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RACSS  Newsletter

In this issue:

Chair’s Column
Annual Meeting Highlights
RACSS Annual Meeting
Officer Nominations
Staff Award Nominations
NCSL Executive Committee
LSCC Report
Skills Seminar
Fall Seminar Agenda
Directory Updates
Regional Coordinators
Regional News

Chair’s Column:
Life Moves Pretty Fast

If the legislative session this year in your state was or is anything like ours in Nevada, I would opine that you have been over worked, under appreciated, and sleep deprived! As I write this column, we still have redistricting, the state budget, and many bills to process, with only three weeks to go. Session will soon be over for many of us, and perhaps the pace will slow down enough this summer to allow significant participation at this year’s annual NCSL meeting. If you have not yet registered for the meeting, which runs from August 11-15 in San Antonio, maybe this issue of the RACSS Newsletter will convince you to do so.

First of all, RACSS has taken the lead in bringing two dynamic speakers/trainers to the meeting—"back by popular demand"—from the Professional Development Seminar held last fall in Austin, Texas. If you did not attend that seminar, which RACSS and the National Legislative Program Evaluation Society (NLPES) sponsored jointly, then here is another chance for you to learn from two of the best speakers we’ve ever offered—Leita Hart and John Daly.

Before telling you a bit more about these two programs, let me tell you what they are not! Most of us have probably seen the movie "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off," a 1986 flick that my son and daughter watched over and over! Ferris and two of his friends really needed a break from high school, largely because of teachers like the "world’s most boring teacher," wonderfully played by Ben Stein. In one scene, he attempts to get a little participation from his nearly comatose class. "In 1930 the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in an attempt to alleviate the effects of the…Anyone? Anyone?… the Great Depression, passed the … Anyone? Anyone? … the Tariff Bill, the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act, which raised or lowered … Anyone?… raised tariffs in an effort to collect more revenue for the Federal Government. Did it work? …Anyone?" After more of this "scintillating" talk in absolute monotone, he tries to make a connection to more modern times. "The Laffler Curve says that at this point on the revenue curve, you will get exactly the same amount of revenue as at this point. This is very controversial. Does anyone know what Vice President Bush called this in 1980? … Anyone? …Something D-O-O economics … Anyone? … VOO-doo Economics."

Since this is my last column, and I’ve been using movie lines to both entertain and to make a point, I hope that the foregoing wasn’t too long. It was very amusing in the movie because we have all listened to lecturers and speakers who were about that boring. Fortunately, that won’t be the case with our speakers Leita Hart or John Daly. Leita will focus on improving our written work, while John’s program focuses on verbal communication skills. Please plan to arrive in San Antonio on Friday or early on Saturday so that you will not miss either program, which begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Also, we will be offering a special program designed specifically for committee staff, "Strategies for Providing Effective Support for Legislative Committees." These programs and other offerings of RACSS at the Annual Meeting are profiled in greater detail elsewhere in this Newsletter.

I will be stepping aside this summer after two years as RACSS Chair, so this will be my final column in that capacity. Let me take a moment to thank those colleagues who have contributed so much to RACSS programs and activities during this time. My thanks are first extended to Diane Bolender (IA), the former RACSS Chair who gently, but persistently, encouraged me to run for the position of RACSS Vice Chair and later Chair. Diane continues to lead the way by her example in her current capacity as NCSL Staff Chair. Thanks also are extended to the Immediate Past Chair of RACSS, Karl Aro (MD), who took the extra time needed to bring me up to speed in my changing roles. Karl was always willing to share his vision and ideas with me, and I am deeply grateful. Next, thanks are extended to Dave Sallach (NJ), current RACSS Vice Chair, who will assume the role of Chair during the San Antonio meeting. Particularly because of our shared trip to Hong Kong last November, Dave, RACSS Executive Committee member Elisabeth Kersten (CA), and I have formed strong friendships along with our professional ties. Last, but certainly not least, my thanks are extended to our NCSL staff representative, Jeanne Mejeur. Jeanne truly is the "glue" who holds RACSS together and provides continuity over the years. She always gives the extra effort required to bring quality to our programs, without ever putting her views ahead of those of us on the RACSS Executive Committee. Finally, let me also thank those of you, who are too numerous to list, who served RACSS over the past two years on our Executive Committee, Awards Committee, Nominations Committee, Annual Program Committee, Professional Development Seminar Committee, or as a Regional Newsletter Coordinator or State Contact. Thank you, all!

My final thoughts concern why you should become and stay active in RACSS, assuming that you have decided that staffing in a state legislature is a good career choice for you. In the movie highlighted earlier, Ferris Bueller advises the audience, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!" I would follow up on that by encouraging each of you to get the most out of your career by participating with other legislative staffers in the various RACSS and NCSL meetings, programs, and training seminars. There is a lot to learn and share, so don’t miss out!
 

Annual Meeting Highlights

Concurrent Sessions

• Economic Outlook: Have the Good Times Ended?
• Reforming the Initiative Process
• Are High Schools Obsolete?
• States Tackle Election Reform
• Racial Justice
• Promoting Marriage in Welfare Reform
• New Ways to Manage Growth
• Locking Up Juveniles
• Should Public Records Be So Public?
• Is the Medicaid Monster Back?
• 21st Century Aviation: Soaring into the Future or Barely Off the Ground?
• Performance Based Budgeting
• Headlines and Deadlines: Relationship of the Press and the Legislature
• Designer Babies: Reproductionin the Genomic Age
• Electric Restructuring and the Energy Crisis—Lessons From California
• DNA: Power to Convict and Exonerate

Staff Luncheon
Dr. Kathleen Jamieson
Annenberg School for Communications

Legislators Luncheon
Richard H. "Dick" Brown
EDS Chairman and CEO

Tuesday Plenary
Frank Luntz, political pollster

Texas Social Event
The Alamodome
Monday, August 13
Our Texas hosts have planned a
fabulous party at San Antonio’s Alamodome, featuring a live rodeo, Grammy Award-winners "Asleep at the Wheel" and gourmet Texas fare served in authentic chuck wagon camps.
 

