NCSL: New Foes to Contend with in the 111th Congress

The National Committee of State Legislators:

I talked to my guy personally on Dec 12, staff vice chair Ronald C. Brach, NY., who BOLDLY confessed to me that he was very much against horse slaughter. He is the Staff Vice Chair of the NCSL Ag & Energy Committee. Now I know why he didnt bother to show at the committee meeting last month. The NCSL Agriculture and Energy Committee is the group pushing to re-open the horse slaughter houses in the USA.
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NCSL Standing Committees: 2008 - 2009 Conference Year
The NCSL Standing Committees are composed of legislators and legislative staff who are appointed by the leadership of the legislatures. The committees are the main organizational mechanism for serving NCSL members. There are 12 committees that deal with both state and state-federal issues.

The Standing Committees allow legislators and staff to benefit from the experiences of other states in shaping public policy, experimenting with new laws, and managing the legislative institutions. Committee members explore issues that states have to deal with, but committees do not recommend policy to the legislatures on issues that are internal to the states.

Committees do develop policy on state-federal issues to guide NCSL's lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. NCSL's Washington staff lobby the Congress, the White House and federal agencies for the benefit of state legislatures in accord with the policies recommended by the Standing Committees and adopted at the NCSL Annual Business Meeting. The committees' jurisdictions are divided by subject, like the committee jurisdictions in every legislature.


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General Officers & NCSL Contacts
Each committee has a legislator chair, a legislative staff chair, two legislative staff vice chairs and at least two legislator vice chairs. The NCSL President has the discretion to appoint additional legislator vice chairs. The overall committee structure consists of one legislator chair, one legislative staff chair, at least two legislator vice chairs and at least two legislative staff vice chairs. The legislator chair and the legislative staff chair are ex-officio members of the NCSL Executive Committee.


NCSL General Officers

Chair: Speaker Terie T. Norelli, New Hampshire
Vice Chair: Representative Joni M. Cutler, South Dakota
Vice Chair: Representative Phillip Frye, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Representative Rae Ann G. Kelsch, North Dakota
Vice Chair: Representative Mark L. Maddox, Tennessee
Vice Chair: Senator Gary L. Stevens, Alaska
Staff Chair: Martha Carter, Nebraska
Staff Vice Chair: Michael P. Adams, Colorado
Staff Vice Chair: Barbara Fellencer, Pennsylvania
Staff Vice Chair: Tara Perkinson, Virginia
Staff Vice Chair: Katherine B. Schill, Minnesota


NCSL CONTACTS: Carl Tubbesing (DC) Jo Anne Bourquard (Denver) Ron Snell (Denver)



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All Committees, Officers and NCSL Contacts Officers & NCSL Contacts

NCSL Agriculture and Energy Committee

Chair: Senator Harris B. McDowell III, Delaware
Chair: Senator Stephen R. Morris, Kansas
Vice Chair: Senator Brian Bingman, Oklahoma
Vice Chair: Representative John A. Heaton, New Mexico
Vice Chair: Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi
Vice Chair: Representative Thomas E. Jackson, Alabama
Vice Chair: Representative Sue Wallis, Wyoming
Immediate Past Chair: Senator Beverly Gard, Indiana
Staff Chair: Lowell Atchley, Kentucky
Staff Chair: James Fry, South Dakota
Staff Vice Chair: Josh Applebee, Alaska
Staff Vice Chair: Ronald C. Brach, New York
Staff Vice Chair: Franklin Munyan, Virginia
Staff Vice Chair: Lucretia Shaw Collins, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Matt Taylor, Georgia
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Scott Young, NevadaNCSL CONTACTS: Glen Andersen (Denver) Kate Marks (Denver) Lee Posey (DC) Tamra Spielvogel (DC)


NCSL Budgets & Revenue Committee

Chair: Senator Donne E. Trotter, Illinois
Vice Chair: Representative Mark V. Falzone, Massachusetts
Vice Chair: Representative Pryor A. Gibson III, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Senator Jean Hunhoff, South Dakota
Vice Chair: Representative John Otto, Texas
Vice Chair: Representative Sharon J. Schwartz, Kansas
Vice Chair: Delegate Harry Keith White, West Virginia
Immediate Past Chair: Senator Richard Devlin, Oregon
Staff Chair: James White, Tennessee
Staff Vice Chair: Stephanie Barrett, Vermont
Staff Vice Chair: Mitchell Bean, Michigan
Staff Vice Chair: Cynthia Kelly, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Stephen Kubico, Delaware
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Kathryn (Kate) R. Wade, Wisconsin


