State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) was one of only 26 state legislators from across the United States selected to attend an exclusive training seminar on legislative negotiation techniques and innovative ideas. The three day conference, which took place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, was co-hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and Harvard University’s Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and featured both Republicans and Democrats from state Houses and state Senates throughout the country.

The goal of the prestigious training program was to strengthen participants’ problem solving skills by examining case studies, with a focus on engaging in productive conversations and viewing issues from each other’s point of view in order to find common ground.

“Legislative negotiations can be incredibly complex, and I enjoyed learning new strategies that will be helpful during our discussions this session and in the future,” said Sen. Miller. “Ultimately, this experience was about working together to continue to get the best outcomes for the people I represent and for the entire state of Minnesota. I look forward to sharing what I learned with my colleagues and putting the techniques into practice.”

This was the first time that NCSL has partnered with Harvard for this training program, which they are attempting to roll out to a number of other states.