RACSS Annual Meeting Programs

With the benefit of two professional trainers, John Daly and Leita Hart, staff section members will enhance their communication, writing and presentation skills during two informative and practical sessions on Saturday afternoon, August 11. Be sure to plan your travel schedule to arrive in time for these two programs.

RACSS members will also learn about the best practices of their colleagues from other states in staffing legislative committees, and explore the unique politics of our host state.

RACSS will also hold its annual Business Meeting and elections. All research or committee staff are welcome to attend the luncheon and business meeting, whether or not you’ve ever participated in RACSS activities before.

All staff section members are also invited to our annual Dutch Treat Dinner on Sunday evening, where you can relax and enjoy an informal evening in the company of your colleagues from other states.

Don’t miss these opportunities to enhance your skills, learn about new approaches to serving the legislature and meet fellow research and committee staff in San Antonio!
 
 

RACSS Schedule of Events

Writing for the Legislature: Write It So They’ll Read It!
Saturday, August 11, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

What good is an excellent research report if no one reads it? Legislative staff spend a lot of time gathering information for legislators; knowing how to organize and summarize that information in a way so that members will read it and use it is the key to being a effective writer. The do’s and don’ts of putting that information together in an effective Power Point presentation will also be covered. Learn about techniques to improve your writing and presentation skills in this practical, hands-on learning session.

Co-sponsored by RACSS, LRL, LINCS and Leadership staff sections.

Speaker: Leita Hart, Leita Hart and Associates, Austin, Texas

Communicating Effectively in a Changing Legislative Environment
Saturday, August 11, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Dr. Daly’s advice on being an effective communicator is practical, insightful, and humorous. He is an energetic speaker, with useful lessons to share on being a better communicator and reacting positively to changing environments. His practical advice and entertaining presentation style have audiences laughing and nodding in agreement throughout his presentation, and coming away with ideas to improve the way they face professional and personal challenges.

Co-sponsored by RACSS, LRL, LINCS and Leadership staff sections.

Speaker: Dr. John Daly, University of Texas, Department of Communications Studies

The Political History of the Lone Star State
Sunday, August 12, 4:15 - 5:30 p.m.

From Stephen F. Austin to Sam Rayburn, from LBJ to the Bushes, the political landscape in Texas has been dotted with large-than-life figures and a history that takes it from the Republic of Texas to the "Lone Star State." This program offers a lively and informative look at the leaders, events and traditions that came together to form the unique political culture of Texas.

RACSS Dutch Treat Dinner
Sunday, August 12, 7:30 p.m.

Join friends and colleagues from around the country in the annual RACSS Dutch Treat Dinner. Spouses and guests are welcome to attend. We’re still working on a restaurant location, but more details will be available on the RACSS home page and in the Annual Meeting program, prior to the meeting.

Strategies for Providing Effective Support for Legislative Committees
Monday, August 13, 2:15 - 4:15 p.m.

From setting agendas to working with chairs, from prepping witnesses to dealing with interest groups, the role of a committee staffer is complex and demanding, and calls for a unique blend of organizational, diplomatic and leadership skills, along with expertise in research and policy analysis. This program features a panel of experienced legislative staff who share their best practices in providing effective support for legislative committees.

Moderator: David Sallach, Principal Research Associate, Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey

Panelists: John Cannon, Senior Research Analyst, Legislative Research and General Counsel, Utah

Sandy Deaton, Committee Staff Administrator, Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky

Connie Johnson, Senior Legislative Analyst, Senate Committee Staff Division, Oklahoma

Philip Twogood, Council Director, Public Responsibility Council, House of Representatives, Florida

RACSS Business Meeting and Luncheon
Tuesday, August 14, 12:00 - 1:15 p.m.

RACSS members will hold their annual business meeting and elections and present the 2001 Legislative Staff Achievement Awards. Luncheon is being provided courtesy of LEXIS Law Publishing.

Presiding: RACSS Chair 2000-01 Robert Erickson, Research Director, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada
 

NCSL Annual Meeting Links

RACSS Annual Meeting Programs
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/racss/racsshmp.htm

San Antonio Information
http://www.sanantoniocvb.co
 

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RACSS Needs You!

Seeking Candidates for RACSS Offices

RACSS is seeking nominations from members who are interested in serving on the RACSS Executive Committee. As past officers can attest, serving on the RACSS Executive Committee offers an opportunity to provide guidance for the activities of the staff section, participate more directly with NCSL, and develop closer ties with colleagues in other states. The RACSS Executive Committee plans
programs for members throughout the year, meeting regularly through conference calls, to provide guidance for staff section
activities, oversee RACSS publications and represent RACSS on NCSL’s Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee.

Each year RACSS elects two directors to serve two-year terms on the RACSS Executive Committee, and a vice-chair, who becomes chair the subsequent year,
followed an additional year of service as immediate past chair.

Under the RACSS Bylaws, the Nominating Committee consists of the current vice-chair, who chairs the committee, immediate past chair, and one at-large member of the staff section. This year’s Nominating Committee members are RACSS Vice-Chair Dave Sallach of New Jersey, Immediate Past Chair Karl Aro of Maryland, and Larry Barish of Wisconsin.

Staff section members who are interested should have the approval and support of their legislature, as some travel is required. RACSS Executive Committee members are expected to be able to attend the NCSL Annual Meeting or fall professional development seminar, and the joint winter meeting of the ASI/AFI.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, June 22. The Nominating Committee will evaluate all nominations and select a slate of candidates (one candidate for vice-chair and two candidates for director) for election at the RACSS Business Meeting, held in conjunction with the NCSL Annual Meeting. Selection criteria include a candidate’s legislative experience and past participation in RACSS activities. A telephone interview with the Nominating Committee may be required. The Nominating Committee will also consider geographic balance and diversity factors.

