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July 17, 2009 Jay Finegan, 287-1445
Rep. Kerri Prescott Named to National Environmental and Economic Development Panels

AUGUSTA – State Rep. Kerri Prescott has been appointed to two key committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The appointments, which take effect immediately, will bring Rep. Prescott into contact with state legislators from around the nation to share approaches and solutions to common problems.

Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree made the appointments recently, naming Rep. Prescott to NCSL’s Committee on Environment and Committee on Labor and Economic Development.

“I’m honored to serve on these committees and to have the opportunity to represent Maine at the national level,” said Rep. Prescott (R-Topsham), a second-term lawmaker. “The NCSL is an excellent forum where state legislators can trade information about what is working in other states. The best ideas don’t always come from the federal government. I think the most innovative solutions often come from the states.”

Rep. Prescott is already pulling double duty in the Maine Legislature, serving on both the Marine Resources Committee and the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development. Her committee work in Augusta, she said, would mesh well with her NCSL assignments.

The Environment Committee of the NCSL educates Congress and federal agencies about state concerns regarding a variety of issues, such as air quality, water management and cost-benefit analysis of environmental regulations. Its jurisdiction extends to a diverse group of environmental issues, including natural disasters, waste disposal, pesticides, alternative energy and nuclear waste.

NCSL’s Labor and Economic Development Committee covers state and federal issues related to labor, employment, workforce and economic development, international trade and cultural affairs. The Committee’s jurisdiction also includes pensions, Social Security, employment training and right-to-work laws.

The NCSL, based in Denver, is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues; and it advocates for the interests of state governments before Congress and federal agencies.

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