NCSL 2001 ANNUAL MEETING SUMMARY.

America's state legislators navigate through myriad important issues during each legislative session. And at the National Conference of State Legislatures' Annual Meeting, Aug. 11-15, all of those issues were discussed, analyzed and argued.

During the five-day meeting in San Antonio, more than 7,000 state legislators, staff and others exchanged ideas, discussed important public policy and took home new ideas for their states to consider in the months and years ahead. Lawmakers and legislative staff chose among mote than 160 sessions on such topics as energy, election reform, electronic commerce, state finances, prescription drugs, immigration and genetics.

"Navigating the Crosscurrents of America," the theme of the conference, highlighted the wide range of issues today's state lawmaker must take action on each year.

"The diversity of our nation--its culture, heritage, families, communities--is continually changing," said California Senator Jim Costa, NCSL's immediate past president. "There is simply no meeting like this one to prepare, inspire and energize state legislatures for the work ahead."

During the conference, lawmakers were given important national reports on election reform, distribution of tobacco settlement money and an update on how the changing economy is affecting state budgets.

NCSL's 2001 Annual Meeting also attracted national public policy experts, members of Congress and top administration officials. EDS Chairman Dick Brown provided his insights to delegates about the digital economy.

The nation's legislators also adopted policy resolutions during the meeting, approving measures concerning energy, agriculture, faith-based services, election reform, cell phone usage and e-commerce issues, among others.

NCSL Executive Director William Pound said the annual gathering of state lawmakers, the largest of its kind, plays a significant role in helping legislatures establish programs and policies to address the various needs of their constituents.

"As the forum for America's ideas, NCSL's Annual Meeting provides legislators with an opportunity to develop local solutions to national problems. Often policies implemented by today's state legislatures are the policies debated by tomorrow's Congress," Pound said.

State Legislators Make Voting Reform Recommendations

America's state legislatures should adopt uniform procedures for recounts and enact other strong voting reforms, according to a new national report released at the NCSL Annual Meeting.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Election Reform Task Force issued its report, "Voting in America," during the NCSL Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The task force has held six meetings across America since January; hearing from national and local voting experts and concerned groups and citizens.

In the report, the task force says stares should adopt uniform standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes. Additionally, states should take steps to make the voting process easier through designing effective ballots, making polling places easier for the disabled to use and providing assistance to foreign-speaking voters.

One of the task force's major recommendations is to ensure that voting procedures, even for national elections, be kept under state and local control. It opposes any federal mandates.

The task force report also recommends that:

* States adopt no-excuse, absentee voting and early voting procedures.

* Technology be used to allow voting precinct workers to easily identify voters and keep databases on the effectiveness of election equipment.

* States develop better programs to train Election Day workers.

* State election officials be prohibited from campaigning in partisan elections, other than their own.

* States develop a list of voter rights and responsibilities and place renewed emphasis on voter education. The report supports the use of public funds for that purpose.

States Devote Tobacco Settlement Money for Health Services, NCSL Survey Says

The largest portion or tobacco settlement money received by states has gone for health services, according to a report released by NCSL at its 2001 Annual Meeting.

Released at a news conference during NCSL's Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, "State Management and Allocation of Tobacco Settlement Revenue--1999 to 2001" shows that the largest single beneficiary of the tobacco settlement windfall has been health care. Smoking prevention and cessation, Medicaid, children's health insurance and pharmaceutical assistance programs have all seen increased appropriations over the past three years as a result of the master settlement agreement.

"Under the tobacco settlement agreement, have been given a great deal of flexibility in how they use their revenue," said Lee Dixon, director of NCSL's Health Policy Tracking Service. "Right now, it is obvious that states are committed to improving the quality and access of the health care programs that they offer."

One of the programs that has seen a large increase in spending has been smoking cessation and prevention. Between 1999 and 2001, stares collectively appropriated more than $1 billion to tobacco cessation and prevention--more than three times the amount that the Centers for Disease Control spent during the same period.

Twenty states have placed $5.6 billion in endowments or trust funds to provide newly created programs with an independent revenue source, the report said.

NCSL Delegates Vote on Organization's Future

NCSL delegates to the 2001 Annual Meeting elected a new slate of officers for the upcoming year. New York Senator Stephen Saland, a Republican, began his tenure as NCSL president. He received the gavel from California Senator Jim Costa, a Democrat. NCSL's structure ensures that the organizations presidency changes political parties each year.

Senator Angela Monson, Oklahoma, is now NCSL's president-elect. She will take over as president when NCSL holds its annual meeting in Denver next year. Nebraska Speaker Doug Kristensen was selected as NCSL's new vice president.

The nation's state legislative staff also selected new officers for the upcoming year. Ramona Kenady, Oregon chief clerk of the House, will direct programs and activities as the new NCSL staff chair, replacing Diane Bolender, director of the Iowa Legislative Service Bureau. Gary Olson, Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency director, was chosen staff vice chair.

NCSL, composed of all legislators and legislative staff in the nation, its territories and commonwealths, is a bipartisan organization representing the interest of the stares. NCSL was founded in 1975.