NCSL Podcasts

Marijuana the word, when spoken, often elicits smiles, smirks, guffaws and goofy comments. But to policymakers responsible for writing rules and regulations, this serious subject matter is full of weeds and thickets. We’re going to do our best to take our tools and jump into the marijuana patch and look at the challenges and opportunities that it provides to our American states. Our guest today has been tracking the issue for several years now, and is one of the nation’s foremost experts on the political, legal and economic aspects of this issue. Karmen Hanson is a program director in the Health Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Transcript of Episode 4

The security of America's voting systems is under the microscope. Revelations about foreign hacking into state registration systems and allegations of voter fraud are a focal point of public policy discussions. In this edition of "Our American States," we examine those issues, equipment costs and concerns, military voting, mail-in ballots and other related issues. Giving us his national perspective on these issues is elections expert Doug Chapin, director of the Program for Excellence in Election Administration at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and director of the university's Election Academy. Transcript of Episode 3

Historically, citizens have held high expectations for education in the United States. Over the course of the last several years, while the delivery of that education has become more politically challenged, there is still a strong belief that American students should compare favorably with their counterparts across the globe. In today’s edition of “Our American States,” we talk with experts in international and U.S. education, and talk to a state legislator in one state that rates highly when compared to other countries. No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State Transcript of Episode 2

In today’s podcast, we will take a close look at the political landscape of state legislatures, examine the top 10 issues they will tackle this year, take a look at how the new Trump administration will affect their work, and talk about the possibility of a national constitution convention. Today's guest is William Pound, the executive director of the National Conference of State Legislatures, otherwise known as NCSL. Bill has directed NCSL for around 30 years, and is one of the nation’s foremost experts in state legislatures and how they operate. Transcript of Episode 1