Strong states, strong nation 2006.

The nation's state lawmakers took center stage in Nashville recently during the National Conference of State Legislatures' Strong States, Strong Nation Annual Meeting. Lawmakers and legislative staff from all 50 states explored America's past, present and future in order to help them meet the public policy challenges of today.

Drawing on experiences of the past, noted author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin urged attendees to take a page from the nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

"[Lincoln] had a remarkable capacity for understanding and even more for empathizing with everybody's points of view other than his own," Goodwin said. He once told a temperance group, "The only way to reach into someone's heart is through reason and understanding where they are and then trying to change them."

"So much of the focus today is on the here and now. Legislators would do well to learn from the wisdom of many of our predecessors," said Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte who became president of NCSL at the Nashville meeting. "That's really what this conference is all about. NCSL's Annual Meeting provides lawmakers an opportunity to create a dialogue to share ideas and discuss our differences."

Most conference attendees traveled to Nashville in the wake of a foiled terrorist plot to blow up several airliners over the Atlantic. With this fresh on everyone's mind, Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told legislators and staff that terrorism is still very much a part of the world in which we live.

"A lot has been done," Chertoff said about the government's efforts to thwart terrorism. "And I'll be the first to tell you there's a lot more to do. We need the will, the persistence, and the steadfastness to finish the job. We need to continue this [state/federal] partnership."

At the opening general session, one of the world's most forward-thinkers shared his insight into the global competitiveness of the changing economy. FedEx Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith reminded lawmakers that commerce today is no longer a local issue and they should consider the consequences when enacting laws...