Denver — Rhode Island Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Kennedy (D) has been elected president-elect of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan organization serving the nation’s 7,383 state lawmakers and more than 30,000 legislative staff.
Kennedy, NCSL's current vice president, succeeds Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke (R), who became president at this year’s Legislative Summit in Denver. NCSL alternates leadership between the two parties each year. Kennedy will be named NCSL president at the 2023 Legislative Summit in Indianapolis.
“I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve as an officer of this great organization and to become president-elect. I look forward to working with my colleagues from around the country,” Kennedy said. “NCSL has afforded legislators and staff an unrivaled opportunity to learn from the experiences of other states, exchange ideas and to formulate policy solutions that can help propel our respective states and, ultimately, our entire nation forward. I enjoy interacting with our Washington office to ensure federal policies are in line with state priorities.”
Kennedy has served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives since November 1988. He has led several committees and currently serves as the chamber’s speaker pro tempore. He has been active with NCSL for years and has served on the Executive Committee, the Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee, and currently co-chairs the NCSL Executive Task Force on Insurance.
Kennedy, a real estate broker and appraiser, earned a master’s degree in business administration from Anna Maria College in 1987. He received his bachelor’s degree with a double major in history and general social studies from Providence College in 1983. He is a member of Chariho Regional High School’s class of 1979. He was born Jan. 3, 1961.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.