Across the States

The Electoral College: what does it do, why does it do it and is it a good thing? Serving as your Electoral College primer, in this episode of Across the States host Dan Reynolds is joined by John Ryder, the former General Counsel of the Republican National Committee, and Karla Jones, ALEC Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force to fill us in. Conservatives Mobilize in De...

The COVID-19 pandemic has made visible many of the existing, hidden barriers to enter the workforce: barriers in front of health care professions, those paying off student loans or new to the workforce. These barriers existed before the pandemic. But it’s time to free our workforce from unnecessary shackles if we want to get America back to work. Having the right occupational licensing policies is...

How could a National Federalism Task Force benefit the country during the COVID-19 pandemic? Dive into the answer in this episode of Across the States, where host Dan Reynolds is joined by Karla Jones, ALEC Senior Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force, and Former Representative Ken Ivory, the ALEC Chair to Restore Balance in Government and American Federalism professor...

As we fight on during the COVID-19 pandemic, the private sector has stepped up to support consumers. Utility companies are just one, but they have an important role to play. To discuss the topic, host Dan Reynolds is joined by Grant Kidwell, ALEC Director of the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force; Laura Schepis, Senior Director of National Security at Edison Electric Institute (EEI) an...

As a COVID-19 response, many states have delayed their tax deadlines, but have done so via executive order or by a government agency’s decision. However, one bill in Ohio stands out. On this episode Dan Reynolds is joined by the April 2020 ALEC-FreedomWorks State Legislator of the Month, OH Rep. Jena Powell, to discuss the bill she sponsored with fellow ALEC member Rep. Derek Merrin, that authoriz...

To discuss the local response efforts during COVID-19, host Dan Reynolds is joined by Jon Russell, Director of the American City County Exchange (ACCE), an ALEC sister organization working to advance free market solutions at the local level. Also joining the podcast are Billy Hewes, Mayor of Gulfport, MS and Benny Zhang, Councilman of Williamsburg, VA. From local partnership with the private secto...

In this episode of Across the States, host Dan Reynolds is joined by ALEC Senior Director of the Civil Justice and Criminal Justice Task Forces, Ronald Lampard to discuss COVID-19 policy solutions and how they can help civil justice and regulatory reform. Listen in on the responses to the pandemic, and how they play a part in reducing regulatory red tape, resolving potential court backlogs, limiti...

Following national school closures due to COVID-19, all schools have been forced to transition to remote learning. In this episode of Across the States, host Dan Reynolds is joined by Jeff Kwitowski, K12 Inc. Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Communications; Dr. Tony Bennett, K12 Inc. Senior Vice President of Academics and External Relations, former State Superintendent in Indiana...

How is COVID-19 impacting the criminal justice system? Host Dan Reynolds is joined by Ronald Lampard, ALEC Senior Director of the Criminal Justice and Civil Justice Task Forces, to scratch the surface on how the pandemic is affecting law enforcement personnel; fines, fees and drivers licenses and jail and prison considerations. Listen in on Lampard’s proposed policy solutions that ensure continued...

In this episode of Across the States, host Dan Reynolds is joined by Colin Grabow, Trade Policy Analyst at the Cato Institute, and Karla Jones, Senior Director of the International Relations and Federalism Task Force at ALEC. The topic is the Jones Act: what it is, how it affects how we transport goods between states, which specific states it affects (spoiler: it’s all of them) and what this means...

On this special episode of Across the States, ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson speaks with Newt Gingrich in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss what needs to be done to keep the American economy running. Gingrich highlights realistic and practical steps state and local legislators can take during this time to ensure that once the curve is flattened, America gets back to work, and convening state...

Today’s podcast is being recorded in a completely virtual manner – we’re practicing social distancing. What if there was a virtual tool that kept you at home – that kept you social distancing – but still put you in front of a doctor for your check-ups and questions? That’s what telehealth offers and it will be such a crucial tool in combatting COVID-19. ALEC Director of the Health and Human Servic...

Host Bill Meierling sits down with ALEC EVP for Policy Jonathan Williams and ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform Senior Director Lee Schalk to discuss the recent market volatility. The United States is currently facing this market situation because of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it brings. But market volatility also affects state pensions, state budgets, and state spending. The state that have fo...

Darcy Olsen, Founder and President of Gen Justice, sits down with Across the States host Dan Reynolds to discuss the organization’s work in improving safety for more than 35,000 foster children. Gen Justice seeks to give abused and abandoned foster children something they lack—an advocate and a voice. Gen Justice reforms include requiring kids to be quickly moved from government care to permanent...

Christina Dent is the founder of End It for Good, a conservative nonprofit that offers alternatives to the Drug War. Dent sits down with host Dan Reynolds to discuss the organization’s approach to solving America’s drug crisis – beginning by challenging the way we understand the core of the crisis itself. Learn more about End it for Good here . Watch her Ted Talk here.

In this episode of Across the States, Oklahoma Senator and February’s ALEC-FreedomWorks State Legislator of the Month Micheal Bergstrom discusses his work with innovative policies, from autonomous vehicles to occupational licensing. This month, Senator Bergstrom introduced Senate Bill 1678, the Occupational License Review Act, which ensures that occupational license regulation keeps people safe wh...

This episode of Across the States features North Dakota Representatives Vicky Steiner and Craig Headland, who filed House Bill 1530 in 2019 to repeal the state personal income tax. While this bill didn’t pass, the story is one other state legislators should consider when attempting to move the ball forward on sound tax policies. They are joined by ALEC Executive Vice President for Policy, Jonathan...

At the time of this posting, Presidents’ Day is right around the corner. The Constitution gives instructions and limits on power, including the President’s power. But how does the Presidency relate to the local states? Former Utah state representative Ken Ivory joins Across the States to discuss this intersection. Ivory currently serves as the Chair of the ALEC Center to Restore the Balance in Gov...

Jason Isaac is a former Texas state representative who is now the senior manager at Life:Powered — a new policy initiative from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He joins Dan Reynolds on Across the States with Grant Kidwell, the ALEC director of the energy, environment and agriculture task force, to discuss his time as a state legislator, and to discuss energy policies that improve the quality o...

A 2018 Supreme Court decision freed states to allow - or disallow - sports betting on their own volition. New Jersey took advantage of this opportunity and has seen success, including an increase in government revenue. In December, Michigan just allowed sports betting. This is a growing trend in states across the country and something for which state legislators should prepare. Ronald Lampard, the...

A lot of effort and energy is spent looking at the issues in the national and state governments. Rightly so - they both need a lot of fixing. But county governments by-and-large affect your day-to-day life more than other governments and certainly more than you expected. From education to road funding, county governments are often where the rubber meets the road on these issues. Learn from Sumner...

Getting adoption right is imperative for policy makers everywhere – but it is especially important for state legislators. Felicia Curcuru is the co-founder and CEO of Binti, an organization dedicated to ensure every child is raised by a loving family. The ALEC General Counsel Bartlett Cleland was adopted and adds his own unique perspective on this issue. Learn more from: www.binti.com . Special Gu...

State legislators consistently remark on the great educational opportunities ALEC offers them. But state financial officers seemed to need the same support: that’s where the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) comes in. On this episode of Across the States , the president of SFOF, Derek Kreifels, sits down with two of his board members, Seth Metcalf and Ron Crane, to discuss its priorities...