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CSG Midwest News
Midwestern lawmakers discuss key policy issues
during MLC Annual Meeting in Toronto
State and provincial lawmakers from throughout the Midwest gathered in Toronto in early August for the
65th Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Legislative Conference.
 Ohio Sen. Steve Buehrer, MLC chair, presided over the meeting of lawmakers from the Midwestern states and provinces. This year’s meeting was co-hosted by Ontario Speaker Steve Peters and his colleagues in the Legislative Assembly.
Attendees of the four-day conference shared ideas and heard from top experts on a variety of issues of importance to the region’s policymakers, including health care reform, energy, Midwest-Canada relations and education.
This year’s keynote address was delivered by James Fallows, an acclaimed
journalist and national correspondent for The Atlantic.
Fallows discussed how
recent economic trends have impacted the United States and Canada, as well as
how both economies can work to be more competitive in the global economy. Highlights of the meeting also included a presentation by renowned political columnist David Broder,
who shared insights about the upcoming midterm elections.
 During a series of small-group discussions, MLC attendees had the chance to share policy ideas on how to turn around struggling schools, provide incentives for renewable energy production, promote multimodal transportation systems and protect water resources. In addition,
the MLC’s five policy committees met during the annual conference, and the
Great Lakes Legislative Caucus held a one-day summit on issues such as ballast water regulations and offshore wind-energy generation.
The Midwestern Legislative Conference would like to thank attendees and sponsors of this year’s conference. A
summary of the meeting’s events, including presentations from speakers, is
now available, as is
the post-meeting edition of Stateline Midwest.
Next year’s MLC Annual Meeting will be held July 17-20 in Indianapolis. Registration will open in early 2011.
Congratulations to 2010 graduates of Midwest's premier legislative leadership
program
July
19 — On July 13, 37 lawmakers from 11 Midwestern states and three Canadian
provinces successfully completed the 16th annual Bowhay Institute for
Legislative Leadership Development. The five-day program is produced by
the Midwestern Legislative Conference in partnership with the University of
Wisconsin Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.
This year's agenda included
policy sessions on the regional economy, corrections reform, evidence-based
policymaking and government-reform
 initiatives. In addition, the BILLD fellows
participated in a series of professional development sessions on topics such as
time management, effective communications, and consensus building and
negotiation skills. In addition, a panel of current and former legislative
leaders from across the region led a roundtable discussion that focused on
strategies for being more-effective legislators and policymakers.
Each year, fellowships are awarded to Midwestern legislators through a
competitive, nonpartisan selection process overseen by the MLC's BILLD Steering
Committee.
Here is a list of the 2010 BILLD class. For more information on BILLD,
contact program manager Laura A. Tomaka at
630.925.1922.
Stateline Midwest: States facing key fiscal, policy questions with
major Medicaid expansion ahead
July
19 — Of
all the changes that will occur as a result of the 2010 federal health care
legislation, the one that will have the most substantial impact on state
governments is the major expansion of Medicaid.
The cover story of the July-August edition of
Stateline Midwest examines the fiscal impact
of this expansion, as well as the overall implications on state health care
policy and systems in the Midwest. This month's edition also includes articles
on a flood control plan for the Mississippi River Valley, gubernatorial veto
powers in the Midwest, the impact of a new federal student-loan law, state
policies for prisoners with sexually transmitted diseases, and a proposed
interstate compact to address concerns about prescription drug abuse.
Pension pains:
Firstline Midwest examines state efforts to improve sustainability of
public retirement systems
July
13 — In Part 1 of a two-part series on the future of state public
retirement systems, the
June/July edition of Firstline Midwest focuses on recent
legislative actions taken in the Midwest to improve the long-term fiscal
sustainability of state pension systems.
Part II will examine how states are trying to better plan for paying for
non-pension benefits such as retiree health care.
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