Those interested in running for RACSS office should submit a letter of nomination to:

David Sallach, Chair
RACSS Nominating Committee
NCSL, Att: Jeanne Mejeur
1560 Broadway, Suite 700
Denver, CO 80202

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Nominations Sought for the 2001Legislative Staff Achievement Award

Each year, each of the ten NCSL staff sections and the staff chair of the Assembly on State Issues may recognize up to two of their members for excellence in legislative service and support of the activities of the staff section. Recipients of the award will be recognized at the NCSL Annual Meeting in San Antonio.

RACSS Chair Bob Erickson has appointed a three-member committee to accept nominations and make a recommendation for two recipients of the annual award. This year’s Awards Committee members are Mike Nugent of Idaho, who serves as chair, Joyce Honaker of Kentucky, and Elisabeth Kersten of California.

Criteria for RACSS candidates for the Legislative Staff Achievement Award include, but are not limited to:

The Legislative Staff Achievement Award was instituted by the Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee in 1996.

Previous RACSS recipients include:

1997
Joyce Honaker, Kentucky
Carvel Payne, Maryland

1998
Larry Barish, Wisconsin
Allan Green, Connecticut

1999
Diane Bolender, Iowa
David Hite, Colorado

2000
Sandy Deaton, Kentucky
Darrell Jackson, Missouri
 

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Legislative Staff Vacancies on the NCSL Executive Committee

The Legislative Staff Nominating Committee has eight legislative staff vacancies to fill on the NCSL Executive Committee for the 2001-2002 conference year. Seven of those vacancies are due to a limit of three years of service on the Executive Committee and one is due to the resignation of a legislative staff member in April, 2001.

Legislative staff interested in running for the NCSL Executive Committee should review the background materials, qualifications and nominating procedures information found on NCSL’s website at http://www.ncsl.org/legis/lscc/nomproce.htm and write a letter of
declaration to the Staff Nominating Committee chair.

The letter of declaration must be postmarked or electronically transmitted to NCSL no later than June 15, 2001. Send the letter to NCSL, using the following address:

Thomas R. Tedcastle, Chair
NCSL Staff Nominating Committee
Attn: Joyce Johnson, NCSL
1560 Broadway, Suite 700
Denver, CO 80202

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Report on the Activitiesof the LSCC

The Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee (LSCC) represents legislative staff’s interests in the NCSL. Comprised of legislative staffers, this 46-member panel promotes professional development of legislative staff, coordinates staff activities and programs, and reviews and evaluates NCSL services to legislative staff. Although serving in an advisory capacity, LSCC in reality is more than just an advisory body, since 20 of its members sit as voting members on the NCSL’s Executive Committee.

RACSS is represented on the LSCC by its chair and vice-chair, currently Bob Erickson and Dave Sallach. In addition to the chair and vice-chair of each staff section, a number of additional legislative staff staff serve on the LSCC, either by appointment or because they serve on the NCSL Executive Committee. Additional RACSS members serving on the LSCC include Karl Aro (Maryland), Diane Bolender (Iowa), Dave Henderson (Oregon), Joyce Honaker (Kentucky), Connie Johnson (Oklahoma) and Phil Twogood (Florida).

LSCC meets in conjunction with the NCSL Executive Committee. This year’s spring meetings were held in Yosemite, California May 18th and 19th.

The initial sessions focused on the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Antonio. The time slots allotted for staff programs generated the most discussion. One-half of the staff programs are scheduled for Saturday afternoon—the day before the conference officially opens! Consequently, many staff sections had to mail special notices to alert their members to arrange their travel plans accordingly. While there is little that can be done for this year, NCSL program planners assured the LSCC that it would not happen again. LSCC members also expressed concern that only 75 minutes had been set aside for staff section luncheons. Since most sections use these luncheons to discuss current and upcoming activities, elect officers and present staff achievement awards, more time is needed. LSCC recommended that 2 hours be allotted for staff luncheons next year.

Much of LSCC’s on-going work is done by three task forces. The Task Force for Promoting Professional Development has prepared an update of the 1991 "Self Assessment Guide for Legislative Staff Managers" and is continuing phase II of its "Staff Recruitment and Retention Project" (Phase I was a survey of legislative staffers; Phase II is a survey of legislative managers). After more than a year of study, the task force concluded that NCSL should not develop a program of its own to provide staff with CLEs, CEUs and other certifications. The individual staff sections best know their members’ particular needs and, therefore, are better suited to organize and sponsor such programs.

The Task Force on Promoting State Legislatures has been revising the "Educating Citizens" pamphlet for legislators to use as a tool in talking with the public about state legislatures. It is also continuing its work on developing guidelines for children’s websites and civic education programs for young adults.

The Task Force on Promoting NCSL Services to Legislatures is evaluating the responses it received from the new legislators who received the NCSL’s promotional materials. The legislative futures study continues to be a major focus of this task force.
 

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2001 Skills Seminar Set for July 11-14

This year’s Skills Development Seminar is scheduled for July 11-14, 2001, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Skills Seminar is designed for junior staff, with less than two years of experience in the legislature. As in past years, the seminar features four separate day-and-a-half long tracks: research and policy, fiscal, bill drafting, and program evaluation. In addition to the tracks, participants also attend two half-day plenary sessions on effective writing skills and enhancing legislative presentations.

This year’s course outline for the research and policy track builds on the success of last year’s program, which was the track’s highest rated presentation.

The outline for the research and policy track includes:

• the legislative environment
• the role of staff
• taking research requests
• researching difference types of questions
• evaluating information resources
• staffing committees
• reporting results effectively
• staff ethics

Under the leadership of Kirk and Bryant, the research and policy track has become an effective, practical, hands-on training session.

