CSG in 2023

As a national organization with a regional focus, The Council of State Governments is comprised of many moving parts, with expansive work addressing policy areas and initiatives that span all 50 states, U.S. territories and international partnerships with Canadian provinces. Members from East to West participate in this growing community by exchanging information and ideas at a number of organized national and regional meetings. Take a look at some of this year's more notable happenings related these convenings across CSG.

DOL Continues Funding of CSG-led CAPE-Youth to Support Disabled Youth Employment Initiatives

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the $7.5 million, five-year continuation of the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) in September. This policy center was established by the Office of Disability Employment Policy in 2019 to enhance national, state and local workforce systems focusing on improved outcomes for youth with disabilities, especially those from underserved communities. CSG oversees the development and management of CAPE-Youth.

Teacher Compact is Activated with Adoption by 10th State

The Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact became active in June with Oregon’s enactment of legislation to join the compact. Model compact legislation released to the states by the CSG National Center for Interstate Compacts in November 2022 required a minimum of 10 states to join the compact prior to its activation. Earlier this year, the compact was adopted by Colorado, Utah, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, Alabama, Nebraska and Nevada. Next steps for member states include the nomination of commissioners, who will then convene to draft compact rules and bylaws at their first official meeting.

CSG Associates Organize Recovery Efforts Following Hawaii Wildfires

The devastating early August wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, were fueled by the arrival of Hurricane Dora, a category four storm. On Aug. 8, the fire’s blazes spread, making parts of the island nearly unrecognizable. Many CSG Associate members — including Amazon, AT&T, CUNA, Honda and Teladoc Health — took action to help those that were displaced and impacted by the natural disaster. Aid in the form of monetary donations, supplies, health care and network services have all been implemented to support Hawaii.

LENS Program Commenced as Nonpartisan Staff Adapt to Changing Environments

Dramatic shifts in workforce structure and operations during the pandemic resulted in nonpartisan staff having to navigate a changing legislative environment with more pronounced challenges around recruitment and retention. To promote dialogue and leadership development among fundamental state government institutions, CSG West convened the first-ever cohort of the Leadership Excellence for Nonpartisan Staff (LENS) program this fall, featuring 30 staff members from around the Western region. The program curriculum included 10 online classes and was designed to equip nonpartisan staff with critical leadership skills to advance in their careers, empower participants to strengthen and protect legislative institutions, and develop interstate networks to support the sharing of resources and best practices.

Colorado River Forum Advanced Dialogue Around the West’s Vital Water Resources

With current water agreements set to expire in 2026, dialogue and collaboration among Colorado River Basin states is critical for the sustainability of the region. Since 2021, the CSG West Colorado River Forum has provided state legislators in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming the opportunity to review and discuss the most consequential issues facing the Colorado River Basin. This year’s forum took place Sept. 12-15 in Pinedale, Wyoming, where members and water experts examined topics in Colorado River system hydrology, flood irrigation, new federal investments in the region, industrial water use, approaches to conservation, and considerations for the basin’s future governance.

Emerging PFAS Issues Prompt Regional Collaboration and Summit

From Annapolis, Maryland, to Augusta, Maine, legislators are relaying stories of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in their communities, a problem that is only just now beginning to be understood in capitol buildings around the region. These “forever chemicals” are drawing more attention from regulators at every level of government. Following a high-energy roundtable discussion at the 2023 Annual Meeting, which was held Aug. 20-23 in Toronto, CSG East is working with members to host a summit in 2023-24 to share information and emerging ideas in PFAS legislation and enforcement, and bring all stakeholders and experts to the table.

Addressing the Housing Crisis

The CSG Eastern region is facing a housing crisis with leaders in most jurisdictions focused on solutions. As affordability problems converge with insufficient supply, housing needs are going unmet in cities and rural areas alike. Innovative legislation is being introduced to address most jurisdictions underlying issues, including zoning reform, home repairs and development incentives. CSG East is rolling out a new slate of housing programming in 2024 and has hired a dedicated housing policy analyst. Learn more by emailing Joseph Shiovitz at jshiovitz@csg.org.

2023 BILLD Class, CSG Midwest

CSG Midwest Welcomes 28th BILLD Class

Five days of learning, leadership development and relationship building marked the experience of lawmakers taking part in the CSG Midwestern Legislative Conference’s 28th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development. The 2023 BILLD program was held Aug. 18-22 in Madison, Wisconsin, with participation from a bipartisan, binational group of legislators from across the Midwest in their first four years of service. Fellows are selected via a competitive application process overseen by the MLC’s BILLD Steering Committee.

Leveraging Learning Loss: A Public Policy Solution

Legislators and staff from 12 Southern states gathered in Atlanta Sept. 2628 to learn more about the pandemic-exacerbated decline in test scores and student performance. Attendees heard from the Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee Departments of Education on innovative uses of federal funds to support learning acceleration and recovery. Participants ended the Masterclass by breaking into small working groups and identifying critical issues for the CSG South Education Committee to examine moving forward, including academic supports for families, mathematics instruction and addressing the use of AI in education.

Ohio Sen. Reineke Introduced as New CSG MLC Chair

In late 2023, Ohio Sen. Bill Reineke became chair of the CSG Midwestern Legislative Conference, the bipartisan, binational group of all legislators from 11 states in the region and the province of Saskatchewan. The provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan are affiliate members. In 2024, Reineke will be joined on the four-person leadership team by Saskatchewan Speaker Randy Weekes, first vice chair; Minnesota Sen. Mary Kunesh, second vice chair; and Michigan Sen. Roger Victory, immediate past chair.

The Opioid Crisis: Understanding and Addressing the Public Health Emergency

According to the CDC, opioid-involved deaths increased 38% from 2019 to 2020, with the CSG South region being hit particularly hard. Working to learn more about the impact and support needed to address this issue, 23 members and staff from the South convened in Kansas City, Missouri, from Oct. 10-12 to hear from experts in the fields of pharmacology, recovery, counseling and medicine. Participants also learned more about the opioid crisis' impact on state court systems, youth brain development and local health systems.