By Ed Smith

The 2016 NCSL Legislative Summit kicks off in Chicago on Monday, bringing together lawmakers, legislative staff and others concerned about policy in the states from across the country. The Summit offers deep dives into key issues for the states, inspiring speakers and plenty of opportunities to network.

We realize, however, that many of the legislators and staff who are NCSL members can’t make the trip to the Windy City. Fortunately there are ample opportunities to keep up with what’s going on at Summit and even attend some sessions virtually.

A first stop is the NCSL Blog. We’ll be blogging about more than two dozen issue sessions, ranging from Ted Koppel to capital punishment, the nation’s changing demographics to NPR correspondent Mara Liasson’s observations on the 2016 election.  

Our agenda and resources webpage includes a wide range of materials, from speaker bios to PowerPoint presentations to handouts. You can easily download them from the agenda.

We’ll also be posting video interviews throughout the week with legislators and legislative staff discussing the highlights of the meeting. There also will be eight sessions, starting Monday, that will be streamed live on the NCSL website’s homepage. You can click through the links for more detail on each session. Note that all times are Central.

• Protecting Legislative Data—Wherever It Is | Monday, Aug. 8 | 2:30-4 p.m.
• Medicaid Innovations | Tuesday, Aug. 9 | 9-10:15 a.m.
• No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State |Tuesday, Aug. 9 | 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
• Second Chances: Public and Private Approaches to Offender Reentry |Tuesday, Aug. 9 | 3:30-5 p.m.
• Issue Session: Crystal Clear? State Efforts to Improve Water Planning |Wednesday, Aug. 10 | 9:15-10:30 a.m.
• Issue Session: Building a Strong Workforce -- The Role and Importance of Community Colleges | Wednesday, Aug. 10 | 2:45 pm-4:15 pm
• Issue Session: Cybersecurity Showdown - Challenges and Strategies for States |Thursday, Aug. 11 | 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Issue Session: The Electric Grid Revolution and the Clean Power Plan |Thursday, Aug. 11 | 10:45 a.m.-Noon

Ed Smith is NCSL’s director of digital communications.

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