Center for Effective Lawmaking

Center for Effective Lawmaking

University of Virginia
+
Vanderbilt University

Announcing the Release of the 74th Colorado General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Hawai‘i State Legislature, and the 152nd Delaware General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) 
State Highlights / State Legislative Effectiveness Scores / State Legislatures

Announcing the Release of the 74th Colorado General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Hawai‘i State Legislature, and the 152nd Delaware General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) 

Announcing the Release of the 74th Colorado General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Hawai‘i State Legislature, and the 152nd Delaware General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) Update: 3/17/2026 - We have recently become aware of an inconsistency in the data source from which we were collecting our data for the calculation of our State Legislative Effectiveness Scores, which affects how we calculated our scores for the most recent legislative sessions in the state of Colorado. This inconsistency would potentially contribute to a miscalculation of some legislators’ scores. To engage with this…

Comments Off on Announcing the Release of the 74th Colorado General Assembly, the 2023-2024 Hawai‘i State Legislature, and the 152nd Delaware General Assembly State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) 
March 12, 2026
From Statehouses to Scholarship: The Effective Lawmaking in American State Legislatures Second Annual Conference
Conference / Events / Legislative Research / State Legislatures

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…

Comments Off on From Statehouses to Scholarship: The Effective Lawmaking in American State Legislatures Second Annual Conference
March 10, 2026
Habits of Effective Lawmaking: The CEL at the Gallagher Dialogues Now on PBS Reno
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…

Comments Off on Habits of Effective Lawmaking: The CEL at the Gallagher Dialogues Now on PBS Reno
March 9, 2026
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) 
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 of…

Comments Off on 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) 
March 5, 2026
Meet our Program Specialist for State Legislatures: Caroline Clements
About the CEL / Center Affiliates

Meet our Program Specialist for State Legislatures: Caroline Clements

Meet our Program Specialist for State Legislatures: Caroline Clements The Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is pleased to introduce Caroline Clements as our new Program Specialist for State Legislatures. In this role, she will work to discover ways to promote good governance at the state level. Prior to joining the CEL, Caroline worked at a boutique public affairs and communications firm in Nashville. In 2023, Caroline graduated magna cum laude from Swanee: The University of the South, where she studied political science with a focus on law, justice, and national…

Comments Off on Meet our Program Specialist for State Legislatures: Caroline Clements
February 24, 2026
Announcing the Release of the 2023-2024 Wisconsin State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)
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…

Comments Off on Announcing the Release of the 2023-2024 Wisconsin State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)
February 19, 2026
CEL EVENT: A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches
Uncategorized

CEL EVENT: A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches

Shuwanza Goff and Craig Volden (from left to right). CEL EVENT: 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…

Comments Off on CEL EVENT: A View from the Executive and Legislative Branches
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…

Comments Off on Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Louisiana State Legislatures State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)
February 12, 2026
Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Mississippi State Legislature State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)
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 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 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 significance…

Comments Off on Announcing the Release of the 2020-2023 Mississippi State Legislature State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES)
February 5, 2026
Discussing Effective Lawmaking with North Dakota Senator Judy Lee
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…

Comments Off on Discussing Effective Lawmaking with North Dakota Senator Judy Lee
January 29, 2026

End of content

No more pages to load

← Newer Posts
Older Posts →
Close Menu