NCSL CONTACTS: Bert Waisanen (Denver) Judy Zelio (Denver) Molly Ramsdell (DC)


NCSL Communications, Financial Services & Interstate Commerce Committee

Chair: Representative Phil Montgomery, Wisconsin
Vice Chair: Senator Karin S. Brownlee, Kansas
Vice Chair: Senator Ann Duplessis, Louisiana
Vice Chair: Representative Daniel Adams Eaton, New Hampshire
Vice Chair: Senator Pamela Gorman, Arizona
Vice Chair: Representative Ross Hunter, Washington
Vice Chair: Representative Brian Patrick Kennedy, Rhode Island
Immediate Past Chair: Senator Delores G. Kelley, Maryland
Staff Chair: Mike Sunseri, Kentucky
Staff Vice Chair: Melissa Calderwood, Kansas
Staff Vice Chair: Karen Cochrane-Brown, North Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Kara Collins-Gomez, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Rip Colvin, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Mary Galligan, Kansas
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Jonathan Ball, Utah


NCSL CONTACTS: Heather Morton (Denver) Jo Anne Bourquard (Denver) Neal Osten (DC)


NCSL Education Committee

Chair: Senator Nancy J. King, Maryland
Vice Chair: Representative Bill G. Abernathy, Arkansas
Vice Chair: Representative Larry M. Bell Sr., North Carolina
Vice Chair: Representative Rob Eissler, Texas
Vice Chair: Senator John W. Goedde, Idaho
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Rae Ann G. Kelsch, North Dakota
Staff Chair: Shirley Iorio, North Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Paul Aguilar, New Mexico
Staff Vice Chair: Lynn Cobb, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Paula S. Dominguez, Rhode Island
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Frances Ramirez Maestas, New Mexico


NCSL CONTACTS: David Shreve (DC) Michelle Exstrom (Denver)


NCSL Environment Committee

Chair: Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, Virginia
Vice Chair: Senator Jackie Dingfelder, Oregon
Vice Chair: Representative Pricey Harrison, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Representative Karen May, Illinois
Vice Chair: Representative Lynn Ratigan Smith, Georgia
Immediate Past Chair: Senator Beverly Gard, Indiana
Staff Chair: George Givens, North Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Thomas Hamby, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Larry Novey, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: John Stolzenberg, Wisconsin
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Scott Young, Nevada


NCSL CONTACTS: Linda Sikkema (Denver) Melissa Savage (Denver) Tamra Spielvogel (DC)


NCSL Health Committee

Chair: Senator Judy Lee, North Dakota
Vice Chair: Senator Ronnie W. Cromer, South Carolina
Vice Chair: Senator Bettye Davis, Alaska
Vice Chair: Representative Keith J. Gillespie, Pennsylvania
Vice Chair: Senator Lisa T. Marrache, Maine
Vice Chair: Senator Patrick Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi
Vice Chair: Senator William R. Purcell, North Carolina
Immediate Past Chair: Assemblyman Herb C. Conaway Jr., New Jersey
Staff Chair: Raul E. Burciaga, New Mexico
Staff Vice Chair: Mark D. Andrews, Utah
Staff Vice Chair: Matt Dull, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Nolan Langweil, Vermont
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Jacquie Donaldson, New York


NCSL CONTACTS: Joy Johnson Wilson (DC) Martha King (Denver)


NCSL Human Services & Welfare Committee

Chair: Representative Ruth Kagi, Washington
Vice Chair: Representative Barbara W. Ballard, Kansas
Vice Chair: Representative Verla Insko, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Senator Juan M. Pichardo, Rhode Island
Vice Chair: Senator Renee' S. Unterman, Georgia
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Pete Hershberger, Arizona
Staff Chair: Anne Sappenfield, Wisconsin
Staff Vice Chair: Ethel Detch, Tennessee
Staff Vice Chair: P.K. Jameson, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Charles Sallee, New Mexico
Staff Vice Chair: Nia Wilson, Pennsylvania


