Connecting America 2003: National Conference of State Legislatures: the forum for America's ideas.

As states' economies negotiated a precarious corner this summer, legislators from across the nation met in San Francisco to find strength, hope and inspiration in each other. The National Conference of State Legislatures brings together policymakers and experts from all corners of the country each year at its Annual Meeting to learn from one another, elect new leaders and vote on the policy resolutions that will guide NCSL's federal lobbying efforts through the year.

From their position on the front lines of American policy, state legislatures today are charged with colossal tasks. The issues now facing this nation are born of very basic needs: education, health care and security,, to name a few. The $200 billion budget gap states have had to close in the past three years--the deepest in decades--has cost these core programs. But the worst of times are the best times to gather. "Connecting America," NCSL's 29th Annual Meeting, was among its most important.

"These are the worst budget problems states have experienced since NCSL was established in 1975," said Maryland Delegate John Hurson, NCSL president elect. "The opportunity to get together with colleagues from around the nation and learn from each other was valuable."

The conference drew more than 6,000 people: state legislators and staff, industry and government representatives, news reporters, and even international attendees. They heard from expert speakers, including Sung Won Sohn, executive vice president and chief economic officer for Wells Fargo Banks; Uwe Reinhard, Princeton University health economics professor, and Melinda Gates, cofounder or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Important NCSL national reports were released at the meeting: state fiscal conditions now and through the 1990s, Medicaid changes, and homeland security. NCSL also demonstrated software that could help states in their effort to streamline America's sales tax systems.

Attendees chose from 160 break-out sessions on roughly 24 different topics. From these, they brought home countless new ideas.

NCSL's standing committees endorsed policy resolutions at the meeting--many dealing with unfunded mandates. In one resolution, the committee, in essence, thanked Congress for the $20 billion fiscal relief package it approved due, in part, to NCSL's own lobbying efforts. Other resolutions urge more help: funding is needed to implement the Help America Vote Act, ensure homeland security and provide prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries.

"All of us are trying to get through a difficult budget time without harming the capacity of states to provide services. NCSL's Annual Meeting was beneficial to all legislators who took the opportunity to attend," said Utah House Speaker Martin Stephens, who replaced Oklahoma Senator Angela Monson as NCSL president.