For more information on the Skills Seminar, visit NCSL’s website at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legismgt/brochure.htm, or call Bruce Feustel at NCSL at (303) 364-7700, x187.
 
 

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Fall Seminar Plans Well Underway

Though this is the first joint seminar for the two groups, it has been apparent throughout the planning process that the two staff sections have much in common and share similar needs for training.

The planning committee for the seminar has consisted of RACSS Chair Bob Erickson, Vice-chair Dave Sallach, RACSS Executive Committee members Karl Aro and Terry Sullivan, and E.M. Miller, Jr., Director of the Division of Legislative Services in Virginia. The LRL Executive Committee and Virginia legislative librarian Cheryl Miller served as the planning committee for LRL. Working together, the group has planned innovative and informative sessions that will benefit legislative research staff, committee staff, and legislative librarians.

More information about the seminar will be sent to RACSS and LRL members in the coming months, with regular updates on the staff section home pages.

Preliminary Agenda

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

3:00 – 5:00 Registration (at hotel)

5:30 - 7:30 Opening Reception and Tour at the Virginia State Capitol

Thursday, October 11, 2001

8:00 – 12:00 Registration

8:00 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:00 Welcome and Introductions

9:00 – 11:30 Joint Plenary: What’s Your Communication Style?

11:45 - 1:30 Bus trip to Charlottesville

1:30 - 3:30 Joint Program and tour at LEXIS Law Publishing (electronic research, editorial process, enhancements)

4:00 - 5:45 Tour of Monticello

6:15 - 8:00 Group Dinner at the Ivy Inn, Charlottesville

Friday, October 12, 2001

8:00 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:45 Joint Plenary: Team Leadership

10:00 – 11:45 LRL workshop—Leadership for Your Law Library

RACSS workshop—Small Team Leadership: The Art of Delegation

11:45 - 1:00 Joint Plenary Luncheon

1:15 – 5:00 LRL—workshops

1:15 – 3:30 RACSS—Using Teleconferencing for Legislative Committee Meetings (demo, FOIA, logistics)

4:00 - 5:00 RACSS and LRL—Tour of the Library of Virginia or Division of Forensic Science.

Saturday, October 13, 2001

8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast

9:00 – 11:30 RACSS—Dealing with Difficult People

LRL—Executive Committee Meeting

11:30 Conference ends

12:30 - 8:30 Optional Social Event: Colonial Williamsburg
(an extra fee will be required, covering admission and transportation)

For seminar updates, check the RACSS home page at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/reslib01.htm
 
 

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Edits to the 2001 RACSS Directory

Alaska (p.6)

Replace Luis Vega with Dynorah R. Requena Gallego, Acting Director
Add Raul Gonzalez Torrents, Acting Deputy Director

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Regional Coordinators

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Coordinator: David Boulter, ME

Mid-Atlantic Region

Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
Coordinator: Hannah Shostack, NJ

Great Lakes Region

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Ohio, Wisconsin
Coordinator: David Lovell, WI

Southeastern Region

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee
Coordinator: Jamie Franklin, KY

South Central Region

Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana,
Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas
Coordinator: Willa Sanders, AR

Northern Plains Region

Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota
Coordinator: Dave Ortbahn, SD

Mountain Region

Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
Coordinator: Kirk Mlinek, CO

West Region

Alaska, California, Hawaii,
Nevada, Oregon, Washington
Coordinator: Jim Stembridge, OR

The Territories

American Samoa, Guam,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Coordinator: Tony Cabrera, MP

The Regional News

New England Region

Connecticut—Intra-Office Communications
by Mary Janicki, Deputy Director, Office of Legislative Research

Once the regular session ends on June 6, the Office of Legislative Research will turn its attention to tracking the final disposition of committee bills, publication of the Summary of 2001 Public Acts, and compilation of the "Acts Affecting..." series (reports on the legislation affecting different topics like municipalities, children, the elderly, business, etc.). An office structure study group will resume discussions begun last summer on improving communications among the staff within the office. Since analysts and attorneys are assigned to committees, they often find themselves interacting more with nonpartisan staff from the bill drafting and fiscal offices assigned to the same committee than with colleagues in our office who work with different committees. We also find that a request for information or the subject of a bill covers a number of issues that fall under the jurisdiction of several different committees.

To improve communications during the session, we’ve encouraged "targeted" peer reviews of bill analyses by analysts familiar with an issue or related bills, informing others when a request comes in that another analyst may have information on, and reviewing once a month (over coffee and donuts) reports written during the month to see the variety of questions that are asked and different methods of presenting information.

The study group will reconvene to evaluate the success of these initial efforts and explore additional ways we can assist one another in the work we produce for the General Assembly.

Maine—Interim Process Proving Effective
by David E. Boulter, Director, Office of Policy and Legal Analysis

The First Regular Session of the 120th Legislature is drawing to a close. Adjournment is anticipated to be around June 1st, earlier than the statutory adjournment date of June 20th. During the upcoming interim period, joint standing committees will be meeting on a monthly basis to work on committee matters, including: hearing, working and voting on bills; performing reviews of agency programs; and conducting studies.

Until the 119th Legislature, only the Appropriations Committee was authorized to meet on a regular basis during the interim. Having the policy committees work during the interim is proving to be an effective way to keep committees informed on legislative and other governmental issues during the interim, keep executive branch agencies responsive to legislative requests while the Legislature is not in session and to prepare for the upcoming session.

The Office of Policy and Legal Analysis will staff the policy committees during the interim, and with the assistance of the Office of Fiscal and Program Review, will prepare bill and enacted law summaries for the 1,800+ bills introduced this session. It will also staff legislative study commissions this interim. More than 60 studies have been proposed, although it is likely that the number of studies finally authorized will be significantly less due to fiscal and staffing constraints.
 

