44 minute read
Maximizing Our Return on Investment
Healthy States National Task Force subcommittee examines social determinants to shape the future of health care
This story is one of a series that will summarize the hard work being done by the subcommittees of the CSG Healthy States National Task Force and the CSG The Future of Work National Task Force. The members of these subcommittees will work with CSG policy analysts to issue the findings of these task forces in a report following the conclusion of their work at the close of 2020. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance have often taken center stage in policy aimed at lowering health care costs and improving population health. However, the body of research shows that social and economic factors — such as education, socioeconomic status and access to affordable housing and food — have a large influence on health care costs. In light of this research, many states have expanded the focus of their health policy. In 2017, 19 states required Medicaid managed care plans to screen for and/or provide referrals for social needs, and a recent survey of Medicaid managed care plans found that 91% of responding plans reported addressing social determinants of health, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“Socioeconomic factors play a huge role in social determinants
of health,” said CSG Policy Analyst Brandy Whisman. “Access to health care is often dependent on where you live and how much money you make. Economic factors have a direct
effect on health outcomes. One of the potential avenues that states can look at for addressing social determinants of health is identifying and analyzing policies in traditionally non-health areas like education, transportation and housing.”
Whisman staffs the State Health Systems Return on Investment Subcommittee, a part of the CSG T h e I m p a c t o f D i f f e r e n t F a c t o r s o n H e a l t h a n d W e l l B e i n g a n d t h e R i s k o f P r e m a t u r e D e a t h
Healthy States National Task Force. The subcommittee is identifying state policies, public-private partnerships and other programs that address population health and care delivery and deliver a return on investment to states. The group defined return on investment as “the money spent with expected results in measurements of dollars, changed behaviors and/or outcomes.” One program the subcommittee has explored is the Texas Health and Human Services’ Blueprint for a Healthy Texas. The blueprint serves as a business plan for Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal year 2020, with specific deliverables and measurable results. In addition to systemwide reviews, the blueprint requires each HHS division to conduct internal plan reviews to measure progress, identify and address emerging challenges and ensure the programs are operating using the most current data. “Our business plan identifies key areas of focus that will guide our work over the next year,” said Texas HHS Executive Commissioner Courtney N. Phillips. “The 12 initiatives, 72 goals and 337 deliverables in the plan detail what we need to accomplish for carrying out those initiatives and how our progress will be measured.” One of the initiatives outlined in the blueprint, a pilot program to reduce the impact of situational and generational poverty, could help address economic disparities in health outcomes. Texas HHS is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and Goodwill Industries of Houston to facilitate education, training, employment opportunities, case management supports and social interventions for high school seniors and able-bodied adults in an impoverished area of Harris County. Texas HHS and its partners will establish baselines and review pilot outcomes for these four measures: • Obtain or sustain stable housing • Achieve educational or training goals • Attain new or improved employment opportunities, which may include an increase in earnings or benefits or an improved work-life balance • Increase financial self-reliance Racial and socioeconomic health disparities have a big fiscal impact, according to research outlined in “Evaluating Strategies For Reducing Health Disparities By Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health,” a 2016 study published in Health Affairs. Eliminating disparities in morbidity and mortality for people with less than a college education would have an estimated economic value of $1 trillion, while eliminating racial and ethnic disparities would reduce medical care costs by $230 billion and indirect costs of excess morbidity and mortality by more than $1 trillion over four years.
Check out the Texas Health and Human Services’ Blueprint for a Healthy Texas at hhs.texas.gov/ about-hhs/2020-inaugural-business-plan
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ARE THE CONDITIONS IN THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, LEARN, WORK AND PLAY THAT AFFECT A WIDE RANGE OF HEALTH RISKS AND OUTCOMES.
Socioeconomic status
Access to health care and quality of care
Access to healthy food
Neighborhood safety
Education
Social support systems
Discrimination
“Research shows that health outcomes are driven by an array of factors, including underlying genetics, health behaviors, social and environmental factors and health care. While there is currently no consensus in the research on the magnitude of the relative contributions of each of these factors to health, studies suggest that health behaviors, such as smoking, diet and exercise, and social and economic factors are the primary drivers of health outcomes, and social and economic factors can shape individuals’ health behaviors.” — Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity, Kaiser Family Foundation
PREPARING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW
The Future of Work National Task Force subcommittee helps plan for AI in the workplace
This story is one of a series that will summarize the hard work being done by the subcommittees of the CSG Healthy States National Task Force and the CSG The Future of Work National Task Force. The members of these subcommittees will work with CSG policy analysts to issue the findings of these task forces in a report following the conclusion of their work at the close of 2020.
Globally, 75 million jobs are expected to be lost to artificial intelligence (AI) by 2022, according to the World Economic Forum. The good news? 133 million new jobs will be created, and the productivity of existing jobs will be vastly improved. Implicit in this reality is a challenge to educators, students and state leaders: how can we prepare today’s students for success in the workforce of tomorrow? Members of the The Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee — part of the CSG The Future of Work National Task Force — are exploring this question, focusing specifically on how states can re-evaluate the links between education and careers to meet the demands of the future workforce. Comprised of four subcommittees (the other three are Smart Government, What’s Next? Embracing the Future, and Equity and Inclusion), The Future of Work National Task Force is surveying best practices and innovative state initiatives throughout the 2019-2020 biennium. At the conclusion of their work, task force members will produce a report serving as a national framework with best
practices and policy recommendations for all states on workforce issues. The report will be released during the 2020
CSG National Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in early December.
