Policy Consensus E-News — November 2004

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NCDD Conference Hosts Panel on "Citizen-Initiated
Deliberations on Legislative Policy Issues"

Hawaii State Sen. Les Ihara, Jr.

A national project to involve legislators in “dialog and deliberation” (D&D) programs was the focus of a session at the annual conference of the National Coalition for Dialog and Deliberation in October. Session panelists were veteran legislators and legislative experts who discussed ways to increase citizen-legislator engagement by involving more legislators in deliberative activities, and initiating deliberative forums on legislative issues.

Hawaii State Sen. Les Ihara, Jr., and Minnesota State Sen. Sheila Kiscaden led the panel. Other presenters were Peggy Kerns, former Colorado State Representative and current Director of NCSL’s Center for Ethics in Government; Bruce Feustel, NCSL Legislative Management Senior Fellow and former attorney for the Wisconsin Legislature; and PCI Executive Director Chris Carlson.

The session covered strategies for promoting public deliberation in legislatures, and national projects to support citizen engagement with state legislatures.

Read the rest of the story...

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PCI Introduces On-Line Tool for Drafting DR Legislation

A new tool for people who are drafting, commenting on, or preparing to introduce legislation to promote the use of ADR by state governments is now available on policyconsensus.org.

As ADR takes its place in the mainstream, a growing number of jurisdictions are passing legislation specifically addressing ADR use by agencies and other governmental bodies. A rich body of legislative approaches and practices has resulted from these legislative initiatives.

While much of this legislation is proving useful in stimulating beneficial state activities, some has been poorly informed and even detrimental. PCI’s Government DR Acts tool helps guide users in designing or analyzing DR statutes that can result in quality outcomes, and those that can produce harmful ones.

Compiled by Charles Pou, Jr., a dispute resolution consultant based in Washington, D.C., the resource offers useful information on what DR Legislation can and cannot do, as well as specific examples of government DR Acts from Texas, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia – with links to each state’s statutes. It also includes key references and other resources on dispute resolution legislation.

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PCI/NPCC Board Members Elected to Leadership Positions

Ohio State Rep. Merle Grace Kearns

Utah State Rep. Ralph Becker

Two PCI/NPCC Board members, both state legislators, have earned legislative leadership positions in their states.

Utah State Representative Ralph Becker (D-Salt Lake) was elected House Minority Leader in democratic caucus leadership elections, and Ohio State Representative Merle Grace Kearns (R-Springfield) was elected by her peers as Majority Floor Leader in the Ohio House.

Becker served as House Minority Leader from 2000 to 2002, and his caucus re-elected him on Nov. 9 to fill the leadership post a second time, through 2006. He served as Utah State Planning Coordinator from 1983 to 1985, and is a member of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission. Becker is a planner and attorney with the consulting firm Bear West, and teaches part time at the University of Utah on public lands, community involvement, and environmental planning.

Kearns, who is the longest serving member on her party’s new leadership team, served for 10 years in the Ohio Senate, where she held the Majority Whip position for 3 ½ years. In 2003 Kearns was named Ohio’s most compassionate legislator in a survey by Columbus Monthly Magazine, and this year she received the “Better World Award” from the Ohio Community Mediation Association for her contributions to the field of ADR.

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Court ADR Conference Scheduled for April 2005

The American Bar Association’s 2005 National Conference on Court ADR (formerly the Court ADR Mini-Conference) is scheduled for April 14-16 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif. The conference will feature a series of panels and programs geared to the needs of court administrators, judges, attorneys, neutrals and others working with court ADR programs. Sessions will address topics such as maintaining confidentiality, training lawyers in representation skills, and keeping programs and personnel energized.

For more information, visit ABA Section of Dispute Resolution or call the ABA at (202) 662-1680.

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