Stephens is co-chairman of national reform panel

House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, has been chosen to serve as co-chairman of a national committee of state lawmakers who will tackle issues of election reform.

Stephens will attend his first meeting of the National Council of State Legislators' Special Task Force on State Election Reform on Jan. 31 in Seattle.

Stephens said about eight pieces of legislation already have been filed in Congress that seek to change the way national elections are held, as a result of problems experienced in Florida and other states during the November presidential election.

"And a number of those want to take federal control of national elections," Stephens said. "We feel like this is a state's right. There may have been difficulties in one state or another," but not enough to warrant a federal takeover of the election system.

The task force will, however, make recommendations for improving the current system, Stephens said.

Stephens, already a member of the executive board of the National Council, will be joined as a co-chairman on the task force by North Carolina representative Dan Blue.