Policy Pub: Medical Marijuana & Same Sex Marriage

Policy Pub is a recurring series of brief, plain-language talks by faculty of the college on public policy issues that affect everyone. Frances Berry of the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy will use the issues of medical marijuana and same sex marriage to illuminate the processes by which states determine the laws that will govern their citizens, sometimes at odds with federal laws and policy. State laws regarding same sex marriage and medical marijuana have been changing fast. How have state laws differed? What are the causes of these changes? How do we explain state variation in laws adopted? Dr. Berry will open discussion about conflicts between federal and state laws and the impacts of court decisions in these policy areas. Dr. Berry, the Frank Sherwood Professor of Public Administration and Askew Eminent Scholar Chair, specializes in the areas of policy innovation and diffusion, state and local politics, and intergovernmental relations. Before entering academia in 1990, she worked nearly 15 years as a practitioner, starting as a legislative analyst in Minnesota and rising to the Director of Research and Executive Development for the Council of State Governments (CSG), where she managed a staff of 70 and administered committees on management and policy for governors, legislators and other senior state officials. After the brief talk, the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue on the topic. Policy Pubs take place in a relaxed bar atmosphere. They are free and open to the general public. No experience or prior knowledge is required. THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL.