NLSSA 2009

SPRING AND SUMMER

NEWSLETTER

July 27, 2009

Dear Members of NLSSA,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you

for all that you do to keep state governments

running safely and efficiently. Your role has

been instrumental to the very foundation of

state governments across the nation.

As you assemble this fall for the annual training

conference in South Carolina, new and innova-

tive methods and systems will be presented

and explored. It is the continuous improvement

of these methods and systems that enable us

to maintain a strong foundation on which gov-

ernments can function. Improved methods for

security and upkeep, and ways of informing and

educating visitors, are just a few of the many

benefits that have resulted from your collabora-

tion and sharing of ideas.

I sincerely wish you the best as you prepare for

an intensive week of professional development

and sharing of information aimed towards the

betterment of your state government

.Sincerely,

Mitch E. Daniels, Jr

Governor of Indiana

The 2009 NLSSA Fall Training Conference is less t han a month a way! I am really look ing forward to seeing all of our members t his year in Charleston, SC. I have been in regular contact wit h our Host State Chair, Jim M elton and our NCSL Liaison, M organ Cullen. Jim has worked hard t o put t ogether a st rong conference agenda wit h excellent t raining and network ing opportunit ies t hat all NLSSA M embers will benefit f rom. The meet ing will cover several t opics t hat legis-latures across t he count ry are current ly confront ing such as Pandemic Flu Preparedness, Cont inuit y of Government , and

overseeing Capit ol Renovat ion Project s.

We will also be visit ing t he Charleston Port and meet -ing wit h securit y personnel t o conduct a comprehensive t our of t heir facilit y. Jim has also arranged some once in a lifet ime network ing opportunit ies at some of Charleston' s most histor ic venues. We will be holding our State Dinner t his year at t he O ld Exchange and Provost Dungeon which is widely considered

one of t he most histor ic buildings in t he count ry.

Jim and Brenda M elton have also arranged a Spouse and Guest Agenda for t his year ' s meet ing which is equally im-pressive. A private carr iage tour of Charleston, a t our of M id-dleton Place, and a t our of t he Governor' s M ansion are just a few of t he act ivit ies planned. I want to personally t hank Jim and his wife Brenda for all of t heir assistance in planning t his

year ' s conference. I am look ing forward t o at tending.

Over t he summer, I had the pleasure of at t ending NLSSA' s Region 2 meet ing in Wampee, South Carolina and NLSSA' s f irst ever Region 4 meet ing in Bentonville, Arkansas. Both meet ings were fantast ic and I want t o t hank t he Region 2 and Region 4 Chairs Sam Smith and Ken Scheer for all of t heir hard work in mak ing t hese meet ings happen. Unfortunately, due to a work conf lict , I was unable t o at t end this year ' s NCSL Legislat ive Summit in Philadelphia, PA. However, NLSSA Vice President , Jimmet ta Peoples along wit h 2nd Trustee, Carl Barnhart helped to make NLSSA' s involvement at t he Legisla-t ive Summit a resounding success. I would like t o also thank

Jimmet ta and Carl for r ising t o t he occasion in my absence.

As your president , I am look ing forward t o another wonderful and excit ing year for NLSSA. We have some won-derful meet ings, E-Learning act ivit ies, and great t raining oppor-t unit ies planned for t he coming year. I would like t o encour-age all NLSSA M embers to get and stay involved in our asso-ciat ion. I t is your day to day involvement t hat makes our or-ganizat ion t he valuable network t hat it is. I look forward t o

seeing all of you in Charleston, SC nex t month.

Sincerely,

Clarence Russ NLSSA President

Top back- Ken Scheer, John Keller, Ernie Sumner, Morgan Cullen, Rick Deleon, Dina Welsh and Bowen Welsh

Middle row-Jonita Carter, Deborah Anthony, Sam Smith , Karen Smith, Sissy Deleon Rod Welsh and Milania,

Representative, Tim Solobay, Jessica Brown, Jimmetta Peoples, Assistant Chief Clerk, Linda Lehman, Renee Keller Carl Barnhart, Siena Welsh

and Representative, Joseph Markosek

NLSSA At The Legislative Summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2009

Once again, the NCSL Legislative Summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a tremendous success and the NLSSA

programming was no exception. On the first day of the conference, NLSSA members joined the NCSL Taskforce on Homeland

Security and Emergency Preparedness and the NCSL Transportation Committee on a tour of the Philadelphia Port where an over-

view of security operations of the facility was discussed.

