Our American States | An NCSL Podcast

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Mick Bullock

The “Our American States” podcast—produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures—is where you can hear compelling conversations that tell the story of America’s state legislatures, the people in them, the politics that compel them, and the important work of democracy.

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Entries for August 2018

Bipartisan Efforts to Improve Economic Opportunities for Families | OAS Episode 42

The success and self-sustainability of families is critical to the overall well-being of our nation’s states. State legislators seeking to bolster economic opportunities for families in their districts have many challenging factors to consider and a wide field of policy options to choose from. To navigate this complex policy area, some of the best available tools for lawmakers are the wealth of knowledge developed by their colleagues and the work and guidance of national experts.

The National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual Economic Opportunities for Families meeting, now in its 16th year, is a rare opportunity when those resources converge. Since 2003, 40 states have participated in this gathering, developing multi-faceted policy plans to build their workforce, provide asset development options for families and give additional support to workers to keep them on track. Hundreds of new enactments have been developed here, and each year builds upon the lessons learned from the year before.

At the 2018 meeting, which took place in Denver, we interviewed three people to give their perspective on the value of the meeting and to share their thoughts on these critical issues. They include:

Illinois State Senator and NCSL President Toi Hutchinson (D)
Georgia State Representative Katie Dempsey (R)
Patrick McCarthy, president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Additional Resources

Transcription of Episode 42

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Category: Public Policy, Human Services

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States Fighting Urge to Text and Drive | OAS Episode 41

Since the relative recent invention of texting, drivers have been tempted to check their phones. And pretty much at the same time, states have been looking at ways to temper that urge.

There are a number of challenges to effectively enforce distracted driving laws. Drivers find loopholes that give motorists a number of plausible excuses for holding or manipulating a mobile device. And no state or locality can afford a patrol to watch every driver on every road.

Still, an estimated 40,000 people die each year in traffic crashes. Our guests will provide the statistics and tell us what states are doing to drive that number down. And we’ll look at a program in Tennessee that literally has drivers and the media talking. Our guests are:

Liza Lemaster-Sandback, highway safety specialist, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Lieutenant Bill Miller, public Information officer, Tennessee Highway Patrol

Additional Resources

Transcription of Episode 41

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Category: Transportation

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Opioid Crisis Generates Bipartisan Solutions | OAS Episode 40

The U.S. Department of Health and Human services says 116 people die each day in the United States from an overdose of opioids. This includes prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids. It says more than 2.1 million people had an opioid use disorder in 2016.

This year, the National Conference of State Legislatures created an Opioid Policy Fellows Program, open to chairs of health-related legislative committees. Through face-to-face meetings, the program is focused on health policies and programs related to the opioid crisis.

We held a conversation with three attendees of a recent Opioid Policy Fellows meeting in Denver, who explain how their state is addressing the crisis and why bipartisanship is critical in approaching legislation. Our guests are:

Maryland House Delegate Eric Bromwell (D)
Vermont Representative Ann Pugh (D)
Alaska Senator David Wilson (R)

Additional Resources

Transcription of Episode 40

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Category: Health

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