Introduction
The Senate Presidents’ Forum held an online session on June 7, 2024. Here at the midyear mark, senators were invited to discuss the successes and challenges of their 2024 legislative sessions to date, and to share future policy goals. The conversation, moderated by SPF’s Tom Finneran, examined issues of the economy, energy, and other legislative priorities.
2024 June
Midyear Legislative Review
Online Zoom Forum
Introduction
The Senate Presidents’ Forum convened in Park City, Utah, hosted by the Hon. Stuart Adams, President of the Senate (UT), and welcomed by Hon. Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah. The Forum covered a broad range of highly relevant topics including legislative trends, school choice, home insurance, China, social media, and election integrity.
State legislators have stepped up to fill a gap left by federal inaction, consistently demonstrating their will and capability to take the lead on matters ranging from technology to workforce to social issues. As a framework for the discussions to follow in our Summer Forum, this session explores how and why states have moved to the vanguard of policymaking.
As legislation concerning school choice continues to take hold across the country, we delve into opposing perspectives to better understand the calls for educational reform, the economics of subsidies, school performance, student outcomes, and potential impacts on our communities at large.
Is Insurance Boring in a Hotter World?
A crisis has emerged in home insurance. Beset by losses on homeowners coverage due to weather-related disasters, insurers have drastically increased premiums, reduced coverage, and begun exiting some states altogether. We’ll consider how the states are uniquely positioned to address several of the critical matters facing property owners, insurers, and real estate markets.
China: The Nature of Economic Competition
Two decades after US-China trade burst wide open, to mutual benefit, the contentious relationship between superpowers has evolved into a challenge never faced before. In this session, the program director of the Council On Foreign Relations’ new China Strategy Initiative draws a straight line to state economies and even to granular implications for municipalities.
Regulating Social Media: Tech-Informed Policymaking
A raft of legislation regulating social media, including digital privacy laws and age-related restrictions, has been proposed and enacted this year, with more promised to follow. The aim of this session is to offer insights and resources so that when lawmakers are shaping policy concerning social media and digital platforms, their offices are equipped to address the technology behind it.
Election Integrity: Driving Trust and Limiting Risks
Seldom if ever in our nation’s history has the administration of elections been under greater scrutiny or more integral to voter confidence. With guidance from the founder of MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab, and from NCSL’s director of Elections & Redistricting, we’ll help establish guidelines and best practices for sound, defensible elections. Participation is strongly encouraged in order to surface potential issues and explore contingency planning that can still be put into effect before the general election in November.
2024 Summer Forum in Review
The Hon. Mike Dunleavy welcomed the Forum to Alaska.
Sen. Cathy Giessel (AK), Sen. Rod Bray (IN), and Sen. Stuart Adams (UT) enjoyed the sessions.
A welcoming non-partisan atmosphere characterizes the Forum events.