By Juliet Zucker As the school year winds down in America, students eagerly anticipate the freedom of summer, but come fall, many will return to classrooms most noticeably characterized by what they lack: cellphones. Across the country, a wave of legislation is seeking to separate students from their phones during the school day, one of…
Indiana Lawmakers Unite to Condemn Political Violence After Minnesota Tragedy
By Think American News Staff In the wake of a devastating act of political violence in Minnesota that left State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband dead and seriously injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, leaders of Indiana’s Future Caucus are speaking out. Representative Beau Baird (R-Greencastle) and Representative Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend),…
New York lawmakers condemn Minnesota political violence
By John Sheridan | ABC News 10 ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Many of New York’s elected officials have come forward to condemn the political assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband. On Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul directed flags at state buildings to be flown at half-staff on Monday. The attack on Saturday…
Working Toward a Cleaner Chesapeake: How State Lawmakers are Protecting a Vital Watershed
By Catherine Nichols For centuries, the Chesapeake Bay watershed has been a source of life and livelihood for millions of Americans — home to bustling communities and iconic species like oysters, crabs and striped bass. But the bay’s health is in steady decline. Across the region, lawmakers and environmental organizations are stepping up to reverse…
Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies: Young Legislators Lead Maternal Health Breakthrough in Arkansas
By Juliet Zucker and Elizabeth Rosen In the summer of 2024 at a quiet coffee shop in West Little Rock, Arkansas state Reps. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, and Ashley Hudson, D-Little Rock, sat down for what would become a transformative bipartisan exchange. Both lawmakers—co-chairs of the Arkansas Future Caucus—had spent months grappling with how to improve…
Young Lawmakers across America Are Transforming State Politics, One Conversation at a Time
By Elizabeth Rosen In a moment when so many Americans are losing faith in politics, it matters that some young lawmakers are showing us that not all political stories are about disdain and division—some are about hope and unity. Over the past few months, the team at Future Caucus has experienced that hope firsthand. From…
Bonding at Topgolf with the Mississippi Future Caucus
In Mississippi, during the heart of a fast-moving session, Future Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Jansen Owen (R) and Sen. Rod Hickman (D) carved out time for their colleagues to meet — not in a committee room, but at Topgolf. It was a chance to laugh, bond, and see each other as human beings beyond party labels.…
Practicing Dignity with the Pennsylvania Future Caucus
In Pennsylvania, members gathered for a training on The Dignity Index — a tool to help lawmakers engage more constructively when they disagree. Pennsylvania Future Caucus members, who first learned about The Dignity Index when Tim Shriver, Co-Founder of UNITE, presented it at Future Summit 2024, led the charge to bring it to their colleagues. In a…
Young North Dakota lawmakers form nonpartisan caucus ‘because it’s the right thing to do’
As part of a national initiative, young North Dakota lawmakers will come together over issues they can agree on instead of fighting over those they cannot. By Peyton Haug | Inforum BISMARCK — A nonpartisan coalition is aiming to dismantle the nationwide rise in polarized politics by uniting a minority group of elected leaders —…