NCSL CONTACTS: Jack Tweedie (Denver) Sheri Steisel (DC)


NCSL Labor and Economic Development Committee

Chair: Representative Brent Yonts, Kentucky
Vice Chair: Representative Julie Fisher, Utah
Vice Chair: Representative Lana Gordon, Kansas
Vice Chair: Senator Bill Heath, Georgia
Vice Chair: Representative James Johnson, Delaware
Vice Chair: Senator Gary D. LeBeau, Connecticut
Vice Chair: Representative Juan C. Zapata, Florida
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Phillip Frye, North Carolina
Staff Chair: Andrea Wilko, Utah
Staff Vice Chair: David Cooper, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Jill C. Fike, Georgia
Staff Vice Chair: John P. Hazzard, South Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Rkia Rhrib, Kentucky
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Gilbert R. Loredo, Texas


NCSL CONTACTS: Diana Hinton Noel (DC) Jeanne Mejeur (Denver)


NCSL Law & Criminal Justice Committee

Chair: Representative R. Phillip Haire, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Senator Chuck Gray, Arizona
Vice Chair: Representative Jerry Madden, Texas
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Joni M. Cutler, South Dakota
Staff Chair: Robie Ingram, Virginia
Staff Vice Chair: Carol Benoit, Kansas
Staff Vice Chair: Rashada Houston, Florida
Staff Vice Chair: Eric Maclure, Florida
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Michele Childs, Vermont


NCSL CONTACTS: Donna Lyons (Denver) Susan Parnas Frederick (DC)


NCSL Legislative Effectiveness Committee

Chair: Representative Rosie Berger, Wyoming
Vice Chair: Senator Les Ihara Jr., Hawaii
Vice Chair: Representative Tanya Pullin, Kentucky
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Kathy Tingelstad, Minnesota
Staff Chair: Jeffrey A. Finch, Virginia
Staff Vice Chair: JoAnn Hedrick, Delaware
Staff Vice Chair: Lorne J. Malkiewich, Nevada
Staff Vice Chair: Tim Rice, Illinois
Staff Vice Chair: Tom Wright, Alaska
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Tara Perkinson, Virginia


NCSL CONTACTS: Bruce Feustel (Denver) Carl Tubbesing (DC)


NCSL Redistricting & Elections Committee

Chair: Speaker David Clark, Utah
Vice Chair: Representative Martha B. Alexander, North Carolina
Vice Chair: Senator Sue Landske, Indiana
Vice Chair: Representative W. Jene Vickrey, Kansas
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Richard Gallot Jr., Louisiana
Immediate Past Chair: Senator Jeff Wentworth, Texas
Staff Chair: Alfred W. Speer, Louisiana
Staff Chair: Peter S. Wattson, Minnesota
Staff Vice Chair: Scott Casper, Pennsylvania
Staff Vice Chair: Laura DeVivo, North Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Shantee El, Georgia
Staff Vice Chair: William R. Gilkeson, North Carolina
Staff Vice Chair: Fred Morgan, Oklahoma
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Mary M. Janicki, Connecticut
Immediate Past Staff Chair: Debra Levine, New York


NCSL CONTACTS: Tim Storey (Denver)


NCSL Transportation Committee

Chair: Senator Dennis Nolan, Nevada
Vice Chair: Assemblymember Kelvin Atkinson, Nevada
Vice Chair: Representative Terri J. Austin, Indiana
Vice Chair: Senator Capri Cafaro, Ohio
Vice Chair: Senator D. Scott Dibble, Minnesota
Vice Chair: Senator Paula Dockery, Florida
Vice Chair: Representative Richard A. Geist, Pennsylvania
Vice Chair: Representative Linda Harper-Brown, Texas
Immediate Past Chair: Representative Daniel P. Silva, New Mexico
Staff Chair: Eric Bugaile, Pennsylvania
Staff Vice Chair: Jennifer Jones, Texas
Staff Vice Chair: Teresa B. Tinker, Florida
Immediate Past Staff Chair: John Snyder, Kentucky


NCSL CONTACTS: Jim Reed (Denver)





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