In the face of rapid change driven by automation, artificial intelligence, communication technology and more, the workforce of tomorrow will need to be differently prepared, subcommittee members say. To flourish in
the new economy, today’s students need to become lifelong learners who can flex with changing market needs. They need soft skills like creativity, communication and collaboration to thrive in the workplace. And crucially, today’s students need better integration between schools and the business community, ensuring they possess the skills needed to succeed. In order to deliver best practices and policy recommendations for the Future of Work report, the subcommittee has narrowed its focus to two areas: 1. Fostering lifelong learning opportunities with nontraditional partnerships, and 2. Redefining measurements of success for lifelong career readiness. Maine state Rep. Lisa Keim, who co-chairs The Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee along with New York state Assemblyman Walter Mosley, says lifelong learning and nontraditional partnerships are increasingly important, and that the traditional education sequence, “taking place in predetermined formats within fixed time allotments,” is unrealistic and inadequate in today’s rapidly changing economy. “The reality is that people, at almost every stage of their careers, will also need to be students, updating their knowledge and skills as their occupation evolves,” Keim said. “A learner and a worker need not be distinctly separate times of a person’s life, whether that person is in the traditional K-12 setting or in a high-rise office. Meeting the demands of future work will require more fluidity than a traditional education setting can provide, and therefore states must look to convene other partnerships to enhance the process of education.” The subcommittee’s second focus area, “Redefining measurements of success for lifelong career readiness,” explores alternative ways to evaluate how well educational institutions are preparing students to succeed. Because state leaders make funding and program development decisions based on measurable benchmarks, it’s crucial to make sure the right criteria are being measured. “Through our conversations with national experts, we have begun to see that we need broader measurements and a new look at what characteristics determine a learner’s future career success,” Keim said. Through May, CSG will be hosting a series of online Q&As and other resources to drill down on a variety of topics within these policy areas. As subcommittee members continue to share ideas and explore innovative legislation and best practices, they are excited to be collaborating on a report that will offer value to the states. “There is a determination among the committee members to craft workable solutions, with an eye toward the fact that our states face similar structural conditions that tend to block change,” Keim said. “I believe what excites committee members is the idea that we will gather practical solutions that will work in the real-world constraints of our individual states. States are currently looking for ideas and solutions, so the timing of our work is well-positioned to complement current conversations.”
Check out the National Skills Coalition for reports like “WorkBased Learning Policy 50-State Scan” and “Broadening the Apprenticeship Pipeline.” For more information, visit nationalskillscoalition.org.
THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW SUBCOMMITTEE HAS IDENTIFIED MULITPLE AREAS IN WHICH TOMORROW’S WORKERS WILL NEED TO BE BETTER PREPARED TO THRIVE IN THE NEW ECONOMY. JUST A FEW OF THESE AREAS INCLUDE:
Lifelong learning
Flexibility
Creativity
Communication
Collaboration
Skills-based training
Integrated learning systems
On many fronts, the states can be leaders in driving innovation to better prepare tomorrow’s workforce. During the initial meeting of The Workforce of Tomorrow Subcommittee, Tom Kochan, professor of Work and Employment Research and Engineering Systems at MIT, emphasized the importance of state initiatives for workforce training. “You are on the front lines of preparing the workforce for the future of work,” Kochan told subcommittee members. “So developing a state-level action plan or a framework for states is exactly what’s called for right now, especially given that most innovations at the national level in the United States on economic policy, labor policy, social policy and workforce issues all were first developed and tested at the state level.”
2020 CO-CHAIRS 2020 EVENTS
Sen. Sharon Carson NEW HAMPSHIRE
House Speaker Lucy Weber NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire state Sen. Sharon Carson and state Rep. Lucy Weber will serve as the 2020 CSG Eastern Regional Conference co-chairs. Together, they bring many years of public service and extensive policy knowledge to CSG East. Carson was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2000 and served for eight years. She was elected to the state Senate in 2009 and is still serving. Currently chair of the Executive Departments and Administration and Judiciary committees, Carson is an advocate for business, community and the environment. “My legislative priorities are focused on ensuring that New Hampshire has the best environment that will allow families to thrive and businesses to grow,” Carson said. “We must protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens and preserve our state’s natural resources.” Carson is a retired Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army Reserve. Carson also previously worked as an adjunct professor of history and political science at Nashua Community College. Carson is looking forward to this leadership role with CSG East and to helping her fellow legislators get involved. “As a recent participant in the National CSG Toll Fellows Program, I found the skills I acquired during the training to be invaluable in helping me be a more effective legislator.” Weber was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2006 and has served continuously since. During her time in the House, she has served on the Judiciary, the Children and Family Law and the Rules committees and has chaired the Legislative Administration and the Executive Departments and Administration committees. Weber currently serves as the chair of the Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee and is the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House. “My legislative priorities fall into four broad categories: meaningful health care access for everyone; mental health, addiction and recovery; development of an adequate mental and physical health care workforce; and environmentally caused health issues,” Weber said. “In addition, this term, we will be looking at ways to address the high cost of prescription drugs and will continue work on a protective order for vulnerable adults.” Weber grew up in New York City and is a graduate of Friends Seminary, Tufts University and Vermont Law School. She previously taught early elementary school in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and practiced law in Brattleboro, Vermont. “I decided to run for public office when it dawned on me that if I was going to go on complaining about the things I thought were wrong in the world, I had an obligation to do whatever I could to change them,” Weber said.
