NEWS RELEASE
August 12, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: CSG Media Relations
The Council of State Governments
(859) 244-8246
Wyoming Lawmakers Team Up with Counterparts in Western States to Tackle Major Policy Issues
Legislators Advocate for Wyoming Energy, Education, Economy and Major State Issues at CSG West Annual Conference
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Several Wyoming legislators joined state officials from across the West to tackle major policy issues during the joint Council of State Governments National/CSG West Annual Conference Aug. 9-13 in Anchorage, Alaska.
During the five-day conference, Wyoming legislators attended the various CSG-West committees to which they have been assigned to address policy issues affecting the West. Included were overreach of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), energy, education, healthcare, transportation and fiscal issues.
“As an energy producing state, we need to have a seat at the table to engage with lawmakers from other western states,” said Wyoming House Speaker Pro Tem Rosie Berger, who served as CSG West chair in 2012. “It is critical for western legislators to come together to discuss matters that may affect western interests. Cooperation between the Western states is critical to dealing with Federal overreach such as the Endangered Species Act.
U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming discussed federal energy policy and the impact on states during the CSG West Energy and Public Lands Committee session Sunday. Nearly every energy issue federal policymakers address has an impact on state legislatures, especially energy producing states like Wyoming. The U.S. Senate is looking at a number of key issues that could affect states. This session also explored current issues that will affect the states, and examined management of federal lands in the West.
In an environment where tensions are heavy between the Federal Government and the Western states, the CSG conference provided a venue for state officials from all political parties to come together to exchange information about important state policy topics and share best practices in search of solutions to address the problems states face today. It also provided an opportunity for professional development for state leaders.
Speaker Pro Tem Berger notes the importance of the multi-branch discussions at CSG conferences. CSG is the only national organization that includes state executive, legislative and judicial branch officials in its membership.
“Effective communication among all three branches of government is essential,” Berger said. I am most impressed by the collective skills of the participants and how we strive to find common ground to develop better outcomes to complex issues. As leaders of the 21st century, the CSG West meeting provides an environment to learn from leaders across the nation and gives time to build on personal strengths.”
The meeting kicked off Saturday with two policy academies built around critical issues facing state legislatures across the country—public pensions and U.S. workforce development, a focus of 2014 CSG Chair Mark Norris, Tennessee Senate majority leader, in his initiative, “State Pathways to Prosperity.”
CSG West, which covers 13 Western states and three U.S. territories, opened the meeting with sessions about arctic policy in relation to the future of energy in the West; fiscal issues facing Western states; economic development and trade; and the growing and competing demands for water in the region.
The agenda includes topics covering important policy areas for all states, including agriculture, education, energy and the environment, health care and fiscal issues.
Highlights include:
• A CSG National session focused on the new Clean Air Act regulations affecting carbon emissions;
• A joint session looking at the three major goals in health care: improving patient care, creating healthier communities and reducing health care costs;
• A joint CSG National/CSG West session on the importance of preschool in college- and career-readiness;
• A CSG National session focused on the CSG Overseas Voting Initiative, which aims to improve the voting experience of U.S. military personnel and other citizens living overseas; and
• A CSG West discussion focused on the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, as well as medical marijuana policies in other states throughout the country.
In addition, CSG West remembered longtime Wyoming state Senator John Schiffer, who chaired CSG West’s Energy and Public Lands Committee and was recognized with the organization’s Distinguished Faharenkamp Leadership Award in 2012, and Wyoming Rep. Sue Wallis, who was a member of the CSG West Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
For more about the meeting, visit http://www.csg.org/2014annualconference/default.aspx.