Mid-Atlantic Region

Maryland—"‘Head over Heels’ over Under the Dome"
by Lynne B. Porter, Department of Legislative Services

At least, that’s what we’re hearing from members, staff, and the public! During the summer of 2000 when staff in other part-time legislatures were looking forward to issues for the upcoming session in 2001, staff at the Maryland Department of
Legislative Services (DLS) were looking backwards—about a hundred years back. More than 100 staff members of the Maryland General Assembly participated in one way or another, as DLS kicked off its
centennial publication project.

The project was hatched during the Session of 2000, as Stuart Gordon, a senior policy analyst, remarked about what "fun" it would be to look back over a hundred years of the Maryland General Assembly. The Executive Director, Karl Aro, presented the idea to the presiding officers and we were off! The project, then, quickly took on a life of its own. Originally conceived as a "coffee table-type, picture book" of about a hundred pages, the book grew in size to a spectacular, nearly four hundred page volume, complete with dozens of pictures taken during the century of nearly every region in the state, capturing most of the major political issues. In addition to exploring the political landscape of the state, the book also examines changes that have taken place in the Legislature itself and the evolution of the now, single staff agency that serves it.

Those of us with research assignments spent a good part of the summer consuming all sorts of records and documents,
ncluding newspaper microfilm and clippings, several decades old, legislative journals and bills, and all sorts of artifacts in libraries and collections of the state’s major universities, and the Maryland State Archives. Also, a department-wide contest was held during the summer to name the project. The result, well, it’s history, "Under the Dome—The Maryland General Assembly During The Twentieth Century."

Production continued during the fall and early winter as the design staff, including the department’s graphic artists, took up the mantle, gathering photos, arranging text with photos, and designing a jacket for the book. In late winter the book was sent to a publisher and made its debut on Maryland Day, after weeks of publicity, heralding its arrival. The presiding officers presented each member of the General Assembly with a copy and in the last days of session, members could be seen collecting each other’s signature, like high schoolers with yearbooks!

Make no mistake—this was a huge and exhaustive undertaking, but one well worth the effort, as has been expressed by the contributors and those viewing the finished project, the members and general public. Contributors and non-contributors alike joined in the excitement of this historical undertaking. We in the Department highly recommend that each of you consider taking a walk back through time and you’ll discover, as we did—the more things change, the more they stay the same.

New Jersey—Bioethics Presentation for OLS Staff
by David Price, Lead Research Analyst, Office of Legislative Services

On April 20, 2001, the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) sponsored a presentation on "Ethical Challenges in Health Care Delivery in the 21st Century: Issues for Policymakers" at the State House complex in Trenton. Presenters were Arthur L. Caplan, Trustee Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Nunn, Faculty Associate and Director of Clinical Outreach at the
Center for Bioethics. Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, Chairwoman of the General Assembly Health Committee, served as moderator for this event.

Arthur Caplan has been described as "America’s best-known" and "most-quoted" bioethicist, who "enjoys the role of bona fide People-magazine-profiled celebrity in a hot but often anonymous field that combines philosophy, religion, law and health policy." The University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics "ranks among the most prestigious of the nation’s 50 bioethics programs affiliated with academic medical centers" (Michael Matza, Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, May 18, 2000). The Center’s mission "is to advance scholarly and public understanding of ethical, legal, social and public policy issues in health care."

Professor Caplan holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University and previously served as Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics at the University of Minnesota and Associate Director of the Hastings Center. He has served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Food and Drug Administration on Blood Safety and Availability and was a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses. He is also the author or editor of at least 20 books and 475 journal articles on philosophy, medicine, health policy and the biological sciences. In addition, Professor Caplan has lectured widely in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia and the Caribbean, and is a frequent commentator in the media.

The field of bioethics has been described by James Rachels and Sidney Callahan, in Life Choices: A Hastings Center Introduction to Bioethics (Georgetown University Press, 1995), as "the application of moral reasoning to issues raised by medical treatments, technologies, and the life sciences." Given this conceptual framework, the format for this presentation was designed to allow the speakers maximum flexibility to address issues that they thought were appropriate within the context of the general subject matter and the nature of the audience, rather than adhering to a set agenda. Their discussion included such issues as: advance directives for health care, assisted reproductive technology, blood safety, clinical trials, genetic diagnosis and therapy, organ donations, palliative care, and patient trust and privacy. The event lasted about two hours, and the presentation, which was fairly informal and wide-ranging, elicited a good deal of interaction with the audience (as intended). Those in attendance included both nonpartisan and partisan legislative staff and members of the Legislature’s Council of Academic Policy Advisors (CAPA).

This presentation is part of a program of continuing education activities conducted by OLS for its professional staff, and is one in a series of activities that OLS has sponsored for the purpose of providing information and analysis on public policy issues for the benefit of the legislative community in New Jersey. These include public policy forums co-hosted with CAPA on "Privacy and Technology" (1999) and "The New Technology - Implications for Policymakers" (2000).

OLS provides nonpartisan legal, fiscal, research, bill drafting and other services to the New Jersey Legislature and its officers, members, committees and commissions.

New York—Budget Stalemate
by Kathy Wise, Director, Assembly Minority Research

To date, the New York Legislative session could be summed up in one word: stalemate. Overall, the session has been lackluster, primarily due to the ongoing budget stalemate. For the seventeenth year, New York’s April 1st statutory budget deadline was missed and no end is in sight. Many are predicting this year’s budget stalemate could exceed the latest enacted budget that was 126 days late in 1997 (adopted on August 4th). While New York is among the few states with higher revenues, how the surplus should be used (increased spending or preparing for the softening economy) has resulted in no serious discussions or negotiations.

The joint conference committee was unable to resolve the different provisions to provide expanded health insurance coverage for women, with the "conscience clause" being the sticking point. Conferees are hopeful that the issue can be
resolved this year.

