Legislative Effectiveness – Center for Effective Lawmaking

From Statehouses to Scholarship: The Effective Lawmaking in American State Legislatures Second Annual Conference

From Statehouses to Scholarship: The Effective Lawmaking in American State Legislatures Second Annual Conference Nashville, TN – On Friday, February 27th, the Center for Effective Lawmaking hosted its second annual Effective Lawmaking in American State Legislatures conference at Vanderbilt University. As part of the Center for Effective Lawmaking’s mission to generate and advance research in legislative effectiveness in American state legislatures, thirty-one practitioners and researchers from institutions around the country were invited to Vanderbilt University to discuss timely topics in state legislative effectiveness. Topics included:The development and impact of party…

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March 10, 2026

Blog / Events

Habits of Effective Lawmaking: The CEL at the Gallagher Dialogues Now on PBS Reno

Habits of Effective Lawmaking: The CEL at the Gallagher Dialogues Now on PBS Reno Last year, Craig Volden and Alan Wiseman, Co-Directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, were invited to speak at the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities’ third annual Gallagher Dialogues in Reno, Nevada. Last year’s gathering, which drew several hundred attendees, coincided with the opening days of the 2025 Nevada legislative session. Several members of Nevada’s executive branch of government were in attendance, including Governor Jo Lombardo, and nearly half of the current sitting members of…

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March 9, 2026

State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 90th Iowa General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Florida State Legislature, and the 2023-2024 Connecticut State Legislature State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 90th Iowa General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Florida State Legislature, and the 2023-2024 Connecticut State Legislature 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 90th Iowa General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Florida State legislative session, and the 2023-2024 Connecticut State legislative session. 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…

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March 5, 2026

State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 2023-2024 Wisconsin State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 2023-2024 Wisconsin State Legislatures 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 2023-2024 Wisconsin legislative session. 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 significance…

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February 19, 2026

Board of Advisors / Center Affiliates / Events / Video

CEL Summary: A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches

Shuwanza Goff and Craig Volden (from left to right). CEL Summary: A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches Monday, February 16, 2026On Monday, February 9, the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) held a presentation entitled “A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches” as part of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy’s Batten Hour series. The panel discussion featured Shuwanza Goff, a veteran congressional staffer and former director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs under President Joe Biden who now serves on the CEL…

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February 16, 2026

Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Louisiana State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

The Louisiana State Capital in Baton Rouge..Art Deco Architecture by Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth and completed in 1932.

State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Louisiana State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Louisiana State Legislatures 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 2020-2023 Louisiana legislative session. 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 significance…

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February 12, 2026

State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Mississippi State Legislature State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Mississippi State Legislature 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 2020-2023 Mississippi legislative session. 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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February 5, 2026

Conversations with Lawmakers / State Legislatures

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with North Dakota Senator Judy Lee

Discussing Effective Lawmaking with North Dakota Senator Judy Lee Judy Lee has represented North Dakota’s 13th Senate District since 1994, making her one of the longest-serving members of the chamber. She is a senior Republican lawmaker with extensive institutional knowledge and experience navigating long-term policy change. She is currently the chair of the Human Services Committee and was the President Pro Tempore in 2007. She has also served on, or been associated with, committees related to healthcare, human services, long-term care, and regulatory policy.Senator Lee is widely recognized for her…

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January 29, 2026

State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 2019-2022 Maryland and Alabama State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)

Announcing the Release of the 2019-2022 Maryland and Alabama State Legislatures 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 2019-2022 Maryland and Alabama legislative sessions. 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…

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January 22, 2026

Legislative Anaylsis / Legislative Research

Legislative Effectiveness and Informal Institutions: Evidence from Latin America

Legislative Effectiveness and Informal Institutions: Evidence from Latin America Tuesday, January 6, 2026In fragmented presidential systems, there is discussion about why some legislators are more effective than others. In an article published in Latin American Politics and Society, Beatriz Rey examines Brazil’s highly fractionalized party system to understand how lawmakers advance legislation when parties fail to provide sufficient coordination. The study argues that legislative member organizations (LMOs) supply policy expertise and political information that parties often lack, enabling legislators to sponsor and shepherd bills more effectively. Rey tests this argument…

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January 6, 2026