Chicago is once again NCSL's kind of town.
The Windy City, home to more national Republican and Democratic presidential nominating conventions (27) than any other city, plays host for this week's Legislative Summit for the fourth time, more than any other site.
Three things you need to know about that Toddlin' Town:
- The Cubs are in first place with the best record in Major League Baseball.
- When you eat your Chicago hot dog, don't slather it with ketchup lest you be pegged as a clueless out-of-towner.
- Use a knife and fork to eat your deep dish pizza and for heaven's sake don't try to bend it.
And so many things you need to know about the Legislative Summit, which runs Monday through Thursday at McCormick Place, located a long fly ball from the shore of Lake Michigan. About 5,000 attendees are expected for the discussions of such policy areas as education, energy, the criminal justice system, human trafficking and useful leadership skills.
Speakers ranging from journalists, authors, entrepreneurs, a Top Chef, demographers and philanthropists will address the Summit sessions. The list includes longtime network news veteran and author Ted Koppel, businss journalist and money manager Ron Insana, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation President Julia Stasch, demographers Karlyn Bowman and Jim Johnson, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates, best-selling author Hampton Sides and National Public Radio correspondent and Fox News contributor Mara Liasson.
Can't make it to Chicago? NCSL will bring a number of Summit sessions to you via live streaming.
To stay connected with everything Summit-related, download the NCSL app. We promise, no Pokemon Go.
NCSL's annual business meeting is from 10:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
A new report, “No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State,” will be released Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. during a live-streamed session. The report, based on the culmination of nearly two years of study by the NCSL International Education Study Group, explains the commonalities between the top performing countries, and details what steps states can take to once again compete internationally.
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