Yasmine Outlaw is a policy analyst with the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. She spoke with NCSL as part of the “Staff Snapshots” series.

As the U.S. doubles down on tariffs as a primary tool of U.S. trade strategy, individual states are beginning to assert a more active role in international economic engagement.

Profiles in Service: Bernie McNulty retires from California State Senate after a nearly 30-year career.

Since 2021, lawmakers have generated more than 2,500 vaccine-related bills, about 400 of which were introduced during the 2024 legislative sessions, as reflected in NCSL’s State Public Health Legislation Database. "From...

When Mechelle Evans took a job with the Louisiana State Legislature as a full-time messenger in 1980, she had no idea it was the first step in a career that would span five decades—and counting. 

Despite a chaotic year for state budgeters, some states still expect revenue growth and are proposing either tax cuts or increased spending on new initiatives. Other states have been forced to close significant budget shortfalls and are...