Who Are Legislators? ********* Western Water Woes ********* Q & a with William Kristol Why Do States Spend $260 Million 13A Year to Push Smoking at Kids?
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THE RISE OF ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION PAGE 8 December 2015 Who Are Legislators? ********* Western Water Woes ********* Q & A With William Kristol Why do states spend $260 million 13a year to push smoking at kids? 2010-2015* BIG MOVIE STATES SUBSIDIZE TOBACCO PROMOTION Top-grossing With Smoking movie Spent on tobacco movies smoking subsidies (annual) prevention (FY 2015) New York 93 57 (61%) $60 million $39 million California 140 83 (59%) $58 million $59 million Louisiana 65 33 (51%) $32 million $7 million Massachusetts 23 14 (61%) $21 million $4 million N 2012, THE U.S. SURGEON Georgia 58 24 (41%) $21 million $2 million IGENERAL concluded that smoking New Mexico 20 16 (80%) $18 million $6 million in movies causes kids to smoke. Yet Pennsylvania 24 14 (58%) $14 million $14 million states still subsidize film and TV Michigan 17 10 (59%) $11 million $2 million productions that serve the tobacco industry’s marketing interests. North Carolina 14 4 (29%) $8 million $1 million From 2010 to 2015, thirteen states Florida 11 6 (55%) $5 million $67 million produced nearly 90% of all the top- Nevada 5 3 (60%) $4 million $1 million grossing films with smoking shot in Texas 11 6 (55%) $3 million $11 million the United States [see table]. Connecticut 10 5 (50%) $3 million $3 million The CDC reports exposure to such Group total films will recruit six million American 491 275 (56%) $260 million $216 million kids to smoke in this generation, killing Thirteen states dominate production of top-grossing U.S. films, both youth-rated and R- two million of them. rated. More than half of their films feature smoking. Twelve states spend as much or more A DEADLY POLICY CONFLICT on movies that promote smoking than they invest to keep kids safe from tobacco. States already deny public subsidies Worth noting? The average U.S. Tobacco companies have a long to other film and TV productions, from film production with smoking spends history of paying Hollywood millions pornography to political advertising. 30% less money than a smokefree film. to put smoking in movies. Today’s So making future film and TV Regardless, the big subsidy states taxpayers shouldn’t do it for them. productions with tobacco imagery hand out millions of dollars more to ineligible for state tax credits and Hollywood producers whose films other public subsidy—as the CDC push tobacco than these same states has recommended—can resolve a invest to protect kids from tobacco costly and deadly policy conflict. addiction, disability, and early death. SmokeFreeMovies.ucsf.edu SMOKING IN MOVIES KILLS IN REAL LIFE. Smoke Free Movie policies—the R-rating, certification of no payoffs, anti-tobacco spots, and an end to brand display— are endorsed by the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, American Public Health Association, Breathe California, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services, NY State Dept. of Health, NY State PTA, Truth Initiative, and others. Visit SFM online or contact: Smoke Free Movies, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390. * Through June 30, 2015. Annual smoking movie subsidy estimated on movies’ publicly-reported production budgets and states’ average estimated net film subsidy rates. Refined results may be available for the states that disclose subsidy awards made to specific film productions. California data adjusted to reflect program eligibility rules. SFM_ad107sl_review2.indd 1 10/16/15 2:12 PM A National Conference DECEMBER 2015 VOL. 41 NO. 10 | CONTENTS of State Legislatures Publication Executive Director William T. Pound Director of Communications Karen Hansen Editor Julie Lays Assistant Editor NCSL’s national magazine of policy and politics Kevin Frazzini Contributing Editor Jane Carroll Andrade Web Editors Edward P. Smith Mark Wolf FEATURES DEPARTMENTS Copy Editor Leann Stelzer Policing in America: Under Review Page 12 SHORT TAKES PAGE 4 Advertising Sales Manager LeAnn Hoff BY RICH WILLIAMS NCSL News on a new drone partnership, the Tribal (303) 364-7700 Discord among Americans on the nature of policing Energy Summit and publications on juvenile justice, Contributors Melanie Condon has law enforcement officials, community leaders and public transportation, children’s health, college success Ben Husch Jeanne Mejeur lawmakers searching for solutions. and parents’ involvement in schools Brian Weberg Art Director Bruce Holdeman STATESTAT PAGE 5 NCSL Officers Attention to Pensions President Senator Curt Bramble President Pro Tempore, Utah President-Elect NEWSMAKERS PAGE 6 Senator Mike Gronstal Majority Leader, Iowa Oregon Senate leaders swap jobs; Kentucky has a new Staff Chair research director; Rhode Island legislators sky-dive for Karl Aro Department of Legislative charity, and more Services, Maryland Denver Office 7700 East First Place Denver, Colorado 80230 TRENDS PAGE 8 (303) 364-7700 Online voter registration, cursive instruction