Episode Archive
159 episodes of Across the States since the first episode, which aired on March 16th, 2019.
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47: State Labor Reforms for Public Sector Unions w/ Vincent Vernuccio
June 23rd, 2020 | 16 mins 25 secs
In the 2018 case Janus v. AFSCME, the Supreme Court reshaped the interaction between public sector employees and unions, affirming the 1st Amendment rights of individual employees. Joining host Dan Reynolds to discuss this landmark decision, its ramifications and the “Post-Janus” environment today is Vincent Vernuccio, Senior Fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
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46: Youth Involvement in State and Local Government w/ State Legislator of the Month Del. Joshua Higginbotham and TPUSA
June 19th, 2020 | 17 mins 29 secs
Youth involvement in free enterprise and individual liberty will play a crucial role in COVID-19 recovery and onward. On the podcast to discuss this is State Legislator of the Month and 23-year old WV Del. Joshua Higginbotham, who recently sponsored a bill reclassifying 911 telecommunication operators as emergency workers. Also joining the podcast to speak on the important participation of youth in politics is Turning Point USA COO Tyler Bowyer.
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45: A Free Market Approach to Content Moderation w/ John Samples
June 16th, 2020 | 21 mins 49 secs
Social media and free speech: they truly go hand in hand. Knowing this, Facebook recently started funding an oversight board made up of independent individuals as a non-governmental and free market solution to oversee content moderation on the platform. Joining host Dan Reynolds to discuss this is John Samples, a member of the new oversight board and Cato Institute Vice President, and Jonathon Hauenschild, Director of the Communications and Technology Task Force at ALEC.
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44: Social Media and the Section 230 Executive Order w/ Ash Kazaryan and Carl Szabo
June 12th, 2020 | 35 mins 27 secs
President Trump’s executive order, social media and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. To discuss these hot topics, and why they’re so important right now, host Dan Reynolds is joined by TechFreedom Director of Civil Liberties Ash Kazaryan, NetChoice VP and General Counsel Carl Szabo and ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Director Jonathon Hauenschild.
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43: Protecting Patients’ Rights During COVID-19 w/ MI Rep. Johnson and the Mackinac Center
June 9th, 2020 | 18 mins 20 secs
With the increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, ensuring patients’ rights and wishes are not being disregarded protects individual liberty across the states. In response to the responsibility to uphold these wishes and rights is the COVID-19 Patient Rights to Life Resolution from the Mackinac Center. On the podcast to discuss this resolution and why it matters is Mackinac Center Health Care Policy Advisor Greg George, Michigan State Representative Steve Johnson and ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Director Brooklyn Roberts.
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42: The US Trade Deficit w/ Christine McDaniel
June 5th, 2020 | 23 mins 23 secs
Joining host Dan Reynolds on this episode of Across the States to discuss the trade deficit in the United States is Christine McDaniel, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center and Karla Jones, Senior Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force at ALEC.
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41: A Deep Dive into Higher Education During COVID-19 w/ Armand Alacbay and Dr. Lindsey Burke
May 29th, 2020 | 22 mins 50 secs
On this episode of Across the States, host Dan Reynolds takes a deep dive into higher education, and how COVID-19 has impacted its landscape with guests Armand Alacbay, Vice President of Trustee & Government Affairs at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Lindsey Burke, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Fellow in Education Heritage Foundation and Scott Kauffman, ALEC Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force.
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40: What is the Swiss Debt Brake? w/ Barry Poulson
May 26th, 2020 | 30 mins 1 sec
As we progress through the Coronavirus pandemic, the national debt remains a growing concern. It’s time to look closely at international models to restore fiscal restraint and responsible spending in the United States. One of those models is the Swiss Debt Brake – but what is it? Here to fill us in is Barry Poulson, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado, Karla Jones, ALEC Senior Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force and Lee Schalk, ALEC Senior Director of the Center for State Fiscal Reform.
