The Virtual Legislative Office
Co-sponsored by Leadership Staff Section, Legislative Information and Communications Staff Section, National Association of Legislative Information Technology, and National Legislative Services and Security Association

What will the legislative office of the future look like? Is a paperless office possible? Can new tools increase legislative efficiency and effectiveness? What concerns do new technologies create? How do they affect staffing, public access, information archiving and other legislative processes? Take a look at where legislative office management is headed.

Moderator: 

• John Mullins, Senior Analyst, House of Delegates, West Virginia

• Robert Erickson, Research Director, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada
• Ray Griggs, Legislative Assistant, House of Representatives, Missouri
• Robbie LaFleur, Director, Legislative Reference Library, Minnesota
• Representative Rob Schaaf, Missouri
• Sharon Crouch Steidel, Systems Director, House of Delegates, Virginia
• Maryann Trauger, Information Technology Coordinator, Legislative Council, North Dakota

Programming Versus Content in Building and Maintaining Legislative Web Sites
Co-sponsored by Research and Committee Staff Section

Ideally staff work cooperatively to create a comprehensive, cohesive and unified web site reflecting the interests of the legislature and the needs of the public. But who builds it? Who updates content? Who sets priorities? This session explores the variety of approaches being utilized in managing legislative web sites. 

Moderator: 

• Donald Williams, Chief Principal Research Analyst, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada

• Harold Berkowitz, Chief of Information Technology, Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey
• Mike Cason, Public Systems Associates, Louisiana
• Keith Felte, Deputy Executive Officer, Senate Rules Committee, California
• Andy Harvey, Webmaster, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada
• Robbie LaFleur, Director, Legislative Reference Library, Minnesota
• Cheri Meadows, Legislative Portal Project, California

LRL Reception
Sponsored by LexisNexis

Opening Plenary
The American Economy in 2003

Dr. Sung Won Sohn is Executive Vice President and Chief Economic Officer for Wells Fargo Banks. Dr. Sohn is frequently called upon for his views on the present and future economy. He has been a senior economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors, and has been named by Bloomberg News as one of the five most accurate economic forecasters in the United States. 

Speaker: 

• Sung Won Sohn, Wells Fargo Banks, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Tour of San Francisco Chronicle
The Chronicle is a short walk from the Moscone Center (about a block and a half). LRL will meet in the North Lobby of Moscone Center by NCSL registration.

NCSL Welcome Reception
Sponsored by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

Welcome to California! NCSL and the California Legislature celebrate the 29th NCSL Annual Meeting and Exhibition. The celebration will take place in Moscone North, San Francisco's premier meeting facility. As you enjoy delicacies from the neighborhoods of San Francisco, view the cars of the future presented by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Sit down, relax and enjoy the future! 

Presiding: 

• Gary Olson, Director, Senate Fiscal Agency, Michigan, and NCSL Staff Chair

• Bruce Tulgan, Founder, Rainmaker Thinking, Inc.

All the News That's Fit to Find: Web News Sites
Co-sponsored by the Legislative Information and Communication Staff Section 

Do you need to search for news on a tight budget? Which search engines and news sites are best? Are some news stories missing, never to be found again? Join experts as they explore, free and inexpensive news, and what's not there and why. Special attention will be paid to good sources for tracking public policy issues.

Moderator: 

• Arthur McEnany, Law Librarian/Analyst, Senate Law Library , Louisiana, LRL Chair-Elect

• Donna Scheeder, Deputy Assistant Director, Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C
• Richard Geiger, Research Director, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California

Plenary
Health Care Issues and Economics 

Uwe Reinhardt is recognized as one of the United States' leading authorities on the economics of health care. Dr. Reinhardt is the James Madison Professor of Political Economy and Professor of Economics at Princeton University. He received a Ph.D. in economics from Yale in 1970. He has received an honorary degree of Dr. Sci. from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and an honorary degree of Dr. Sci. from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine CUNY, 1994. He has been recognized by a wide range of appointments to government and service commissions. 

Speaker: 

• Uwe Reinhardt, James Madison Professor, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

LRL Luncheon and Awards
Sponsored by West

Presiding: 

• Robbie LaFleur, Director, Legislative Reference Library, Minnesota, LRL Chair 

Homeland Security and Civil Liberties
Co-sponsored by Legal Services Staff Section, Research and Committee Staff Section and the National Legislative Services and Security Association 

This session will examine how the U.S. Patriot Act, state homeland security laws and related anti-terrorism activities can be successfully implemented while also maintaining the integrity of America's traditional civil liberties. 
Speakers: 

• Representative Richard Perkins, Speaker of the Assembly, Nevada
• Jayashri Srikantiah, American Civil Liberties Union, San Francisco, California

California Social Event
Join the California Host Committee for a fun and memorable experience at the Moscone West. 

You'll hear from Dick Bright's SRO -- one of the top party bands in San Francisco that puts on a show like no other band you've ever experienced. AND Earth Circus Entertainment -- replacing the usual circus fare with the untried, the untrue and the undreamed-of. Expect daring fashion, drama, spectacles, interactive eclectic characters, flying aerialists and dazzling costumes! 

Plenary
Strengthening Education to Strengthen America
Sponsored by the State Governmental Affairs Council

Melinda Gates is the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is dedicated to improving people's lives by sharing advances in health and learning with the global community. She will discuss her belief that we can strengthen our educational system to better prepare America's young people for college, work and citizenship. She will share her ideas on policies to make it all happen. 

Speaker: 

• Melinda Gates, Co-founder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington