Report

DELEGATION MEMBERS AND STAFF

Due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Base Camp 2021 was held virtually from 3–5 August 2021. Brian Masse, Mario Simard and Francesco Sorbara – vice-chairs of the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group – attended the video conference along with Members of Parliament Randy Hoback and Stephanie Kusie. Members were supported by Mr. Brett Capwell, Advisor to the Canadian Section.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES

Founded in 1975, the NCSL is a bipartisan organization serving the legislators and legislative staff of the 50 U.S. states, as well as its commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance, and a venue for the exchange of ideas on state issues. The NCSL also advocates for state interests before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies.

THE EVENT

Participating at the NCSL Base Camp 2021 enables members of the Canadian Section of the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group to find points of convergence in respective policies, initiate dialogue on points of divergence, encourage exchanges of information and promote better understanding on shared issues of concern. Moreover, hearing from state legislators provide members of the Canadian Section with an opportunity to gather information about state-level issues that affect Canada.

The meeting included the following select concurrent subject matter–specific panels as well as a number of legislator skill-building sessions:

Federal Infrastructure Update: Will States Come Out on Top?

• Panelists Abbie Gruwell, Ben Husch and Kristen Hildreth of the NCSL discussed the ongoing negotiations on the federal infrastructure bill and how it might impact state’s transportation, water, broadband infrastructure, and energy projects.

Drugged Driving: What’s a State to Do?

• This session examined states’ efforts to collect data on drug-impaired driving and discussed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s evaluation tools to help states combat drug-impaired driving. Panelists included Timothy Kerns of the Maryland Dept. of Transportation, and Staci Hoff of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Get Ready, Get Set – Redistrict!

• New Mexico State Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto, and David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report, discussed the upcoming release of census data and its effects on congressional and state districts.

Legacy Knowledge Know-How in a Remote World.

• This session examined “knowledge management,” a practice that seeks to ensure all organizational information is identified and stored in a deliberate manner. Panelists included Christina Miracle Finch of the Congressional Research Service, as well as Kae Warnock and Megan McClure from the NCSL.

Protecting the Protectors? Changes to Qualified Immunity for Police.

• Representative Georgene Louis of the New Mexico Legislature and Rachel Harmon of the University of Virginia School of Law discussed how federal qualified immunity protects law enforcement officers from violations of a citizen’s constitutional rights and how state legislatures are working to limit the applicability of qualified immunity as well as to authorize personal liability insurance.

You've Got $1.9 Trillion for Pandemic Relief. Now What?

• Rachel Levine of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Jacob Leibenluft of the Center for American Progress discussed the potential impacts of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on state projects.

Moving on Up: Economic Mobility in the U.S.

• David A. Williams of Opportunity Insights spoke about how economic mobility is on the decline in the United States and about the overall economic resiliency of U.S. households.

The Geopolitics of Cyberspace: Emerging Technologies and Security.

• Adam Segal of the Council on Foreign Relations discussed how emerging technologies effect national security and geopolitics.

Where is the World At? An International Conversation.

• Denver Consul General Sylvain Fabi and Ido Aharoni Aronoff of the New York University's Graduate School of Arts and Science discussed how countries have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, the present state of travel restrictions and the expected economic rebound post-pandemic.

Mere Civility: Disagreement and the Limits of Toleration.

• University of Oxford Professor Teresa M. Bejan presented on the philosophical nature of civility, and its place in politics.

Reimagining Education in a Post-Pandemic World.

• Linda Darling-Hammond of the Learning Policy Institute and Representative Robert Behning of the Indiana General Assembly discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity to reimagine the U.S. education system.

COVID-19: Vaccines and Public Policy.

• This session provided information on the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and discussed policy options to enhance equitable access to vaccines. Speakers included Amanda Cohn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead of the Maryland National Guard, and Matt Bobo, Immunization Program Manager for the State of Alaska.

Just the Facts: Using Evidence to Make Employment Policy.

• Kristine Goodwin from the NCSL and Mark Elliott of the Economic Mobility Corporation discussed research-backed approaches to federal and state level workforce policy.

Upgrading the Grid: What States Can Do, and How the Feds Can Help.

• Panelists Adam Benshoff of the Edison Electric Institute, Ben Husch from the NCSL, Elizabeth Salerno of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Jennifer Murphy with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners discussed certain stumbling blocks and possible solutions to modernizing the United States' electric grid.

A Deep Dive Into Unemployment Data: Takeaways for States.

• Massachusetts State Senator Patricia Jehlen and Michelle Evermore of the U.S. Department of Labor discussed unemployment levels in the United States and their opinions on reworking the unemployment system to prepare it for a future recession.

Redistricting Maps: You Say Fair, I Say Foul.

• Adam Kincaid of the National Republican Redistricting Trust and Kelly Ward Burton of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee discuss how fairness is considered in the redistricting process.

Responsible Budgeting in the Age of Stimulus.

• Josh Goodman of the Pew Charitable Trusts and Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget spoke about how the recent influx of federal stimulus funds to the State level should be used responsibly.

The Risks and Rewards of Higher Education.

• Mamie Voight of the Institute for Higher Education Policy and Sandy Baum from the Urban Institute discussed how prospective students can navigate the higher education marketplace to get the most value for the investment they put into their education, as well as how these insights should inform state and federal policymaking.

Everything You Need to Know About This U.S. Supreme Court Term.

• Lisa Soronen of the State and Local Legal Center provided a summary of U.S. Supreme Court cases from the past year.

What’s Up with the Census?

• Alexis Stangl from the Minnesota Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis Office and Kathleen Styles of the U.S. Census Bureau explained the effect of the census on state funding and redistricting.

Respectfully submitted,