Customized legislative development training delivered in your state capitol
EASTRAIN The CSG East EASTrain program brings seasoned experts to state legislatures throughout the region for hands-on professional development training designed to improve leadership skills. Many of the presenters include professional development trainers affiliated with the Eastern Leadership Academy. The programs are developed at the request of legislative leadership and customized to meet the needs of members. For more information, please contact Veronique Cavaillier, director of Leadership Training Programs, at vcavaillier@csg.org. Seminar—Untangled: Removing Barriers to Natural Hair Braiding Legislation Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | May 11
2020 CSG East Annual Meeting & Regional Policy Forum Manchester, New Hampshire | Aug. 23–26
CSG East’s 60th Annual Meeting & Regional Policy Forum will be held at the DoubleTree Manchester Downtown Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire. CSG East’s incoming co-chairs in 2020 will be Senator Sharon Carson and Speaker Pro Tempore Lucy Weber, both from New Hampshire. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Entrepreneurial States,” and Manchester itself has a great economic development story to tell. It is a hub of technological and business innovation and reinvention, having transformed its local economy to change with the times and global business needs. Located in the heart of New England, Manchester is also the largest convention, sports, entertainment and arts and cultural destination in New Hampshire. Join us for three days of discussions with your peers for the largest gathering of state officials in the East.
INITIATIVES KEY STAFF
Robert J. Thompson Eastern Leadership Academy Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Aug. 30–Sept. 3
Each year, the Eastern Leadership Academy (ELA) brings together a class of 30 selected state officials for five days of intensive training with experts in communications, government and policy development. Created in coordination with the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, the program includes lectures with award-winning Penn faculty and hands-on workshops in media relations, negotiating skills, time management and public speaking. The program is carefully tailored to help each class of state officials take their leadership abilities to the next level.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government offers an annual scholarship to ELA alumni interested in pursuing an executive master’s degree in public administration.
PUBLICATIONS/RESOURCES
Perspectives
This annual report outlines yearly activities and provides initiatives planned for the year ahead.
ERC Transportation Policy Newsletter Each month, the ERC Transportation Policy Newsletter outlines important topics and key news regarding transportation in CSG’s Eastern region. To sign up for alerts, please contact Steve Hewitt or Don Hannon at Transportation-East@csg.org.
Green Matters Newsletter This monthly newsletter highlights Energy and Environment issues in CSG’s Eastern region. For more information, please contact Rona Cohen, senior policy analyst, for the CSG East Energy & Environment Program, at rcohen@csg.org.
CSG/ERC Canada-U.S. News For more information, please contact David Biette, Deputy Director of CSG East/ERC, at dbiette@csg.org. Eastern Trade Council (ETC) strengthens state trade programs and increases regional exports by sharing trade development data and best practices, jointly promoting regional products and services and collectively advocating for federal trade promotion programs and policies that benefit the region. For more information about ETC, please contact Veronique Cavaillier, director of the Eastern Trade Council, at vcavaillier@csg.org.
CSG East Council on Communities of Color, consisting of African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American legislators from CSG East’s member states and provinces, sponsors programs for state officials on public policy issues of particular concern to communities of color. The Council seeks to engage all ERC members in a dialogue on issues involving race, diversity and inclusiveness in our states, communities and in the workplace. Communities of color face difficult, and often unique, economic, environmental and social challenges; the Council on Communities of Color seeks to focus attention on these issues and promote the conversations necessary to produce public policy solutions, not only to improve the quality of life in these communities, but also to improve the productive capacity of our states and the region. For more information, please contact Debbie-Ann Paige, senior policy analyst for the Council on Communities of Color, at dpaige@csg.org.
The Northeast High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Project works with state officials from CSG’s Eastern Region to facilitate communication with the federal government about planning national nuclear waste shipment campaigns that operate within the region. The project staffs the Northeast High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Task Force, composed of representatives from various levels of state government. The task force identifies and analyzes regional concerns about the transportation of high-level radioactive wastes. The project and task force work with federal agencies to co-sponsor public forums, develop educational materials and coordinate training for state officials and local emergency responders. The process is funded through cooperative agreement grants from the U.S. Department of Energy.
CSG EAST/EASTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Departmental Specialists
Jack Aitken................................jaitken@csg.org Research Associate
A.R. Braver ..............................abraver@csg.org Program Manager
Veronique M. Cavaillier ...............................................vcavaillier@csg.org Director, Eastern Trade Council Director, Leadership Training Programs
Rona Cohen ............................. rcohen@csg.org Program Manager, Energy & Environment Program Editor, Print & Multimedia Projects
Debbie-Ann Paige .................. dpaige@csg.org Senior Policy Analyst, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee Council on Communities of Color Territorial Relations (Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands)
Uldis Vanags ..........................uvanags@csg.org Director, Northeast High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Project
Agnes Wilk...................................awilk@csg.org Administrative Assistant
CSG/ERC Policy Consultants
Don Hannon......Transportation-East@csg.org Transportation Policy
Steve Hewitt......Transportation-East@csg.org Transportation Policy
Fran Boyd ................ Agriculture-East@csg.org Policy Consultant and Washington Advisor
Tara Sad ................... Agriculture-East@csg.org Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Bob Haefner............ Agriculture-East@csg.org Agriculture and Rural Affairs
2020 CHAIR
2020 EVENTS
SENATOR Ken Horn
MICHIGAN
With 14 years of legislative experience and several leadership accolades, Michigan state Sen. Ken Horn will lead CSG Midwest as the chair of the Midwestern Legislative Conference in 2020. Horn was elected in 2006 to serve the 94th District in the Michigan House of Representatives. From 2007-12 he represented the cities of Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth and St. Charles in addition to 12 townships in Saginaw County. He also chaired the House Energy and Technology Committee. Now in his second term in the Michigan Senate, Horn chairs the Senate Economic and Small Business Development Committee, along with two Senate Appropriations Subcommittees: Capital Outlay and Talent and Economic Development/MEDC. He also serves as vice-chairman of the Energy and Technology and Education and Career Readiness committees, as well as the Appropriations Subcommittee on Universities and Community Colleges. Horn has completed Michigan State University’s Michigan Political Leadership Program, the Leadership Saginaw County program and the 1,000 Leaders Initiative established by Saginaw County Vision 2020. He is also a graduate of CSG Midwest’s Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) and CSG’s Henry Toll Fellowship. Horn is a first-generation American from Detroit and lives in Frankenmuth with his wife, Veronica, where he has resided for more than 40 years. He has two children, Kevin and Andrea, and three grandchildren. He is a graduate of Concordia University.
Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting
July 19–22 | Detroit, Michigan
Four days of learning and networking opportunities for legislative colleagues from the Midwest Region will feature expert-led policy sessions, renowned speakers, professional development workshops and special events for attendees and their guests. The event is family friendly. The deadline to register and reserve hotel accommodations is June 15. Visit csgmidwest.org/MLC/AnnualMeeting.aspx or contact Cindy Andrews to learn more: candrews@csg.org.
Aug. 7–11 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Each summer, lawmakers from the Midwestern Legislative Conference’s 11 member states and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, along with the MLC provincial affiliate members, gather in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a unique five-day educational experience. In addition to its focus on leadership training, such as conflict resolution and negotiation, BILLD includes policy sessions on issues such as education, corrections, health care and economic development, as well as seminars on media relations, priority management and consensus building. Visit csgmidwest.org/BILLD/default.aspx or contact Laura Tomaka to learn more: ltomaka@csg.org.
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus Annual Meeting
PUBLICATIONS/RESOURCES
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 | V O L U M E 2 9 , N O. 1 THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS | MIDWESTERN OFFICE
help for homeless students
This school population is at much greater risk of falling behind and not graduating; advocates say states can help with a mix of prevention and intervention strategies
by Tim Anderson (tanderson@csg.org) S ix years ago, with a $2 million legislative appropriation, Minnesota launched a pilot program to help some of that state’s most at-risk students — young learners who lack stable or adequate housing.
The state began partnering with schools and local organizations to provide vulnerable families with subsidies that helped pay their rent over two school years. The goals: Stabilize housing and prevent homelessness, thus improving school attendance and, over the long term, academic performance among these students.
The early results, says Eric Grumdahl, were a “powerful signal” that this kind of intervention worked.
Ninety percent of the pilot program’s students with a known housing status were stably housed. (All of them had entered the program experiencing housing instability or school changes.) Further, these young people were more likely to be attending school on a regular basis than their homeless peers.
“That encouraged us to take this to a larger scale,” adds Grumdahl, who works for Minnesota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Department of Education.
That “larger-scale,” permanent
program is now called Homework Starts with Home, and the Legislature appropriated $3.5 million for it this biennium as part of Minnesota Housing’s base budget.
The hope among legislators is to reach more young people, and to stop what can be a destructive cycle — homeless students are much more likely to fall behind and drop out of school; individuals who don’t complete high school are at a much higher risk of homelessness as young adults.
“The more children have to change schools [because of housing instability], the further they fall behind,” notes Barbara Duffield, executive director of the nonprofit SchoolHouse Connection, which advocates for policies that help these students. “They’re losing time and they’re losing coursework. At the same time, they’re also losing attachments to friends and teachers, and all of those emotional pieces of stability.”
BARRIERS TO SUCCESS Not surprisingly, then, the achievement gaps between homeless students and their peers are wide. Nationwide, for example, less than two-thirds of homeless
COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Inside this issue
CSG Midwest Issue Briefs 2-3
• Health & Human Services: State laws vary on how to address substance abuse by expectant mothers • Economic Development: Iowa trying to remove barriers to rural growth, including lack of housing and broadband • Agriculture & Natural Resources: States taking first steps to cultivating hemp industry, but growing pains are likely • Criminal Justice: Midwest states at center of debate over laws on ‘riot boosting,’ protecting energy infrastructure
Around the Region 4 • Five key population trends for the Midwest as “Census Day” nears, and redistricting and reapportionment loom
Capital Closeup 5 • A look at how differing state rules and constitutional language shape the powers of gubernatorial clemency
Question of the Month 5 • What types of financial assistance do states in the Midwest offer military veterans?
Capitol Clips 6
• Michigan becomes fourth state in Midwest to legalize sports betting • Wisconsin law ensures children’s lemonade stands won’t be squeezed out of business • Rainy day funds are at all-time high thanks to rising state revenue, policy decision to save • Saskatchewan’s goals for the decade: Grow exports by 50 percent, population by 20 percent • Pair of ballot proposals this fall will determine future of marijuana policy in South Dakota
homeless children/youths enrolled in public school*
State # of homeless students (2016-’17) % of all students who are homeless Illinois 51,617 2.6% Indiana 18,431 1.8% Iowa 6,789 1.3% Kansas 9,297 1.9% Michigan 36,811 2.4% Minnesota 17,750 2.0% Nebraska 3,592 1.1% North Dakota 2,153 2.0% Ohio 30,385 1.8% South Dakota 2,018 1.5% Wisconsin 19,264 2.2% United States 1,351,120 2.7%
* Under federal law, homeless students are defined as children/youths who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.
Primary nighttime residence of U.S. students identified as homeless
Shelters 2 3.7% Unsheltered
13.8% 6.7% Hotels/motels
75.7%
Doubled up or shared housing 1
1 Temporarily sharing housing with others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or other reasons (such as domestic violence)
2 Shelters, transitional housing or awaiting foster care placement
Source for graphics: National Center for Education Statistics
Capitol Insights 8-9
• Profile: Wisconsin Senate Assistant Minority Leader Janet Bewley • FirstPerson article: Michigan Sen. Jon Bumstead on a plan to add flexibility to state graduation requirements
CSG Midwest News 10
• Four veteran state lawmakers leading Midwestern Legislative Conference in 2020
BILLD Alumni Notes 11
• Four alumni take on new legislative leadership roles • Applications for 2020 program now available
Stateline Midwest
Published 11 times each year, Stateline Midwest keeps members of CSG Midwest/Midwestern Legislative Conference up to date on policy issues that impact their states, actions being taken by the region’s state and provincial legislatures and work being done by the MLC and The Council of State Governments. To learn more, visit csgmidwest.org/publications/ statelinemidwest.aspx.