Pennsylvania—Surplus Dwindles; Public Employee Pensions Grow
by Michael Gasbarre, Assistant Director, Local Government Commission

The General Assembly has commenced its annual deliberation on passage of the state budget. The General Appropriation Act has already passed both the House and Senate, but due to significant amendments in the House, is most likely headed for a conference committee. In February, the Governor’s budget proposal had projected a surplus of approximately $200,000,000. However, because of a slowing economy, the surplus may be lower than original projections. As a result, some believe the budget will have to be trimmed accordingly. Passage of the state budget is anticipated by mid-June.

State employees, teachers and members of the Legislature are likely to be beneficiaries of a pension enhancement. Under current law, state and teacher pensions are determined by a formula that includes years of service, average income over the highest three-year earning period and a multiplier, which is currently 2%. Under a proposal now of the Governor’s desk, the multiplier would be increased to 2.5% for state employees and teachers, and to 3% for members of the General Assembly. Both the State Employees Retirement System and the Public School Employee Retirement System are over-funded due to tremendous investment gains earned during the 1990s. The Governor is likely to sign the increase into law, since the legislation provides that individual contributions by state employees will be increased from 5% to 6.25%, which legislative contributions will increase from 5% to 7.5%. In addition, the Governor is purportedly
requiring the General Assembly to contribute from $8 to $10 million from non-lapsing legislative accounts to help fund the increase.

Also on the Governor’s desk is H.B. 996 that implements the Governor’s educational initiatives, including provisions that will establish a teacher assessment program, create independent school districts that will be relieved from certain state mandates and provide for a tax credit to businesses that contribute to either a non-profit scholarship or educational improvement organization.

West Virginia—New Bill Status System
by Aaron Allred, Legislative Manager

West Virginia Legislature Services staff created an in-house designed and written Bill Status system to replace the existing Public System Associates software running on two mainframes. The new system is a PC client/server based system using
Windows 95 clients and Windows NT server technology.

The program was written in Microsoft© Visual Basic 6.0. Visual Basic has become the de facto programming language; therefore support and training would be readily available from numerous external sources when the need arose. It was also determined that we could customize the software for the needs of the WV Legislature in a timely manner by using globally accepted off-the-shelf components to build our project.

The Bill Status for Windows© (BSW) system was written so that each house of the legislature could have a certain degree of customization to meet their workgroup needs. It was recognized that each house had slightly different needs in the areas of data entry, as well as reporting functions. Meeting with the clerks’ staffs all along the way resulted in a package that was designed to help both staffs function in a manner they were already accustomed to, without the need for a steep, long learning curve. We have no illusions that the package is "finished" yet, and already some new forms and new features have been added since the 2001 session was adjourned. Over 600 forms, reports, and data entry screens have been written by the programmers since April 2000. They are comprised of approximately 1,000 pages of in-house written Visual Basic program code.

A second software package, Committee Bill Tracking© (CBT), has been written and was placed in service for two committees for the 2001 session. It is fully integrated with the BSW package and draws its information from the BSW data entered by the two clerks’ offices. It allows the committee staff to track bills referenced to that committee and the attorneys assigned to work with that bill, as well as agenda items and public hearing requests and schedules. This, too, is an ongoing project and will be developed further this summer with additional input from committee staff.

Undoubtedly we have a long way to go before it will be considered "finished", but we are striving to meet the needs of the staff in every aspect of Bill Status for Windows. We believe that moving the programming of both the bill drafting (completed prior to the 2000 session) and now the bill status systems in house will save approximately $1 million over the next five years, in the avoidance of payments to third party software developers and annual maintenance costs, as well as allow the Legislative Services staff to respond in a more timely manner to requests for new enhancements.
 

Great Lakes Region

Indiana—State to Lose One Seat in the US House
by George Angelone, Indiana Legislative Services Agency

The Indiana General Assembly finished the last day of its regular annual session on Sunday April 29 at 11:55 p.m. The last subjects to be resolved were the biennial budget and redistricting maps for state legislative seats.

Congressional districts were not resolved. The task was made particularly difficult by the fact that Indiana is scheduled to lose one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Under state law, the governor has the power to appoint a commission to draw congressional district maps if the legislature fails to establish congressional districts. The commission met and adopted new congressional maps in May.

The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on June 12 for a one day technical correction session. The scope of the session is limited by statute to resolving technical conflicts affecting bills enacted during the regular session and considering veto override matters. After the technical corrections session day, the General Assembly will not meet again until November.

In the mean time, the Legislative Council, which has administrative oversight of the legislative branch, is in the process of establishing interim study committees. Interim study committees operate during the interim between sessions to study various topics. Interim study committees have the power to draft and recommend legislation. Interim study committees do not have the power to directly introduce legislation for consideration by the General Assembly. A legislative bill may be filed only in the name of one or more individual legislators.

Wisconsin—New Leaders Sworn In
by Peter Cannon, Senior Legislative Analyst, Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau

Leadership Change in the Assembly
Following a May 1 caucus vote, Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison) has been elected minority leader in the assembly, and Rep. James Kreuser (D-Kenosha) is the new assistant leader.

Senator Farrow Sworn in as Lt. Governor
On May 9, Senator Margaret Farrow (R-Pewaukee) resigned her senate seat (leaving Democrats in control by an 18-14 margin). She took the oath of office as lieutenant governor the same day, becoming the first woman to hold that office. The office became vacant when the previous lieutenant governor, Scott McCallum, assumed the governor’s office. This is the first time a vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor has been filled by appointment. The appointment is unique in Wisconsin, in that it requires nomination by the governor and confirmation by both houses of the legislature. A special election to fill Lt. Governor Farrow’s senate seat will be held in July.

The Budget
The Budget continues to hold center stage with revenue estimates showing an even greater shortfall than predicted several months ago.
 

South Region

No news this time from the South.
 

South Central Region

Arkansas—Term Limit Observations
by Willa Sanders, Legislative Reference Bureau

The 83rd General Assembly, State of Arkansas, recessed on Friday, April 13th (not as ominous as it sounds), after having been in session for 96 days, and the effect of term limits were almost in full swing Next session all long termed-Senate leaders will be term limited out. Under term limits in Arkansas, members of the Senate have two four-year terms and House members have three two-year terms.