On Tuesday, the NLSSA Executive Board met with Host State Chair, Jim Melton to discuss the details of the 2009 Fall

Training Conference in Charleston, SC and other relevant topics. By all accounts, Jim has put together a fantastic agenda with

outstanding professional development and networking opportunities that all NLSSA Members will benefit from.

On the third day of the meeting, NLSSA 2nd Trustee, Carl Barnhart provided members with an incredible tour of the

Pennsylvania Capitol Building in Harrisburg. All three branches of Pennsylvania state government continue to operate within the

capitol and Carl provided NLSSA with a behind the scenes tour of each. The capitol's main attraction is the 272-foot dome

whose inspiration came from St. Peter's basilica in Rome. While the capitol Rotunda was truly awe inspiring, both legislative

chambers, the Governor's reception, and the supreme court were also truly remarkable and the ornate stained glass, paintings and

furnishings can not be understated. NLSSA also had a chance to meet with security personnel after the tour and received a com-

plete tour of their security operations. All of the NLSSA members in attendance were equally impressed by the hospitality be-

stowed upon them by the legislators and legislative staff throughout their stay in Harrisburg. Thank you Carl for putting together

such a wonderful trip to Harrisburg. It is one that NLSSA will talk about for years to come.

On Thursday, NLSSA held a business lunch meeting at the Philadelphia Convention Center. NLSSA was greeted by

outgoing Staff Chair, Gary Vanlandingham and newly elected Staff Chair, Nancy Cyr and Staff Vice Chair, Tim Rice who pro-

vided an overview of their priorities for the coming year. Following the meeting, NLSSA joined the NCSL International Group

for a trip up to Trenton, New Jersey for a tour of the State Capitol. Following the tour, NLSSA was greeted by Sergeant First

Class, Anthony Pittman, Jr. of the New Jersey State Police who conducted an overview on capitol security operations throughout

the capitol.

All NLSSA members greatly valued the tremendous learning experience offered through the Legislative Summit and

were in agreement that it would greatly assist their ability and perform-

ance in their respective

states. Once again, I truly

enjoyed the opportunity to

spend time with my

friends from NLSSA and I

look forward to seeing all

of you in Charleston, SC for

our 2009 NLSSA Annual

Training Conference.

Morgan Cullen

NCSL, Policy Specialist and NLSSA Liaison

REGION 4 MEETING

Region 4 members met again this year at the Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis, S.C.. Members from

Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, along with Dennis Trimble from Ohio and our National

President Clarence Russ from Louisiana.

In preparing for the meeting we found that Jim Melton has been hosting the Region 4 meeting since he joined

NLSSA in 1984. We decided it was time to honor him and thank him for his loyalty and dedication. Jim enjoys wood

working and has worked on the 1800’s home they live in for years. His most recent project is remodeling a

guest house that is adjacent to the main house. We presented Jim with a new

Rotozip spiral saw. This was a tool that he had been wanting for some time. We also presented Jim with a

plaque for hosting Region 4 for 25 years. President Clarence

Russ presented a Proclamation for his service to NLSSA.

Chuck Williams, Jim Melton,

Sam Smith, Clarence Russ

During the roundtable decision that followed we talked

about being prepared for emergencies. During the last week

of the Alabama legislative session we had a flash flood that

dropped 5 inches of rain in less that 2 hours. The Alabama Statehouse flooded along with the parking lots and

streets. We had to shut off the power in the building. The problem was, it was the last day the budget could pass

without calling a special session. So we had a problem, the legislature had to meet that day, but where. The only

place would be the old chambers in the capitol across the street from the statehouse. Problem one: Everything

would have to be hand written because there are no computers in the old chambers, that have not been used in 25

years. No sound system. Problem two: The air for the capitol comes from the statehouse, so there is no air condi-

tioning in the capitol. The chambers in the capitol are not large enough to handle the number of staff that both the

House and Senate have now.

On top of all these problems, we had cars flooding and floating down the street. There were 47 cars flooded on the

street and in lower parking decks. I tell you all this, to say this. Have a PLAN. You may never need use it but have a

plan.

The other topic was our membership roster. Was as an organization need to go through the roster and verify that

each person listed is a member. Region chairs and vice chairs need to contact someone in each state and ask them

to contact each person listed and make sure they are still a member. We need to go back to the old style roster that

has a picture of each member. Once this is done we should print the roster and mail a copy to each member.