Planning Guide for Shipments of Radioactive Material through the Midwestern States
This guide serves as a reference for how shippers of radioactive materials should conduct shipments in Midwestern states.
Midwestern State Profiles and Data 2019
This annual document provides important data on states, provinces and their governments. Learn more at csgmidwest.org/MLC/documents/ State-Profiles-July-2019.pdf.
INITIATIVES
BRINGING RESOURCES & IDEAS TO YOUR CAPITOL
Under the Dome
This training initiative provides customized policy briefings and professional development workshops on select topics to lawmakers in their own capitols. Learn more at csgmidwest.org/MLC/CSGMidwestsUndertheDomeInitiative.aspx.
CSG MIDWEST/ MIDWESTERN LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
KEY STAFF
Executive Leadership
Departmental Specialists
Tim Anderson .................... tanderson@csg.org Publications Manager
Cindy Calo Andrews.......... candrews@csg.org Assistant Director
Jon Davis .................................... jdavis@csg.org Policy Analyst and Assistant Editor
Ilene K. Grossman............. igrossman@csg.org Assistant Director
Lisa R. Janairo......................... ljanairo@csg.org Program Director
Laura Kliewer..........................lkliewer@csg.org Senior Policy Analyst
Gail Meyer............................... gmeyer@csg.org Office Manager
Laura A. Tomaka ................... ltomaka@csg.org Senior Program Manager
Kathy Treland.........................ktreland@csg.org Administrative Coordinator and Meeting Planner
Mitch Arvidson ..................marvidson@csg.org Policy Analyst
2019–2020 CHAIR
2020 EVENTS
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Tim Moore
NORTH CAROLINA
First elected to the General Assembly in 2002, Speaker Tim Moore is currently serving his third term as the presiding officer of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Moore represents Cleveland County.
“The Southern Legislative Conference provides its members unique opportunities to engage with policymakers from across our region, bringing national experts on good governance together to address an array of topics critical to helping state legislators serve their constituents,” Moore said. “We are tremendously excited to host SLC in North Carolina to help lawmakers share their experiences, successes and challenges with their fellow public servants facing similar issues.” A lifelong resident of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Moore graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992. He then attended law school at the Oklahoma City University School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 1995. After passing the North Carolina Bar Exam, Moore returned to Cleveland County to practice law. Moore resides in Kings Mountain with his two sons, McRae and Wilson. He is a member of First Baptist Church of Kings Mountain.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Aug. 1–5
The North Carolina Host State Committee cordially invites you to the 74th Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference in Winston-Salem, where you will have an “Outlandish” experience from our mountains to our coast. In the state’s official tartan, the European, African and indigenous American cultural influences create the tapestry of the Carolinas. Within the plaid, the region’s hills, mountains and sky are embodied in the different colors. A Southern host promises good food, good drinks and good friends! We will have it all in 2020—fresh seafood, Eastern and Western BBQ, peanuts, sweet potatoes, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Moravian cookies. North Carolina is famous for its vineyards and craft beer; and don’t forget our homegrown soft-drinks—Cheerwine, Sundrop and Pepsi-Cola! Everyone will have a good time dancing to beach music and experiencing Scottish, Cherokee, Moravian, Coastal and Farm cultures. We also will showcase our HBCU university talent and salute our military service men and women. You do not want to miss it!
Little Rock, Arkansas | Oct. 3–7
The Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) seeks to create skilled, educated and confident state leaders by developing and enhancing core competencies that play a vital role in the service of public officials, both in professional and personal arenas. Through activities and instruction focusing on the program’s four central components—communication, conflict resolution, consensus building and critical decision making—CALS scholars have an opportunity to reinforce and refine these crucial skills. The program provides a unique opportunity for participants to engage in conversations and take part in sessions designed to explore individual boundaries and perceptions in a strictly nonpartisan environment. Class sizes are capped at a maximum of 25 participants per year to foster connections among classmates. Applications for the CALS program are accepted from new and midcareer officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of CSG South’s 15 member states. Full scholarships are provided to those selected, covering all costs related to participation in the program.
INITIATIVES KEY STAFF
Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE) Atlanta, Georgia | Nov. 11–14
CSG South’s newest program, the Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE), is a professional leadership development program for Southern state legislative, judicial, executive and agency staff. In addition to developing their professional and personal leadership skills, participants have the opportunity to build a network of peers from across the Southern region. By shaping staff leaders, SAGE ultimately aims to provide the public with more effective state governments for the future.
PUBLICATIONS/RESOURCES
Prepared under the auspices of CSG South’s six standing committees, SLC Regional Resources provide a regional analysis on the background and current status of the most prevalent and unique state government policy issues facing Southern states. Focusing on policy issues, trends and developments particular to the South, these reports provide a point of reference that allows SLC members to view their state’s governmental policies in relation to their closest neighbors.
SLC Special Series Reports provide an indepth analysis of key policy issues facing Southern states. Addressing governmental issues with multiple layers and highly nuanced solutions, these reports provide an extensive analysis of national, economic and political trends, along with an additional focus on how these developments relate to the SLC member states and the region as a whole.
SLC Issue Alerts and SLC Issue Briefs comprise concise reports that identify new and emerging issues that are time sensitive and often off the radar of policymakers. These briefs examine the impact and implications of recent state and national developments for the Southern states.