and Washington, D.C. Office 444 N. Capitol Street, N.W., religious beliefs about autopsies Suite 515 Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 624-5400 Website STATELINE PAGE 10 www.ncsl.org/magazine News from around the nation—from banning plastic State Legislatures (ISSN 0147-0641), the microbeads in beauty products to cheerleaders suing national magazine of policy and politics, is published the NFL to tightening security at state capitols monthly by the National Conference of State Legislatures except July/August and October/ November, which are ON RECORD PAGE 18 combined. Postmaster: Send address changes to: State Q&A with William Kristol—Pundit, Professor, Publisher Legislatures, 7700 East First Place, Denver, CO 80230. “Let’s give more power back to the states. I think it © 2015, All Rights Reserved. would be a very common-sense proposal.” Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect NCSL policy. THE FINAL WORD PAGE 31 Go to www.ncsl.org/bookstore to subscribe. Annual rates: DESIGN BRUCE HOLDEMAN COVER Ron Ramsey—Tennessee’s first Republican Senate U.S.—$49; foreign—$55; teachers—$25 (promo code Who We Elect Page 19 speaker and lieutenant governor in 140 years. SLMTEA). Single copy: $6.50. Letters to the editor and BY KARL KURTZ “If I had my druthers, I would not be in Nashville doing requests for permission to reprint may be mailed Although not quite as diverse as the American public, political stuff.” to Julie Lays in the Denver office or e-mailed to her at: [email protected]. Send state lawmakers are a remarkably varied lot. subscriptions and changes of address to the Marketing ONLINE Department in Denver. Parched! Page 26 Download the NCSL app or visit www.ncsl.org/ Periodically, NCSL rents mailing labels to other BY LARRY MORANDI magazine for links to audio and video recordings, organizations. If you prefer your name not be included Extreme weather and limited resources complicate the related websites, relevant reports, expanded graphs please send a written request. West’s battle against devastating drought and wildfires. and in-depth interviews. State Legislatures is indexed in the PAIS Bulletin and Expanded Academic Index. It is also available in microform and electronically through University Microfilms Inc. (UMI) at (800) 521-0600. STATE LEGISLATURES 3 DECEMBER 2015 SHORT TAKES ON NCSL NEWS NCSL SPOTLIGHT EXPERTISE LEFT: Russell Jim, with Yakama Nation, far left, “Our members are Senator John McCoy, of used to passing Washington, and Rose budgets. They’re Ferri, with Yakama Nation. used to doing their Jim is an original member jobs.” —Neal Osten of the State and Tribal on legislators’ frustration with Government Working Congress, in The Washington Post. Group. “This is the first BELOW: U.S. Energy one we’ve seen in Secretary Ernest Moniz at least a decade.” and Interior Secretary —Kae Warnock on Sally Jewell. the Texas initiative to repeal a requirement that statewide officeholders live in the capital, in PHOTOS: DAVID HATHCOX The Washington Times. Tribal Energy Summit More than 400 representatives of state and tribal governments, “We’re seeing it as federal agencies, the private sector, utilities and academia a bipartisan issue.” gathered at the National Tribal Energy Summit in Washington, —Kate Blackman on D.C., to discuss energy supply and planning, new technology and the largely state- climate preparedness. Hosted by NCSL as part of its 20-plus- driven trend to use year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the summit technology to deliver health care provides an opportunity for diaologue among federal, state and remotely, in the International tribal officials on energy issues. Featured speakers included U.S. Business Times. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “Without money ... you don’t pave the Keeping the Skies Friendly roads, you don’t pick Wondering what to make of the increasing use up the trash, you of unmanned aircraft? NCSL is here to help. The don’t upgrade the Foundation for State Legislatures Partnership Project sewer system.” —Doug Farquhar on on Unmanned Aircraft Systems brings lawmakers the impact of shrinking tax revenue and legislative staff together with industry leaders, caused by rural flight, in the Lincoln researchers and safety experts. They identify ways to Journal Star. balance the benefits of drones with privacy, safety and Fourth Amendment concerns. Co-chairing “There is certainly the project are Illinois Senator Daniel Biss (D) and no data to show it is Alaska Representative Shelley Hughes (R). For more an advantage to one information, visit www.ncsl.org/magazine. party or the other.” —Wendy Underhill Alaska Representative Shelley Hughes, right, listens on online voter registration, in the as Ro Bailey, deputy director of the Alaska Center for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, describes one of her vehicles at the Alaska Capitol. Strong States, Strong Nation REPORTS SEPTEMBER 2015 The Bright Futures Guidelines: This Month’s Must Reads Improving Children’s NCSL staff researchers produce the best information you can find Health on important policy topics.