CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
More than 350 members of the National Black Caucus of State
Legislators (NBCSL) will meet in Chicago, Illinois, December 7 – 11,
2011, to learn about the nation?s best models and practices across an
array of policy areas. The theme of this year?s 35^th Annual
Legislative Conference is ?Seeing Beyond ? State Leadership,
National Progress.? NBCSL members will leave the conference
armed with legislative ideas they can then take to their respective
Capitols in the upcoming legislative sessions.

NBSCL President, Representative Barbara W. Ballard (KS), says state
lawmakers have to be ?warriors? on behalf of the people they serve,
ensuring that critically important issues for African Americans are a
part of the national dialogue, ?We are on the frontlines in the battle
to bring jobs and a better quality of life to our constituents. The
issues we deal with are life and death, and this conference will provide
a framework for national progress.?

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel in
Chicago, Illinois. During the four-day meeting, legislators from nearly
every state and the U.S. Virgin Islands will tackle issues that pose
challenges for the African-American community in particular and for
America as a whole.

Representative Will Davis (IL), Chair, Illinois Black Caucus, says this
meeting is critically important because of the challenges
African-American communities are facing, ?We want to make sure the
voices of African-American state legislators are heard in Washington,
D.C. The problems in our communities are real and we need national focus
on them.?

Discussion topics include the following:

• Information Technology and The Affordable
  Health Care Act ?Successful implementation of the
  Affordable Care Act will rely on the use of technology to make medical
  records and information portable. $16 billion dollars in grants were
  allocated to states for the rapidly growing Health Information
  Technology (HIT) industry. NBCSL members will discuss how states can
  best use those dollars to increase access to quality, affordable
  health care, and address disparity between whites and minorities in
  HIT workforce participation.
• Financing Large-Scale Transportation Projects
  ? As federal funding for transit is more limited and states are
  strapped for cash, state lawmakers search for alternatives to fund
  important transit projects to support commerce and industry in their
  districts.
• Urban Agriculture ?NBCSL
  will discuss the need to create partnerships between rural and urban
  America to develop healthy nutrition alternatives for our most
  vulnerable populations, including the promotion of urban farming and
  farmer?s markets.
• Education Disparities ?Legislators
  will address the greatest barriers impeding successful college
  completion. Of all students who enter a four-year degree program, it
  is estimated that only 57% graduate within 6 years. For African
  Americans, graduation rates decline to 40%.

Media Opportunities for Interviews

About the National Black Caucus of State
Legislators

The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is a membership
association representing over 600 African American state legislators
hailing from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. NBCSL members represent more than 50 million Americans of all
racial backgrounds. NBCSL tracks legislation at all levels of government
and actively monitors state and federal policy initiatives to provide
its members with important information. Each year, NBCSL members pass
resolutions that directly impact federal and state policy. The
organization focuses on U.S. domestic policy and is committed to
policies that positively affect all Americans. Learn more at www.nbcsl.org.