NCSL Marks 50 Years of Service to State Legislatures

The National Conference of State Legislatures has kicked off a yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary at its 2024 Legislative Summit in Louisville, Ky.

"For 50 years, NCSL has served to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures, while advocating at the national level in support of state interests," NCSL President Brian Patrick Kennedy, speaker pro tem of the Rhode Island House, told the Summit's opening general session on Monday. "Over the course of this year, we will be marking this milestone by sharing the stories of our members, marking key moments from our history, and highlighting all the ways that strong state legislatures are indispensable pillars of the American democratic system."

NCSL arose from the merger of the National Legislative Conference, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Society of State Legislators on Jan. 1, 1975. Within two years, NCSL had established a state liaison system, formed its Leadership Staff Section, held its first annual meeting and launched its professional development program.

50 Years of Dedication: Mission Statement

NCSL celebrates 50 years of bipartisanship and empowering the legislative institution. The conference commits to marking the milestone through a series of special events, sharing the stories of members and commemorating a half-century of strengthening and supporting representative democracy.

"NCSL is the people-the more than 7,300 state lawmakers who stand for election and the more than 30,000 legislative staff who sign up to serve," says NCSL Staff Chair Sabrina Lewellen, deputy director and assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate. "It's the lawmakers who lift the voices of the people to the state capitals, and the legislative staff who do the research to best inform our policymaking."

Lewellen says she learned as a pastor's daughter that anniversaries are a big deal. "You only get one shot at a Golden Anniversary, so you want to celebrate it right. That's why I've been so excited to work with legislators, legislative staff, and the NCSL team over the last year-plus to think about this moment in our organization's history."

While NCSL will officially mark its 50th anniversary in 2025, legislatures have already been taking up resolutions commemorating the occasion. Thirty-seven states acted on resolutions in the first six months of this year, and many chambers personalized the text with details about the state's engagement with NCSL, such as legislators and staff who have served in NCSL leadership, or notable meetings held in the state.

In a letter to members in State Legislatures magazine, NCSL CEO Tim Storey highlighted the evolution of the legislative institution since 1975.

"The professionalization of legislatures brought more highly talented staff into legislative service and many new staff agencies. Legislatures are far more diverse today than in 1975, in every sense of the word. Fewer than 5% of legislators were women in 1975 compared with nearly 35% today," he says. "Smoked-filled rooms? Those are gone now that every capitol is a smoke-free workplace. Transparency is light years from where it once was. Most states stream sessions and committee hearings live. And in our era of social media and smartphones, legislatures are more connected and accessible to constituents than ever."

Lewellen says while an anniversary rightly celebrates years of accomplishments, it is also a time to reflect on what's to come.

"It's an opportunity," she says, "for us to look to the future and ask ourselves, What do we want the next 50 years of legislative service to look like? What legacy will we leave behind for future generations?"

Lisa Ryckman is NCSL's associate director of communications.

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