Supplying State Legislatures With Scientific Expertise

Abstract

State legislators have a tough job. Over 7,500 elected officials in statehouses across the US and its territories make thousands of decisions every year related to scientific and technological issues, on subjects including artificial intelligence, public health, transportation and energy systems, wildfire risk and prevention, and many more. Few state legislators--only about 4%--have received training as scientists, health care professionals, or engineers. But they are nevertheless routinely called upon to make policy decisions affecting their constituents that hinge on their ability to interpret arcane technical facts and scientific knowledge. Years ago, physicist Harvey Brooks articulated the dual aspects of science and policy as "policy about science" and "science in policy." Both matter for the US at both the federal and state levels--but states operate under vastly different conditions. Turnover within state legislatures is high; typically more than one-fifth of state legislators are new after even-year elections. Offices can be slim-staffed, and some states' legislative sessions last only a matter of weeks.