Comparative Data Reports (CDRs) are prepared annually by select SLC states’ fiscal research departments. These reports track revenue sources, appropriations levels, performance measures and a multitude of other metrics in Southern states. A useful tool for legislators and legislative staff alike, CDRs are available for adult correctional systems, education, Medicaid and transportation. CSG South Delegations—In order to better facilitate information sharing between and among its member states, the U.S. federal government and foreign nations, CSG South arranges delegations comprising legislative leaders and committee chairs to domestic and international points of innovation to observe a particular program or service firsthand, communicate member states’ positions on federal legislation and regulations and enhance economic relations with countries of importance to the Southern region.
Through the State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR) award, the Southern Office recognizes creative, impactful, transferable and effective state government solutions. Submissions for the recognition of innovative programs are accepted from a wide array of state agencies, departments and institutions operating within the executive, legislative and judicial governmental branches.
Legislative Staff Exchange Program, or LSEP , provides opportunities for legislative staff in SLC member states to participate in peer-topeer briefings and exchanges to develop effective strategies, identify best practices and share innovative ideas across a broad spectrum of legislative processes. Tailored for the particular needs and schedules of participants, LSEPs are held in both formal and informal group settings, with funding provided by CSG South.
CSG South periodically arranges professional development programs in state capitols and conducts workshops on pre-selected topics for legislators and legislative staff. The topics and presenters are decided in close consultation with leadership and senior staff in the respective legislative offices. All costs related to the workshop are borne by CSG South.
CSG South also coordinates policy fly-ins for small groups of legislators and staff, providing a deep dive into specific issue areas through roundtable discussions with their counterparts in the region and presentations by highly qualified policy experts. These events serve as a bridge between annual meetings to keep members informed and briefed on critical and trending issues.
Colleen Cousineau Director
Policy & Program Contacts
Mikko Lindberg .................mlindberg@csg.org Senior Communications and Research Specialist Contact for member services and outreach; SLC Annual Meeting; SLC website and publications; Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Lily Schieber ........................ lschieber@csg.org Programs and Marketing Manager Contact for SLC Annual Meeting; SLC Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS); legislative staff training; social media
Anne Roberts Brody............ aroberts@csg.org Policy and Program Manager Contact for agriculture; energy; environment; rural development; legislative staff training
Roger Moore........................... rmoore@csg.org Policy Analyst Contact for cultural affairs; economic development; health and human services; corrections and public safety; transportation
Cody Allen ................................. callen@csg.org Policy Analyst Contact for education; fiscal affairs; government operations
Nick Bowman......................nbowman@csg.org Publications and Research Associate Contact for state legislative service agencies; SLC Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS); SLC State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR)
Susan Lanter ............................ slanter@csg.org Finance and Events Coordinator Contact for accounts payable and receivable; SLC Annual Meeting
Neil Johnson........................ njohnson@csg.org Operations Coordinator Contact for general accounting; property management; SLC Annual Meeting
2020 CHAIR
2020 EVENTS
SENATOR Micheal Von Flatern
WYOMING
As chair of CSG West, Sen. Michael Von Flatern hopes to create opportunities for legislators to share their experiences and provide insights allowing everyone to construct the most appropriate and effective policy solutions for their states. “Western states pride themselves on their pioneering spirit and individuality, but I believe that our similarities can bring us together to address our collective challenges,” Sen. Von Flatern said. “Through these efforts we gain a better understanding of others and that our differences are not so great.” Von Flatern has represented the 24th district in the Wyoming Senate since 2005. He is currently the chairman of the Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs committee and serves on several other committees including the Senate Judiciary, Air Transportation Liaison Committee and the State Workforce Investment Board. “As a headwater state, Wyoming is facing challenges related to shared use and conservation,” Von Flatern said. “While our major focus is related to the Colorado River, other states in the region face similar challenges. With this in mind, I believe that water is perhaps one of the most key policy issues facing the Western Region.” Von Flatern hopes to utilize his leadership position in CSG West to help the Western states work together to solve policy issues like this one. “My experience with CSG and CSG West has helped me to understand the value of collective efforts in solving policy issues,” Von Flatern said. “While each state has different needs and thoughts on execution of solutions, the opportunity to learn from one another and refine solutions found to be effective in other states provides an opportunity for legislators to respond to constituent needs in their states more effectively and efficiently.” A great first step for elected officials who are interested in getting involved with CSG is to get to know CSG West and what the region has to offer by attending a meeting in the region, Von Flatern said. “All of the programs offered have some bearing on regional issues and offer a chance to join a conversation that relates directly to their state.” CSG West offers the Border Legislative Conference, the Legislative Council on River Governance and an annual regional meeting in addition to other leadership opportunities.
73rd CSG West Annual Meeting
July 28–31 | Jackson, Wyoming
The Wyoming state legislature invites attendees to touch down in the shade of the rugged mountains for the 73rd CSG West Annual Meeting, July 28–31, 2020. In the scenic beauty of Jackson, Wyoming, legislators, legislative staff and policy experts will explore opportunities, challenges and innovative solutions on a range of topics. All CSG West policy committees and leadership convene during the meeting, providing a chance to engage in substantive discussion on regionally and nationally relevant topics. The Canada Relations Committee and North America Summit offer a chance for members to engage with one another on issues unique to the West as the only region to share borders with Canada and Mexico. Additional forum sessions will host in-depth discussions on select topics throughout the meeting while leadership workshops invite attendees to sharpen their professional skills.
Legislative Council on River Governance Aug.17–19 | Lewiston, Idaho
For more information on the LCRG, please contact Jacqueline Tinetti, policy committees & programs coordinator, at (916) 553-4423 or jtinetti@csg.org.