Another thought that came up was maybe try to cut the size of regions so that more region meetings could be held.

Something to think about and maybe discuss in Charleston.

Speaking of Charleston, we should

have a great conference.

See you there.

Sam Smith,

Alabama Senate Security

Colorado Quilting Council Quilt Show

For the eleventh time in 20 years, the Colorado Quilting Council is hosting a quilt show

here at the Capitol. I believe we are one of only two capitols in the USA which sponsors a quilt

show. The other one is Maryland which hosts a holiday quilt show in December of 25 or 50 en

tries.

This year's show has 250 quilts in it and they all have a Colorado connection. One doesn't

have to be a member of the quilting council to display a quilt. They can be found on all three main

floors of our capitol in the north, south and east wings. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Some are traditional patterns but many are individual, one-of-a-kind patterns.

It took 10 hours on June 1st to hang all of the quilts. The show ends on August 19th and

the quilts will be removed on August 20th. It will probably take about 5 hours to remove all of the

quilts.

The council printed 8000 brochures. Edna Pelzmann, Manager of Visitor Services and

quilt enthusiast is hoping for 15,000 visitors. !!

Normally no quilt is hung more than for one show. The quilt made by my staff is the one

exception. It has been on display since the 2007 show in several different locations. It is now

hanging above our gift shop and has been there since Good Friday, 2009. My volunteers and I

made the quilt out of the state symbols. We started it in 2005 and completed it by 2007.It took

250 hours! The blocks or symbols were completed by my volunteers and myself. I worked on the

state folk dance block which has a yellow background with a man and woman dancing. Our quilt

was voted the 21st most popular quilt in

the show of 210 quilts that year !

The quilts were displayed during

the legislative session at my suggestion so

all the legislators and students could enjoy

the show!

Edna Pelzman,

Manager of Visitor Services, Colorado

Automated external defibrillators (AED's)

Saving lives in Texas

Does your capitol have them?

If not, now is the time to get one.

By Rod Welsh and Lt. Ken Scheer

If you have AED's in your capitol, do you know how many you have? Do you know where

they are? Do you have an adequate amount of staff trained to use them and know who

they are? Where is your nearest hospital? Answers to these important questions could

help save someone's life in the event of a medical emergency.

A recent success story in Texas. The Texas House of Representatives was on the house

floor in session on the night of May 12, 2009. Shortly after 10:00 p.m., one of the most

beloved and long tenured representatives in the house, Rep. Edmund Kuempel, was found

slumped over in a capitol elevator by an employee of the House Sergeant-at-Arms' of-

fice. The employee checked for vital signs and found that he was breathing and had a

pulse. The employee took the elevator to the ground floor in order to find a state

trooper. The responding trooper arrived to find Rep. Kuempel unconscious and unrespon-

sive. The trooper radioed for other personnel to assist and checked Rep. Kuempel for a

pulse finding none. Other troopers arrived moments later with an AED. Chest compres-

sions were being administered before a shock was advised. Another representative who is

a doctor was summoned to the scene and took over chest compressions while another

trooper administered rescue breathing. Others responding to the scene were directing

personnel and onlookers to prepare for EMS arrival. These individuals worked on Rep.

Kuempel using CPR and the AED until EMS personnel arrived and took over the

scene. Without the swift and selfless efforts of these individuals and the use of the AED,

Rep. Kuempel would not have survived. His remarkable survival that night is due in large

part to the judgment, skill, and perseverance of a dedicated team of professionals whose

conduct in those first crucial minutes made the critical difference in saving his life. Mi-

raculously, he made a full recovery and returned to the house floor before the session

ended on June 1st. These individuals were honored by the Texas Department of Public

Safety as well as both houses of the Legislature.

Medical emergencies can happen on a daily basis at any time and any place. The final

days of session for any legislature can be some of the most intense and stressful mo-

ments at the capitol. It is often times a period when many people involved have been

working long hours under stressful situations and most likely out of their normal eating,

sleeping, and exercising patterns. Those are the most vulnerable moments during which

an unfortunate medical emergency can occur. Are you prepared? An AED in Texas was

key to saving the life of Rep. Kuempel, not only a beloved legislator, but beloved husband,

father and grandfather. Whose life might your capitol AED save?