2014

  • President Barack Obama creates a new initiative called “My Brother’s Keeper,” (MBK) which focuses on improving life outcomes for young men of color in several areas including education, mentorship, justice, and employment. MBK creates partnerships with government, philanthropic organizations, business leaders, and other community stakeholders to assess the impact of federal policies on young men of color and recommend changes and improvements.
  • President Rep. Joe Armstrong (TN), President-Elect Sen. Catherine Pugh (MD), and Health and Human Services Policy Chair Sen. Constance Johnson (OK) speak on the panel “Tools for Working with Legislators on Health Reform” at the National Medical Association (NMA) National Colloquium.
  • President-Elect Sen. Catherine Pugh speaks about economic empowerment in “The New Face of Economic Justice” with the National Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division.
  • The United States Supreme Court rules in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission that limits on campaign contributions violate free speech.
  • In Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds Michigan’s constitutional ban on affirmative action in higher education admissions. The Court rules the ban constitutional because neither the Constitution nor precedent allows the Court to invalidate laws that have been instituted by ballot referendum that relate to the use of racial considerations in school admissions.
  • Kathleen Sebelius resigns as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after widespread panning of the rollout of Open Enrollment. President Obama nominates Sylvia Matthews Burwell, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to head the Department.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases a new regulation aimed at reducing power plant emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The regulation, which specifically targets carbon dioxide emissions, requires states to cut those emissions by 30 percent in whichever way the state deems possible.
  • President Armstrong attends the Biennial Conference of the National Policy Alliance. He discusses the work NBCSL has done in advancing treatment options and access to medications for Hepatitis C.
  • Dr. Maya Angelou, renowned author, poet, and activist passes away due to prolonged health issues.
  • Actress and activist Ruby Dee passes away. Dee was a recipient of NBCSL’s Humanitarian Award, one of NBCSL’s highest honors.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court rules the government cannot force closely-held corporations to provide contraception coverage when it goes against their religious beliefs in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
  • Conflicting rulings in Halbig v. Burwell and King v. Burwell jeopardize a key component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Both cases fell on different sides regarding the eligibility of subsidies for those purchasing their insurance on a federal exchange instead of a state exchange.
  • The Quad Caucus convenes for its final three meetings in Seattle, WA; Minneapolis, MN; and Miami, FL to develop legislative solutions to help eliminate structural racism and promote racial healing. Quad Caucus includes NBCSL as well as the National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL), the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), and the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL).
  • Thousands of unaccompanied young children from Central America enter the United States, without documentation, in an attempt to flee violence and poverty, and to reunite with family in the States. President Obama requests $3.7 billion to help with the swell and provide these children with temporary lodging, health care treatment, and legal representation.
  • Following a series of high-profile officer-involved fatalities of Black males, unarmed Black teen, Michael Brown is shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking months of protests and demonstrations against police brutality and calling for transparency in police investigations.
  • U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announces resignation from the post after serving the administration since 2009. Attorney General Holder is the first African-American U.S. Attorney General in history.
  • NBCSL and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators convene in Chicago, IL for the 9th Annual Promoting Healthy Lifestyles symposium with the support of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Company. The theme, “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Connections Between Health and Health Care,” focuses on legislative solutions to improving health outcomes under the Affordable Care Act.
  • NBCSL Past President, founding member, and former state senator Regis Groff passes away. Senator Groff was the second Black state senator in Colorado history, and his son, Peter Groff, followed in his footsteps to become Colorado’s first Black Senate President.
  • Following a wave of electoral victories in November, Republicans win control of the United States Senate for the first time since 2007 and the largest House majority since the Great Depression.
  • Six Black Americans are elected to House of Representatives in the 114th Congress: Alma Adams (D-NC), Will Hurd (R-TX) Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Mia Love (R- UT), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Adams and Watson-Coleman are former state legislators.
  • U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D- NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) win full Senate terms in November elections. Booker and Scott are the fourth and fifth (respectively) African Americans elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.
  • State Rep. Alma Adams (NC) wins seat for the United States House of Representatives becoming the 100th woman in the current Congress.
  • The second Open Enrollment launches with minimal issues on the federal and state exchanges.
  • President Obama takes Executive Action to delay the deportation of five million undocumented immigrants. Under the new policy, about 4 million people who are parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents will receive deportation deferrals and authorization to work legally if they have been in the U.S. for more than five years and pass background checks. The order also amends the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows people under age 31 who were brought to the U.S. as children to apply for two-year deportation deferrals and work permits. While the action does not create a path to citizenship, it lifts the age ceiling and adds a year to the deferral period.
  • NBCSL assembles for the 38th Annual Legislative Conference in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole. The conference theme is “Preparing Our Nation’s Leaders.”