Legislative Service Agency and Research Directors Training Seminar Sept. 27–29 | Lake Tahoe, California
For more information on the Legislative Service Agency/Research Directors (LSA/RD) Committee, or specific information on presentations, please contact Jennifer Schanze, director of operations, at (916) 553-4423 or jschanze@csg.org.
33rd Border Legislative Conference Fall 2020 | California
PUBLICATIONS/RESOURCES KEY STAFF
2020 Western Legislative Academy
D e c . 9 – 1 2 , 2 0 2 0
COLORADO SPRINGS
Apply online at www.csgwest.org/wla
Applications due April 17, 2020
“I was very inspired by colleagues from across the region.” 2019 CLASS MEMBER
2 GOALS
Helping Legislators Become More Effective
Building Stronger State Legislative Institutions
Western Legislative Academy Dec. 9–12 | Colorado Springs, Colorado APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 17, 2020
The Western Legislative Academy (WLA) offers selected legislators an opportunity to sharpen leadership skills and build regional relationships. Working with faculty from academic, military and legislative backgrounds, class members participate in sessions focused on skills development in areas such as negotiation, time management, leadership styles, governing and ethics. After WLA, class members return to their respective legislatures with knowledge, training and relationships designed to help them become more effective legislators and leaders. Western state legislators in their first four years of cumulative service are invited to apply. Class members are selected by the CSG West Executive Committee and evaluated based on their dedication to public service, desire to improve their legislative effectiveness and commitment to the institution of the legislature. Academy attendance is limited to a class size of 39 participants. Applications for the 2020 Western Legislative Academy class are now being accepted and will be available through the April 17 deadline. For questions related to the program or application process, please contact us at wla@csg.org. Biweekly e-newsletter Regional Roundup
CSG West publishes a biweekly email newsletter called Regional Roundup, which provides updates on CSG West activities and events, and stories on issues important to Western legislators and others who care about the West. To sign up for Regional Roundup, visit csgwest.org. Follow CSG West on Twitter @CSGWest.
INITIATIVES
Furthering State-Federal Cooperation
CSG West is part of a coalition of regional, multibranch and bipartisan associations working to promote a stronger state-federal relationship. This includes seeking meaningful state consultation.
Strengthening North American Engagement
The Western U.S. has the unique distinction of sharing international borders with both Canada and Mexico. As such, CSG West capitalizes on such geographic opportunities to promote binational and continental cooperation and foster understanding through several programs. This includes the Border Legislative Conference and the Border Legislative Academy, which promote cooperation and provide professional development to legislators of the U.S.-Mexico border region, and the Canada Relations Committee, which focuses on shared concerns among western U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
The Legislative Council on River Governance
The Legislative Council on River Governance (LCRG) convenes lawmakers from the Columbia River Basin states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to address issues of mutual concern and to share best practices.
Westrain
The Westrain program provides in-state training for legislators and staff on a variety of professional development topics. These include communications, time management, negotiations, consensus building, conflict resolution and ethics. Capacity trainings are tailored to meet the specific needs of state legislatures.
CSG WEST
916.553.4423 | csgw@csgwest.com | @CSGWEST | csgwest.org Executive Leadership
Edgar E. Ruiz ................... eruiz@csg.org Director
Departmental Specialists
Katie Alexander .......katie.alexander@csg.org Marketing & Events Coordinator
Adrian Alvarado.................aalvarado@csg.org Database & Administrative Meetings Coordinator
Martha Castañeda ...........................................mcastaneda@csg.org Director of Policy & International Programs
Kimberly Clark........................... kclark@csg.org Senior Meetings Coordinator
Addy Jimenez.......................ajimenez@csg.org Policy Analyst
Rich Lindsey............... rlindsey@wyoming.com Policy Consultant
Erica Miller ............................... emiller@csg.org Programs & Communications Manager
Anne Power............................. apower@csg.org Development Assistant
Jennifer Schanze.................. jschanze@csg.org Director of Operations
Jacqueline Tinetti .................... jtinetti@csg.org Policy Committees & Programs Coordinator
My experience with CSG and CSG West has helped me to understand the value of collective efforts in solving policy issues. While each state has different needs and thoughts on execution of solutions, the opportunity to learn from one another and refine solutions found to be effective in other states provides an opportunity for legislators to respond to constituent needs in their states more effectively and efficiently.”
JUSTICE CENTER YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 HIGHLIGHTS
Advancing Safety and Second Chances in 2019
The past year was an eventful one. The CSG Justice Center
continued to mobilize leaders in the criminal justice field with
connections and research, from supporting successful legislative
efforts in states such as Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania and
Wyoming, to releasing groundbreaking new research reports, to
providing technical assistance that resulted in fewer people with
mental illnesses in local jails and more in treatment.
Heading into 2020, as criminal justice continues to receive strong interest and support, the CSG Justice Center is gearing up for an even more active and impactful year that will involve expanding its work.
• In partnership with the National Crime Victim Law Institute, the CSG Justice Center is launching a new resource center designed to help states improve their ability to effectively order, collect, disburse and fulfill victim restitution.
• With the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the CSG Justice Center is leading a training and technical assistance center to support law enforcement officials as they work to improve their responses to people with mental illnesses.
A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails
An estimated 2 million people with serious mental illnesses—almost three-quarters of whom also have substance use disorders—are booked into local jails each year. Federal and state policy and funding barriers, along with limited opportunities for law enforcement training and arrest alternatives in many communities, have made county and other local jails the de facto mental health hospitals for people who cannot access appropriate community-based mental health treatment and services. Counties recognize the need for systems-level change to help them better link people to treatment and services while improving public safety in fiscally responsible and effective ways. The publication Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jail: Six Questions County Leaders Need to Ask, which was released January 2017, provides a planning framework for counties to address these challenges and help reduce the number of people with mental illnesses who continue to cycle through the criminal justice system.
