02/22/2024 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

          SCR  8-RECOGNIZING NCSL ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:51:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  DUNBAR announced  the  consideration  of SENATE  CONCURRENT                                                              
RESOLUTION  NO.   8  Recognizing   and  commending   the  National                                                              
Conference  of  State  Legislatures  on its  50th  anniversary  in                                                              
2025.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
He said  this is  the introductory  hearing of  SCR 8.  He invited                                                              
Mr.  Lamkin  to  put  himself on  the  record  and  introduce  the                                                              
resolution.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:52:39 PM                                                                                                                    
TIM   LAMKIN,   Staff,   Senator  Gary   Stevens,   Alaska   State                                                              
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska, introduced  SCR 8  on behalf  of the                                                              
sponsor, stating  NCSL is the acronym for the  National Conference                                                              
of  State  Legislatures.  He  presented   the  highlights  of  the                                                              
following sponsor statement:                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8                                                                                 
                Honoring NCSL's 50th Anniversary                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       SPONSOR STATEMENT                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     In 1974,  three organizations represented  the interests                                                                   
     of  legislators  and  staff,  but  their  influence  was                                                                   
     diluted.  So  seven inventive  legislative  leaders  and                                                                   
     two  staffers  got  together  and  envisioned  a  single                                                                   
     national   organization    to   support,    defend   and                                                                   
     strengthen state  legislatures. The three  organizations                                                                   
     dissolved,   and  on   Jan.   1,  1975,   the   National                                                                   
     Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) was born.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     NCSL represents  America's legislatures, in  each state,                                                                   
     territory  and commonwealth  of the  United States.  Its                                                                   
     mission  is to advance  the effectiveness,  independence                                                                   
     and integrity  of legislatures and to  foster interstate                                                                   
     cooperation and  facilitate the exchange  of information                                                                   
     among legislatures.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     NCSL also  represents legislatures  in dealing  with the                                                                   
     federal  government,  especially  in  support  of  state                                                                   
     sovereignty  and state flexibility  and protection  from                                                                   
     unfunded  federal   mandates  and  unwarranted   federal                                                                   
     preemption.   The   conference    promotes   cooperation                                                                   
     between  state legislatures  in  the U.S.  and those  in                                                                   
     other countries.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     NCSL  is  committed  to  improving  the  operations  and                                                                   
     management    of    state    legislatures,    and    the                                                                   
     effectiveness  of  legislators  and  legislative  staff,                                                                   
     encouraging  the practice of  high standards of  conduct                                                                   
     by legislators and legislative staff.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Every state  legislator and staffer  is a member  of the                                                                   
     organization  and has complete  access to the  latest in                                                                   
     bipartisan  policy  research,   training  resources  and                                                                   
     technical  assistance  tailored  specifically  to  their                                                                   
     needs. NCSL  offers members  a variety of  opportunities                                                                   
     to  connect and  collaborate, notably  at its  signature                                                                   
     event,  the  NCSL  Legislative  Summit,  occurring  this                                                                   
     year August 5-7, 2024 in Louisville, KY.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     May the  Alaska Legislature  please join in  recognizing                                                                   
     the NCSL for its 50 years of outstanding service.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:54:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR  took up  invited testimony  on SCR  8 and  asked Ms.                                                              
Enlund to put herself on the record and begin her testimony.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:54:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SYDNE  ENLUND,  State Outreach  Manager,  National  Conference  of                                                              
State  Legislatures   (NCSL),  Denver,   Colorado,  gave   invited                                                              
testimony  on   SCR  8.  She   introduced  herself   and  provided                                                              
background   on  NCSL.   She   explained   that  NCSL   represents                                                              
legislatures  in the  states,  territories,  and commonwealths  of                                                              
the United  States. Its mission  is to advance the  effectiveness,                                                              
independence,  and integrity  of  legislatures, foster  interstate                                                              
cooperation,   and    facilitate   information    exchange   among                                                              
legislatures.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ENLUND   said  NCSL   is  excited   to  celebrate   its  50th                                                              
Anniversary.  The  celebratory  kickoff  will occur  at  the  2024                                                              
Legislative Summit  in Louisville,  Kentucky, and conclude  at the                                                              
2025 Legislative  Summit in Boston,  Massachusetts. She  said that                                                              
as  NCSL  celebrates   50  years  of  service,   it  recommits  to                                                              
supporting  state  legislatures  in  strengthening  representative                                                              
democracy, modeling civility, and embracing innovation.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:55:37 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  ENLUND  said  that every  state  legislator  and  legislative                                                              
staffer  is a member  of NCSL.  She emphasized  the importance  of                                                              
state  legislatures as  models  of civility  and  problem-solving.                                                              
State legislatures  are America's  laboratories of democracy.  She                                                              
praised  legislative  staff  for their  nonpartisan  guidance  and                                                              
institutional   knowledge.  They   are  vital   to  ensuring   the                                                              
resilience of democratic ideals.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS.  ENLUND  said there  are  several  ways  to promote  the  50th                                                              
Anniversary. She  encouraged legislators  to use NCSL as  a policy                                                              
research  resource,  share  successes in  finding  common  ground,                                                              
connect  with other  legislators,  and highlight  the benefits  of                                                              
NCSL  involvement.  She  mentioned  NCSL's  podcast,  "Across  the                                                              
Aisle,"  which   tells  stories  of  bipartisan   cooperation  and                                                              
invited legislators to share their experiences.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:58:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR DUNBAR  opened public testimony  on SCR 8; finding  none, he                                                              
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR DUNBAR held SCR 8 in committee.