Paige Higginson-Rollins – Center for Effective Lawmaking

State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 103rd Illinois General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is proud to announce the release of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for the 103rd Illinois General Assembly (2023–2024). This initiative is part of our broader effort to measure the lawmaking effectiveness of individual legislators in all 99 state legislative chambers in the United States.These scores capture lawmaking effectiveness by tracking the number of bills legislators sponsor, how far those bills advance through the legislative process, and the substantive…

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October 8, 2025

State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 207th Pennsylvania General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 207th Pennsylvania General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is proud to announce the release of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for the 207th Pennsylvania General Assembly (2023–2024). This initiative is part of our broader effort to measure the lawmaking effectiveness of individual legislators in all 99 state legislative chambers in the United States.These scores capture lawmaking effectiveness by tracking the number of bills legislators sponsor, how far those bills advance through the legislative process, and the substantive…

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October 1, 2025

Conversations with Lawmakers

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with Nevada Speaker Jason Frierson

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with Nevada Speaker Jason Frierson Speaker Jason Frierson has had an expansive career in public service, including his roles as a state legislator, a federal prosecutor, and as a committed advocate for community engagement. A Democrat, Speaker Frierson served in the Nevada Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and again from 2016 to 2022, where he served as Speaker of the Assembly from 2017 to 2022. In 2022, Speaker Frierson was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the United States…

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September 18, 2025

Conversations with Lawmakers

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with South Carolina State Senator Katrina Shealy

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with South Carolina State Senator Katrina Shealy Senator Katrina Shealy has been a trailblazer in South Carolina politics, bringing both grit and compassion to her twelve years of service in the state Senate. First elected in 2012 as a petition candidate—making history as the only woman in the chamber at the time—she went on to become the first Republican woman to chair a standing committee in the Senate. Over the course of her tenure, Shealy shaped policy across a wide range of issues, from family and veterans’…

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September 4, 2025

Conversations with Lawmakers

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with NY Assembly Member Amy Paulin

Discussing Effective Lawmaking With NY Assembly Member Amy Paulin New York Assembly Member Amy Paulin has been a highly effective lawmaker in the New York General Assembly since 2000. She currently chairs the Assembly Committee on Health, and she also serves on the Committee on Rules and the Committee on Education.Throughout her distinguished career, Assembly Member Paulin has pursued a broad and impactful legislative agenda focused on health care, education, reproductive rights, child welfare, family support, domestic violence prevention, the elimination of sex trafficking, government reform, sustainability, animal welfare, and…

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July 14, 2025

Blog / Events / State Legislatures

Habits of Effective Lawmaking: CEL Highlights Bipartisanship at Nevada’s Gallagher Dialogues

Photo credit: Guinn Center Habits of Effective Lawmaking: CEL Highlights Bipartisanship at Nevada’s Gallagher Dialogues This February, Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) Co-Directors Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman were honored to be keynote speakers at the 3rd Annual Gallagher Dialogues, convened by the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities in Reno, Nevada. First convened in 2023, the Gallagher Dialogues pay tribute to the legacy of Tom Gallagher, the late founder of the Guinn Center, who was deeply committed to advancing democracy, bipartisanship, and the free exchange of ideas.Now the Guinn…

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June 18, 2025

About the CEL / Center Affiliates / Conference / Events / Faculty Affiliates

Advancing the Study of Effective Lawmaking: Highlights from CEL’s 7th Annual Research Conference

Group photo in the Commons Center (photo by Anne Rayner) Advancing the Study of Effective Lawmaking: Highlights from CEL’s 7th Annual Research Conference Nashville, TN – On Monday, June 2nd, 2025, the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) hosted its 7th annual research conference at Vanderbilt University. The conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the country to share their latest research findings and to discuss trends in effective lawmaking in congress and state legislatures. The morning opened with remarks from CEL co-director Alan Wiseman, Associate Provost of Strategic Projects…

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June 11, 2025

About the CEL / Center Affiliates / Conference / Events / Faculty Affiliates / Legislative Anaylsis / Legislative Research

Recognizing Innovation in Legislative Research: 2025 Best Publication on Effective Lawmaking Award

Max Goplerud (R) being presented with the CEL’s Best Publication award by co-director Craig Volden (L) (Photo by Anne Rayner). Recognizing Innovation in Legislative Research: 2025 Best Publication on Effective Lawmaking Award The Center for Effective Lawmaking is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Award for Best Publication on Effective Lawmaking, which was presented at our Seventh Annual Research Conference held at Vanderbilt University on Monday, June 2, 2025. This year’s award honors Fang-Yi Chiou (Academia Sinica) and Max Goplerud (University of Texas–Austin) for their article, “Effective Lawmaking…

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June 11, 2025

Conversations with Lawmakers

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with NM State Senator Mimi Stewart

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with New Mexico State Senator Mimi Stewart New Mexico State Senator Mimi Stewart has been a leader in New Mexico politics for nearly three decades. First elected to the New Mexico Senate in 2014, she previously served in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 1995 until her Senate appointment. Over the course of her legislative career, she has held several key leadership roles, including Senate Democratic Whip (2018–2021) and President Pro Tempore of the New Mexico Senate, a position she has held since 2021. She currently…

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May 27, 2025

State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is proud to announce the release of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) — a groundbreaking effort to measure the lawmaking effectiveness of individual legislators in all 99 state legislative chambers in the United States over recent decades. These scores capture the lawmaking effectiveness of the members of each legislature based on the number of bills they sponsor, how far those bills progress through the different stages of the legislative process, and the substantive…

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April 29, 2025