Of the 100 members in the Arkansas House of Representatives, 14 are in their third term, 54 are in their second term and 32 are in their first term. Of the 35 Senators, 12 are in their final terms, 7 are in their second term and 16 are in their first term. Most first and second termers in the Senate have prior experience in the House.

Term limits have likely had some impact on the number of bills filed and passed since 1997, as members have less time to accomplish their legislative goals and so are asking for more bill drafts.

Total Bills Filed | Total Bills  Passed

Many substantive and difficult issues were addressed in this session and clearly new members where knowledgeable, dedicated and effective. A number of the key issues addressed included teacher salaries, implementation of tobacco settlement spending, and a state budget for the next biennium.

Arkansas contracted with NCSL to conduct an assessment of the Arkansas General Assembly. This assessment has been completed and Legislative leaders, Senate and House administration and staff, as well as the Bureau of Legislative Research’s administration and staff, are now pouring over this document to develop their plan of action to ensure an efficient and effective legislature in light of term limits.

(Data utilized taken from the "Arkansas Legislative Digest" and should therefore be considered "approximate figures" and the NCSL "Assessment of Arkansas General Assembly.)
 

Northern Plains Region

Iowa—Revenues Down, Redistricting Plan Rejected
by John Pollak Committee Services Administrator

Iowa had a difficult legislative session due to an unanticipated decline in state revenues. The Governor proposed using moneys from "rainy day" reserve funds but the General Assembly preferred to use other sources and to apply greater budget cuts than proposed by the Governor. The budget negotiations took quite some time, resulting in the session running 121 calendar days, 11 days longer than anticipated. The Governor now has until June 7 to act upon appropriations and other legislation passed during the final session days and could veto major bills or call a special session.

In addition, the first redistricting plan was not approved, setting the stage for special session activity to consider a second or subsequent plan. Iowa has a unique approach in which nonpartisan staffers prepare redistricting plans according to objective criteria specified in law. The General Assembly considers one plan at a time and can only accept or reject each of the first two plans without amendment. If the second plan is rejected, the General Assembly may amend third or subsequent plans. According to the Iowa Constitution, if the General Assembly fails to pass a redistricting plan by September 1, 2001, the Supreme Court is required to order a plan.

Some of the major legislation that was passed in the 2001 session (some are still being considered by the Governor):

Minnesota—Anticipating Abortion Veto
by Peter Butler, Senate Counsel and Research

With six days left in the session, several high profile issues have not been resolved.

In an unusual maneuver, the Senate passed the House’s health and human services $6.3 billion omnibus funding bill instead of appointing a conference committee to work out the two houses’ differences. This bill carries a controversial abortion measure requiring a 24-hour waiting period for a woman seeking an abortion, and the Governor vowed to veto it. Senate leaders decided to pass the House bill "as is" with the expectation of a veto, then work to remove the abortion provision.

The House has passed a concealed-carry weapons bill that the Governor supports. The Senate votes this week and is closely divided on the issue.

Redistricting continues. The House Republicans have offered a plan that places Minneapolis and St. Paul within the same congressional district for the first time in 100 years, but these seats are held by two Democratic US representatives. The Senate Democrats have offered four alternatives.

The House and Senate tax plans differ by $1 billion in tax relief. The House plan, supported by the Governor, would have the state take over 100% of school funding.

A Twins stadium bill has been revived in the House. It would require the Twins to pay 93 percent of the cost of the new stadium, and the project could not proceed until a panel of three retired judges determines that Major League Baseball has changed it revenue sharing structure to benefit below average revenue teams and enhances the viability of a new baseball stadium.

South Dakota—Redistricting Tops the Interim Agenda
by Dave Ortbahn,

Legislative redistricting will be the major topic of the 2001 legislative interim in South Dakota. A Legislative Redistricting Committee has been appointed and will be making recommendations to the Legislature by early fall. The first meeting of the committee is planned for late June.

A special session of the Legislature to address legislative redistricting is planned for late October. The Legislature must complete redistricting by December 1 or the South Dakota Supreme Court will do it for them. There is little chance that the Legislature will give the Court such an opportunity.

There are four other interim committees that the research staff will be working with this summer and fall.

A Prescription Drug Issues Committee will take a look at what the state could do to address the many issues surrounding the availability and cost of prescription drugs.

A Streamlined Sales Tax Project Task Force was appointed to study the final report of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project to determine how the requirements found in the report impact the sales and use tax laws of the state and impact the businesses and citizens of the state.

A Teacher Credentialing and
Compensation Committee was directed to study ways of enhancing teacher salaries and to study alternative ways of certifying teachers.

A Wind Power Generation Committee was established to study the potential of the state as an energy exporting state and to take a look at small-scale wind power generation projects. That committee will also take a look at the effect the adoption of a net energy billing provision in state law would have on the development of these projects. These interim committees will also be beginning in June and will be making recommendations to the 2002
Legislature by November.

Finally, for those of you interested, at the special statewide election in April, the two constitutional amendments mentioned in the last newsletter were overwhelming approved. There was a very low voter turnout.
 

Mountain Region

Arizona—Staff to Write "The Legislative Encyclopedia"
by Jason Bezozo, Assistant Research Staff Director, Arizona Senate

The Arizona State Legislature adjourned sine die this year on May 10, only 23 days over the self-imposed deadline of one hundred days for the session.

Different from past sessions though, the Legislature recessed for one week after sending 408 bills to the Governor, providing an opportunity to override gubernatorial vetoes. The Governor vetoed a record-breaking 28 bills this year (and line item vetoed another 9 bills). However, the
Legislature quietly adjourned after several attempts to override the vetoes failed.

