Across the States

130: Anesthesiology w/ Mike MacKinnon, Jenny Schmitt and Brooklyn Roberts

June 14th, 2022  |  38 mins 46 secs

On this episode of Across the States, Matt Fisher sits down with Jenny Schmitt, an accomplished advocate for the Nurse Anesthesiology profession, and Mike MacKinnon, the CEO of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. Together with ALEC's Director of Health and Human Services task force, Brooklyn Roberts, they discuss the significance of anesthetics and why it plays a critical role in healthcare.

129: Liberalism and Free Speech on Campus

June 9th, 2022  |  18 mins 21 secs

Matt Fisher hosts a conversation between Rikki Schlatt, Andrew Handel and Cherise Trump about free speech on campuses and the battle for the First Amendment in higher education.

128: Charter Schools and Educational Freedom

June 2nd, 2022  |  30 mins 53 secs

127: What is Blockchain? w/ Leo Briceno

May 5th, 2022  |  24 mins 4 secs

If you’ve discussed cryptocurrencies or talked to people who work in the digital technologies space, “blockchain” is a term you’ve likely heard before. But what does it actually mean? Join Leo Briceno on this episode of Across the States as he interviews Yan Pritzker, the CTO of Swan Bitcoin and a blockchain expert, and Jonathon Hauenschildchild, ALEC’s Communications and Technology Task Force Director, to learn the fundamentals of what blockchain actually is and how it works.

126: How to Make America Safe Again w/ Sheriff Lew Evangelidis

April 28th, 2022  |  23 mins 45 secs

Criminal justice reform is an issue of growing national importance. Join Nino Marchese, ALEC Task Force Director for Civil and Criminal, and Catherine Mortensen as they sit down with Lew Evangelidis, Sheriff of Worcester County, Massachusetts, who is making his community safe again by reforming his jail and holding people accountable by following the motto "There is no dignity in dependence."

125: Twitter, Musk, and the Feds w/ Harmeet Dhillon and Jonathon Hauenschild

April 26th, 2022  |  33 mins 49 secs

The recent acquisition of social media giant Twitter by Elon Musk has sparked vigorous debate. Joining Across the States to discuss what Musk’s purchase of Twitter means and how governments have been pressuring social media companies to remove content is Harmeet Dhillon, CEO of the Center for American Liberty and long-time civil rights and free speech attorney, and Jonathon Hauenschild, Director of the ALEC Task Force on Communications and Technology Task Force.

124: Why are Some States Rich and Some States Poor w/ Jonathan Williams and Lee Schalk

April 21st, 2022  |  23 mins 41 secs

The American Legislative Exchange Council's Chief Economist Jonathan Williams unveils the 2022 Rich States, Poor States annual ranking of states based on how well they are governed. How does your state rank?

123: Runaway Inflation w/ Lee Schalk and Joe Trotter

April 19th, 2022  |  16 mins 45 secs

Inflation reached record heights in March as prices soared by 8.5%. With working families paying more for gas and groceries, Lee Schalk, Vice President of Policy at ALEC, and Joe Trotter, Director of Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force, joined ALECtv and Across the States to discuss this latest development with Matt Fisher and Catherine Mortensen

122: ALECtv: Parents Flip School Board Demanding Transparency and Accountability w/ Matthew Phipps, Matthew Spaulding, and Tony Vlastelica

April 14th, 2022  |  30 mins 36 secs

Results from the recent school board elections across Wisconsin sent a strong message to elected officials that parent empowerment matters. Joining Bill Ashworth and Catherine Mortensen on ALECtv and Across the States this week are three individuals who won seats on their respective school boards in Wisconsin, Matthew Phipps, Matthew Spaulding, and Tony Vlastelica, about what inspired them to get involved and run.

121: Grading the Governors w/ Jonathan Williams and Lee Schalk

March 31st, 2022  |  26 mins 38 secs

Last week, the American Legislative Exchange Council released the second edition of the 2021 Laffer-ALEC Report on Economic Freedom, Grading America’s Governors. Jonathan Williams, ALEC Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Policy, and Lee Schalk, Vice President of Policy, joined Matthew Fisher to break down the best and worst governors of America, what the report measures, and highlight the work governors and statehouses are doing in 2022.

120: Meeting the Challenges for Agriculture in 2022 w/ Rep. Phil Green

March 24th, 2022  |  18 mins 10 secs

The Russian invasion of Ukraine combined with regulations at the state and federal level have presented a myriad of challenges for rural Americans and the agriculture industry. Join Matthew Fisher and Joe Trotter, Director of the ALEC Task Force on Energy, Environment, and Agriculture, as they sit down with Phil Green, Representative from Michigan's 84th District and Chair of the ALEC Subcommittee on Agriculture, to discuss the potential of food shortages, job losses, and more.

119: Ukraine: On the Frontlines in Kyiv Part II w/ Mykola Vorobiov and Karla Jones

March 17th, 2022  |  26 mins 38 secs

In the second of a two-part Across the States special on the War in Ukraine, Mykola Vorobiov, Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Fellow & Journalist based in Kyiv, Ukraine, sat down for another interview on March 15, 2022, with Karla Jones, Sr. Director of the ALEC Task Force on International Relations and Federalism offers his eyewitness testimony on the situation on the ground in Ukraine as Ukrainians resist the Russian invasion and describes what Ukraine/Russia peace negotiations might look like. Mykola expresses gratitude to the US for our assistance and his opinion of Zelenskyy has evolved from cautious skepticism of the neophyte politician’s ability to command a nation at war in Part I to describing him as “The leader of the free world!” in Part II.

118: Ukraine: On the Frontlines in Kyiv Part I w/ Mykola Vorobiov and Karla Jones

March 17th, 2022  |  36 mins 27 secs

The ongoing war of Russian aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the brutality of Vladimir Putin and the heroism of the Ukrainian people. In in the first of a two-part special by Across the States on the war in Ukraine, Mykola Vorobiov, Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Fellow & Journalist based in Kyiv, Ukraine, joined Karla Jones, Sr. Director of the ALEC Task Force on International Relations and Federalism, on February 22, 2022. Mykola gives us a picture of life in Ukraine during the days leading up to the invasion, some helpful background on how we got to the edge of war and his predictions on the impact the impending conflict might have on his nation.

117: CPAC 2022 Interview with John Cardillo

March 17th, 2022  |  10 mins 53 secs

At CPAC 2022 in Orlando, Florida, John Cardillo, conservative commentator, sat down for an interview with Matt Fisher at the ALEC booth to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and more.

116: Small Business Reform with State Legislator of the Month Rep. John Wills

March 10th, 2022  |  16 mins 43 secs

Small businesses are responsible for more than 60% of all new jobs created in the United States. In Iowa, Representative John Wills is leading the charge to invest in the entrepreneurs, home-based businesses, and cottage industries who make up the backbone of our economy. On today’s episode of Across the States, ALEC’s February State Legislator of the Month and Board of Directors member Representative Wills joins Gretchen Baldau, Director of the Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development Task Force at ALEC, and Matt Fisher to discuss his efforts in the state legislature in Des Moines to support small businesses and deliver results for constituents.

115: Strengthening Law Enforcement w/ Nino Marchese and Rob O'Donnell

March 8th, 2022  |  15 mins 20 secs

Law enforcement officials face new and emerging challenges everyday. At CPAC 2022, Nino Marchese, Director of the ALEC Task Forces on Civil Justice and Criminal Justice, sat down with Rob O'Donnell, author for Law Enforcement Today, to discuss the status of police reform and how America can invest more in those who vow to serve and protect their communities and country.