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39: Sports Betting and the Gaming Industry During COVID-19 w/ the American Gaming Association
May 22nd, 2020 | 25 mins 55 secs
During the COVID-19 pandemic, sporting events of almost every kind were cancelled. How has this affected the online sports betting and gaming industry, and what will we see from that industry as states and society begin to reopen? Here to discuss this is Jess Fiel, the Senior Director of Government Relations at the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Ronald Lampard, ALEC Senior Director of the Criminal Justice and Civil Justice Task Forces.
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38: School Choice, Higher Education and COVID-19 w/ Dr. Lindsey Burke and Martin Lueken
May 19th, 2020 | 19 mins 58 secs
Joining host Dan Reynolds on the podcast are 3 education experts: Lindsey Burke, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Education Policy and Will Skillman Fellow in Education Heritage Foundation, Martin Lueken, Director of Fiscal Policy Analysis at EdChoice and Scott Kaufman, Director of the ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force. The group discusses education choice, education savings accounts, how it benefits the states and the future of public higher education after COVID-19.
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37: Tracking China’s Policy Changes During COVID-19 w/ Dr. Weifeng Zhong
May 15th, 2020 | 21 mins 23 secs
Joining host Dan Reynolds on the podcast to discuss Chinese government policies, a policy change index and how it can be used to track China’s response to COVID-19 is Dr. Weifeng Zhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center. Also joining the discussion is Karla Jones, ALEC Senior Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force.
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36: Trying to Take a Pay Cut for COVID-19 w/ Cheyenne, WY City Councilman Dicky Shanor
May 12th, 2020 | 12 mins 30 secs
When we increase government spending, it’s a good idea to decrease spending somewhere else – especially during a pandemic. On the podcast to discuss how Cheyenne, WY is working to do just that is City Councilman Dicky Shanor, who recently introduced a resolution to reduce the salaries of him, his fellow council members and the mayor. Also joining the conversation is Councilman Jon Russell, National Director of the American City County Exchange (ACCE), a sister organization of ALEC.
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35: Debate: National Popular Vote vs. Electoral College
May 8th, 2020 | 28 mins 11 secs
In this very special edition of Across the States, our podcast studio is transformed into a virtual debate stage. The topic? Electoral College vs. National Popular Vote. Listen in as Trent England, Executive Director of Save Our States and Ray Haynes, National Spokesperson for National Popular Vote make the case for each.
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34: Home Schooling and COVID-19 w/ the Home School Legal Defense Association
May 5th, 2020 | 17 mins 19 secs
Home schooling has quickly become the reality for every family across the states, and the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has been well-versed in the multi-faceted schooling option long preceding the pandemic. Joining host Dan Reynolds to discuss what home schooling is – and isn’t – as well as other education polices are Scott Kaufman, ALEC Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force, Heather Frommack, HSLDA Program Manager for Education Consultants and Dan Beasley, HSLDA Staff Attorney.
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33: An Electoral College Primer w/ John Ryder
May 1st, 2020 | 18 mins 41 secs
The Electoral College: what does it do, why does it do it and is it a good thing? Serving as your Electoral College primer, in this episode of Across the States host Dan Reynolds is joined by John Ryder, the former General Counsel of the Republican National Committee, and Karla Jones, ALEC Director of the Federalism and International Relations Task Force to fill us in.
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32: Reform Occupational Licenses During COVID-19 w/ MO Rep. Grier and Shoshana Weissmann
April 27th, 2020 | 20 mins 10 secs
The COVID-19 pandemic has made visible many of the existing, hidden barriers to enter the workforce: barriers in front of health care professions, those paying off student loans or new to the workforce. These barriers existed before the pandemic. But it’s time to free our workforce from unnecessary shackles if we want to get America back to work. Having the right occupational licensing policies is a smart way forward during the pandemic, and a successful long term strategy for what comes next. On the podcast to discuss this is Missouri State Representative Derek Grier, R Street’s Digital Media Manager Shoshana Weissmann, and ALEC Director of the Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Michael Slabinski.