- June 20, 2023
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- June 24, 2023
The Aspen Institute Germany hosted its second round of exchanges between a group of U.S. and German state legislators as part of its annual “Laboratories of Democracy” programming from June 20-24, 2023, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This initiative, which has run since 2020, brings together representatives from U.S. state legislatures and German Landtage intending to offer a forum for values-based discussion and an exchange of ideas for tackling current international policy challenges at the subnational level. In addition to covering general transatlantic topics more broadly, the core focus of the year’s programming was structural change and the revitalization of post-industrial areas.
While in Harrisburg, participants had the chance to engage with peers and experts from across the Atlantic. The programming has given state legislators a forum not only to build new transatlantic networks and explore possible areas for collaboration. But also to engage in a dialogue about policies and practices in each other’s countries and learn about innovative ideas and policy solutions through on-the-ground site visits.
The Aspen Institute Germany thanks all speakers and participants of the third cohort of the Laboratories of Democracy Initiative: Representative Jeramey Anderson (D), Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives; Senator Dave Argall (R), Member of the Pennsylvania State Senate; Franziska Baum (FDP), Member of the State Parliament of Thuringia; Wibke Brems (Alliance 90/Die Grünen), Chair of the Green Party in the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ricarda Budke (Alliance 90/Die Grünen), Member of the State Parliament of Brandenburg; Senator Hanna M. Gallo (D), President Pro Tempore of the Rhode Island State Senate; Christian Jung (FDP), Member of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg; Representative Ryan E. Mackenzie (R), Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Senator Kristen O’Shea (R), Member of the Kansas State Senate; Representative Kristiana Ortez (D) Member of the New Mexico House of Representatives; Representative Daniel Pae (R), Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives; Sarah Phillip (SPD), SPD Parliamentary Director in the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia; Romania Plonsker (CDU), Member of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia; Matthias Redlich (CDU), Member of the State Parliament of Saxony-Anhalt; Sebastian Striegel (Alliance 90/Die Grünen), Member of the State Parliament of Saxony-Anhalt; Representative Mike Yin (D), Minority Floor Leader of the Wyoming House of Representatives.
The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
