NCSL talks with Celia Smits, Princeton-trained molecular biologist who works in the New Jersey Legislature as part of the Eagleton Science and Politics Fellowship.

Criminal justice expert Ebony Ruhland studies how probation and parole affect individuals, their families and their communities.

At 44, first-term Iowa state lawmaker J.D. Scholten earned a spot in the pitching rotation for his local pro baseball team.

After starting her career at the Kentucky Capitol as a janitor, Sheila Mason got a taste of legislative staff work and never looked back. She has spent nearly 50 years in the Capitol since then, most of them at the Legislative Research Commission.

In this Q&A interview, NCSL talks with New Mexico Rep. Javier Martínez, who was elected in 2014 and became House speaker in 2023.

Senfronia Thompson has served in the Texas House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, making her both the longest-serving woman and the longest-serving African American in a state legislature.