The National Initiative Recognizing the critical role local and state officials play in supporting systems change, the National Association of Counties (NACo), the American Psychiatric Association Foundation and The Council of State Governments Justice Center launched the Stepping Up initiative in May 2015. Stepping Up is a national movement to provide counties with the tools they need to develop cross-systems, data-driven strategies that can lead to measurable reductions in the number of people with mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders in jails.
More than 425 counties have passed a resolution or proclamation to participate in the initiative. With support from public and private entities, the initiative builds on the many innovative and proven practices being implemented across the country. Stepping Up engages a diverse group of organizations with expertise on these issues, including those representing sheriffs, jail administrators, judges, community corrections professionals, treatment providers, people with mental illnesses and their families, mental health and substance use program directors and other stakeholders. COUNTY RESOLUTIONS RECEIVED AS OF MAY 1, 2018
The initiative supports counties in developing and adopting a cross-systems action plan through strategies such as: States with county resolutions Counties with resolutions No resolutions
• Providing a small number of counties with intensive technical assistance that includes onsite work to help use the planning framework, implement evidence-based practices and demonstrate strategies that result in measurable change • Providing counties with broad-based technical assistance for applying the planning framework through webinars, network calls and other information-sharing opportunities • Assisting states that support counties’ efforts to implement the Stepping Up framework statewide; and • Promoting federal policies that support counties’ efforts to reduce the prevalence of people with mental illnesses in jails.
The Stepping Up Initiative welcomed its 500th county.
The 500th county joined the Stepping Up initiative, a national movement headed by the CSG Justice Center to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. Across 43 states, counties have passed resolutions pledging to implement the Stepping Up approach by prioritizing committed leadership, accurate data collection and collaboration between local mental health and justice systems.
A groundbreaking report, titled “Confined and Costly,” uncovered the costs of probation and parole violations.
Probation and parole are designed to lower prison populations and help people succeed in the community, but a report published by the CSG Justice Center found that these programs are having the opposite effect. “Confined and Costly” revealed that 45% of state prison admissions nationwide are due to violations of probation or parole, costing states more than $9 billion annually. The study was the first to catalog the impact of violations on state prison admissions in all 50 states.
KEY STAFF
New research evaluated how well states are preparing youth in the juvenile justice system for employment.
Drawing on first-of-its-kind survey data collected from all 50 states, “On Track” establishes an unprecedented baseline for understanding how juvenile correctional agencies are preparing youth for employment and outlines strategies for improvement.
New legislation passed in Oregon supports behavioral health services for people in the criminal justice system.
Jail bookings and hospital emergency department visits are projected to drop 20% in the next five years as a result of a behavioral health Justice Reinvestment bill spearheaded by the CSG Justice Center, passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Oregon Governor Kate Brown on July 15, 2019. The legislation established and injected an initial $10.6 million into a state-run program that offers counties and tribal nations assistance in building up community-based supports and services for people with mental illnesses and substance addictions who commonly end up in state jails, courts and hospitals.
Newly elected governors received guidance to advance their criminal justice initiatives.
A historic number of new governors took office in 2019, and the CSG Justice Center was there to provide rapid, on-demand support to the 22 new administrations across the country, assessing their states’ criminal and juvenile systems and developing plans to improve them. The organization also offered more intensive guidance to four states with new administrations following an application process: Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin. Critical improvements were made to Colorado’s juvenile justice system.
To address youth recidivism rates as high as 50%, Colorado passed the Juvenile Justice Reform Act in May, legislation shaped by recommendations and findings from an assessment of the state’s juvenile system released by the CSG Justice Center’s Improving Outcomes for Youth (IOYouth) initiative. Colorado will now implement measures to divert youth from system involvement, limit pre-sentence incarceration and more. The CSG Justice Center’s IOYouth initiative implemented similar projects in Sonoma County, California and Connecticut in early 2019.
New framework released to evaluate and improve collaboration between police and mental health workers.
Increasingly, law enforcement officers are the first and only responders to calls involving people who have mental health needs. To begin tackling that challenge, the CSG Justice Center created the Police-Mental Health Collaboration framework, which promotes strategies to achieve comprehensive, agency-wide responses to people who have mental illnesses.
Corrections leaders convened to discuss behavioral health services in jails.
Recognizing the uniqueness of each state, the CSG Justice Center brought together leadership teams from all seven states with unified corrections systems to discuss better ways to address behavioral health services in their jails.
CSG JUSTICE CENTER
Megan Quattlebaum ............................... mquattlebaum@csg.org Director
Key Staff
Ayesha Delany-Brumsey ...................................adelanybrumsey@csg.org Director, Behavioral Health
Michael Clark............................mclark@csg.org Director, Communications and External Affairs
Marshall Clement...............mclement@csg.org Deputy Director, Policy and Strategic Planning
Margaret Schramm Horn........ mhorn@csg.org Deputy Director, Finance, Operations and Administration
Nicole Jarrett.......................... njarrett@csg.org Director, Corrections and Reentry
Elizabeth Lyon ............................ elyon@csg.org Division Director, State Initiatives
Shannon Moriarty.............. smoriarty@csg.org Deputy Division Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Monica Peters........................mpeters@csg.org Acting Director, Research Division
Kenya Salaudeen ............ ksalaudeen@csg.org Director, Human Resources
CSG Justice Center Vision
A society that upholds justice, offers second chances and ensures safe and healthy communities.
Mission
We develop research-driven strategies to increase public safety and strengthen communities.
JUSTICE MICHAEL P. BOGGS GEORGIA
CSG JUSTICE CENTER BOARD CHAIR
