DETROIT, Mich. — The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) hosted its Fall Regional Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, August 20–22, 2026, bringing together state legislators from across the country to the Motor City to explore critical policy issues at the intersection of energy, public health, and community well-being. The meeting was hosted in partnership with the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, chaired by Representative Amos O’Neal, who also serves as NBCSL’s Region IX Chair.
“Regional meetings allow members to have a more focused policy briefing. It also allows our Corporate Round Table members to have more intimate conversations with our members,” said NBCSL President Rep. Harold Love, Jr.
The policy sessions were held Friday and Saturday after a welcome reception on Thursday. Policy Session I: Energy Grid Modernization, Affordability & Building Sustainable and Equitable Communities, examined how state legislators can guide the transition to a modernized energy grid while protecting affordability and equity for the communities they represent. Subject matter experts discussed strategies to reduce household energy costs while investing in grid modernization. They also explored how states can strengthen grid reliability, ensure communities of color benefit from clean energy investments, and create pathways to green jobs and workforce development.
The meeting concluded Saturday with Policy Session II: A Conversation on Tobacco Harm Reduction, Cessation, and Public Health. The session brought together legislators and experts to talk about ways to reduce tobacco-related harm and improve public health outcomes in the communities they serve. The first half of the session examined the science behind tobacco harm reduction and the distinction between nicotine, tobacco, and combustion. The second part of the session turned to legislative solutions, from vaping registries and school-based prevention to retail licensing, aimed at protecting youth while expanding access to cessation resources and addressing health disparities in underserved communities.
The Detroit gathering marked NBCSL’s final regional meeting of 2026, following a Spring Regional Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, in April. NBCSL now turns its attention to its Annual Legislative Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 8–12, 2026, where the organization will mark 50 years of NBCSL.
“This allows us to see some people who look like us, who have similar experience to us, who are in different states and who are addressing the same problems. You can’t beat the fellowship, the camaraderie, the encouragement, that comes from different lawmakers,” President Love said.
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NBCSL is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to educating state legislators across the United States, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. For the past five decades, NBCSL has served as the premier nonpartisan organization for more than 700 Black state legislators who are committed to advancing public policies that strengthen communities, expand economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life for all Americans. Visit nbcsl.org to learn more.