134 [S2E37]: Abigail Knipstine of the IUMAA (and former City Council legal researcher)

We don't usually delve into arts and culture on this show unless it has a direct relationship to local elected government, but today's guest offers us an unusual opportunity. Abigail Knipstine tells us about the brand-new yet newly-renovated museum made out of two old ones, the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA), where she's the business manager. She talks about how museums like it are responding to the new rules about the questionable provenance of cultural artefacts in their collections, and how they're dealing with new rules on repatriating some of those items.

Her immediate past job was as a legal researcher for the Bloomington City Council. In the second half of today's show, she walks us through the process of helping councilmembers develop legislation, and talks about some of the legislation she worked on, like a resolution about Artificial Intelligence or an ordinance about short-term rentals. It's like a double-half episode of The 812!