Although the regular session has ended, legislators will not get a chance to recess for long. Legislators will most likely be called into a special session in late June, prior to the new fiscal year, to address current fiscal year short falls. Legislators may be tapping into the state’s rainy day fund for the budget shortages. Also, legislators may resurrect a bill from the recent session to make changes to a 2000 voter-approved initiative that increased the state’s sales tax to raise teacher salaries.

The even split and power-sharing arrangement between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate fostered a spirit of collaboration and cooperation this year. In addition, the Senate experienced several process changes this year, some of which appear to have had a positive affect on the legislative process. For example, an emphasis for committees to hold bills that need further amending rather than sending them to the floor resulted in less work for the committee of the whole.

Some ideas were not so successful, such as a single staff briefing of both caucuses at the same time. This practice lasted just a few weeks before returning to the old format of staff presentations and bill discussion in each caucus separately.

In addition to other interim responsibilities, research staff is beginning to work on a new project initiated by the President of the Senate. The project has been dubbed "The Legislative Encyclopedia" and will contain primers on various issues relating to state government. The idea behind this new tool is to provide legislators, especially freshmen, with historical and program information on legislative issues. Once the legislative briefs (or primers) are complete, research staff will update them annually to address any statutory reforms, policy issues, fiscal impacts and programmatic changes.

Idaho—Public Input on Redistricting
by Katharine Gerrity, Legislative Analyst, Legislative Services Office

Beginning June 4, 2001, a six-member bipartisan commission will begin a ninety day process of redistricting congressional and legislative districts for the State of Idaho.

During the ninety day process, the commission will be holding public hearings throughout the state and accepting redistricting proposals from the general public. To facilitate public input in the process, computers with specialized programming have been established in ten public libraries throughout the state and selected librarians have completed a training program in the use of the system to equip them to assist the public in use of the program.
 

West Region

California—Helping Low-Income Citizens Weather the Energy Crisis
by Max Vanzi, Senate Research Office

One of the rare bright spots penetrating the darkness, literal and otherwise, of California’s notorious energy debacle is a historic piece of state legislation that
became law last April as the crisis clouds continued to gather.

Senate Bill 5X, one of several growing out of an ongoing special session of the Legislature devoted to addressing mounting energy problems, helps ease the pain in ways wholly novel to public policymaking.

As never before, the Legislature buys into the proposition that conservation and energy efficiency are worth a major investment in public funds. With conservation, the lawmakers recognized, comes lower energy usage and with that comes less need to buy electric power from out-of-state generators at prices that have bankrupted one California utility and drained around $6.2 billion, so far, from the state treasury.

Also thanks to enactment of this one bill, unprecedented levels of state funding are brought to the doorsteps of low-income households that are paying disproportionately higher energy costs than anyone above them on the economic ladder.

Authored by the Legislature’s premier environmental supporter, Senator Byron Sher (D), Senate Bill 5X represents California’s largest single General Fund investment in energy conservation, efficiency and low-income assistance in the history of the state. Following a $54.3-million reduction in line-item vetoes by Governor Gray Davis, the measure appropriates $654.6 million for its several purposes.

With its emphasis on conservation, says Senator Sher, SB 5X becomes an "important part of addressing energy problems in California." You can raise customer rates to reduce energy usage, Sher notes. "Or you can more positively support programs that install energy-efficient refrigerators and air-conditioners, you can cool roofs, you can weatherize homes."

SB 5X allocates hundreds of millions of dollars to do those smart things and more, with the result, predicts Sher, that California will reduce its electricity needs by 2,000 Megawatts through the coming summer months.

Aimed at low- to moderate-income households, $50 million from the bill goes to replacing old, inefficient heating and cooling appliances. Another $20 million is set aside to better insulate older homes of low-income families.

A $40 million package aims at increasing energy efficiencies in the service areas of the public utilities, as opposed to California’s Big Three investor-owned utilities, which receive separate categories of funds to assist low-income families.

To augment the somewhat token discounts that low-income families receive on their utility bills, financed by a combination of federal funds and ratepayer surcharges, SB 5X kicks in $220 million in first-time allocations from the state General Fund.

Among its other "firsts, energy regulators note, SB 5X also establishes a cohesive bonding of California’s disparate, piecemeal energy programs.

"There has never really been a statewide inventory of these programs before and this law has fostered a lot of thought as to duplicity, efficiency of delivery of the services and programs and evaluated which are the best programs to augment," says a regulator for the California Public Utilities Commission.

Nevada—Death Penalty Debate
by Michelle L. Van Geel, Research Analyst, Legislative Counsel Bureau

One of the hotly disputed topics during the 2001 Legislative Session in Nevada, as well as many other states across the country, has been the death penalty.

Although many of these measures were not enacted, they certainly stimulated much discussion and public policy debate, and there will likely be an interim study on this issue.

The main item of discussion in 2001 was Senate Bill 254, which, as originally drafted, would have abolished the death penalty. However, that bill was amended to proposes an interim study of capital punishment, including issues relating to: racial or economic bias; the age of a defendant; whether a defendant is mentally retarded; the competency of defense counsel; whether jurors have a proper and adequate understanding of the application of the law and of jury instructions in capital cases; the costs of prosecuting capital cases; the number of defendants actually executed; and the availability and policies relating to DNA testing.

Further, the measure also would have placed a moratorium on the execution of all sentences of death until July 1, 2003, and provides that the sentence of any person sentenced to death before, on, or after the effective date of the bill must not be executed until July 1, 2003. An exception was provided if the person submits a written statement to the Director of the Department of Prisons indicating his desire that the sentence of death be executed, thereby making it a "voluntary" execution. However, S.B. 254 was not passed out of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary by May 21, 2001, and pursuant to Joint Standing Rule No. 14.3.3, no further
action is allowed.

In addition to S.B. 254, four other pieces of legislation have been introduced concerning the death penalty.

The Territories Region

No news this time from the Territories.

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