusetts.  They believe that everyone has the right to the best health possible and access to the best medical care possible.  Lucy Clark, the coordinator of Critical MASS partnerships, accepted the donation.

All of the Walk for Wellness participants completed the 5-kilometer course and had a great time, despite the late-breaking rain. 

Special thanks to the Walk for Wellness sponsors: the American Beverage Association; the American Cancer Society; the American Diabetes Association; HIMSS; Kaiser Permanente; Kraft; Mars, Incorporated; Nestle Waters North America and Novartis. 

Network Leadership Luncheon and Business Meeting
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Cosponsored with the Center for American Women and Politics, Center for Women Policy Studies, Women in Government and the Women Legislators’ Lobby.

The session began with the annual Network Business Meeting and Elections.  Representative Sheryl Allen, Utah, was elected President, and Representative Peggy Welch, Indiana, was elected Vice President.  View the complete 2007-2008 board here.  The proposed change to the Network Bylaws, adding the position of President-Elect, was approved. 

Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Therese Murray, President of the Senate, Massachusetts.

Senator Murray spoke about her upbringing as one of six children of working parents.  She and her siblings were all expected to work once they turned 14.  She became interested in politics when she was quite young, partly because the tradition of “big-time” political contests was so pervasive in Massachusetts.  She and her friends would collect and trade the business cards of political candidates.

Prior to running for office, Senator Murray was the director of the Municipal Women’s Project, advocating for women’s equal pay for equal work.  She also was involved in community relations for several major cable companies.  She was recruited by the Dukakis administration to manage community relations for the reconstruction of the Southeast Expressway.  At that point, she was the only woman in the management of the Massachusetts Highway Department, and the first woman in a hard hat.    

In 1992, she was encouraged to run for the Massachusetts Senate and defeated a 20 year incumbent.  Senator Murray notes that 11,000 people have elected to the Massachusetts legislature since its inception.  In 1993, she was only the 16^th woman to take a seat in the Senate.  Among her proudest accomplishments was passage of the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, one of only two such programs in the country.  The fund provides financial assistance to Massachusetts families who are faced with expenses beyond their means during a child’s illness and recovery.  She was appointed to chair the Ways and Means Committee in 2003 and authored four budgets.  Senator Murray played a key role in drafting and passing health care reform, making Massachusetts the first state to mandate that health coverage for all residents. 

Senator Murray became the first woman President of the Senate in March of 2007.  Her office has portraits or photos of all the former Senate Presidents, and she confesses that “I sometimes look at them and say, ‘What do think, huh? Can you believe this?’  It is humbling, though, to hold the same position that in its 227 years has been held by the likes of Samuel Adams, John Bacon, Horace Mann, Calvin Coolidge, and yes, my friend, Bobby Travaglini.”

The Senator admitted that developing an effective leadership style is challenging.  She has found it to be “all about trust in empowering the chairs and the committee members. There’s no sense in having chairs of committees, major committees, and then ruling everything from the top.  Make them part of the team and they’ll do the work. It’s about collaboration, communication. We have so many talented people in our legislatures and in our committees, why let them sit there and be ruled from above?”  It is more effective to allow committee chairs to develop expertise and leadership on particular issues, rather than trying to “own” every issue: “Leading and succeeding doesn’t mean you have to grab all the headlines or be in all the photos. I have no problem stepping back and having my members step forward,” she noted.

Advice from Senator Murray – A Few Things I’ve Learned

• Always know what you’re talking about. If people can’t look at you as knowledgeable and a thoughtful person, they will not look at you as a leader.

• Don’t take it personally.  There will always be people who don’t agree with you. There will always be people who resent you for your successes and make themselves feel better by trying to minimize your role. Use criticism to your advantage. Don’t internalize it, it’s not worth it.

• Keep your drive and determination to succeed.  If there’s something that you really want to succeed, remember that any roadblock can be overcome.  Having a good network of friends and colleagues is critical. We all need a support system, and just by being here today we are expanding and strengthening our system.  It’s because of women like all of you that we’ll continue to overcome challenges and achieve new heights of success.

Senator Murray shared a quote from Constance Baker Motley, who in 1966 became first African American woman appointed as a federal court judge.  Motley said, “Something which we think is impossible now, is not impossible in another decade.”

She noted that women in politics still have a long way to go to achieve equal representation, especially in Massachusetts, where women make up just 24 percent of the legislature.  That is why, she said, organizations like NCSL and the Women’s Legislative Network are so important: “They give members male and female a tremendous array of channels to communicate, to share ideas and to promote each others’ talents.”

Final Thoughts:

• We achieve more every day as we stand on the shoulders of those women who came before us. And the next generation of women will have even more success. Just remember, when you get through the door, leave it open.
• We will be heard, we will be respected, we will be hired and advanced.  Not because we are women, but because we are capable, experienced and ready.
• I face new challenges in my job every day and I’m always working.  Being a woman in a leadership position is challenging.  But being a leader is in of itself a challenge, no matter who you are or what gender you are.  Our opportunity as women leaders is to set the example that we can do it and that we belong here.

Lessons From End-of-Life Care
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Cosponsored with the Center for American Women and Politics

Presiding: Senator Dori Connor, Delaware

Speakers:

• Dr. Joanne Lynn, Medical Officer, Office of Clinical Standards and Quality, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Alan Meisel, Professor of Bioethics and Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh
• Thomas Murray, President, The Hastings Center

Senator Dori Connor began the session by sharing her thoughts and experiences about the final hospitalization of her late husband, Delaware State Senator Robert Connor.  Dr. Joanne Lynn discussed significant changes in the process of dying over the years.  Alan Meisel presented an overview of some major court cases involving end-of-life decisions (view the PowerPoint presentation).  Thomas Murray discussed the bioethics work of the Hastings Center (download the report, Improving  End of Life Care: Why Has It Been So Difficult?).

NOTE: Video of this session is coming soon!

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Women's Health Across the Lifespan: Your Source for Statistics, Snacks, Souvenirs and the Scoop on this Growing Policy Field
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

This session was the latest in a series of programs from NCSL’s Women’s Health Across the Lifespan Project, a collaboration between NCSL’s Health Program and the Women’s Legislative Network of NCSL.

Presiding: Senator Joan Menard, Massachusetts

Speakers:

• Roberta Biegel, National Osteoporosis Foundation, Washington, D.C.
• Jeanne Colbath, RN, American Heart Association, Boston, Massachusetts
• Dr. Wanda Jones, Director, Office of Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
• Lori Laffel, MD, MPH, Joslin Diabetes Clinic / American Diabetes Association, Massachusetts
• Christy Schmidt, American Cancer Society, Washington, D.C.

Dr. Wanda Jones presented an overview of key women’s health issues and discussed the importance of taking a holistic view of women’s health. The other panelists discussed how osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer affect women and highlighted key points for policymakers to consider.  After the formal presentations, there was time for session attendees to meet individually with each organization, to ask questions and receive information about their states.