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CSG Midwest News
Bigger role, higher profile: State of public community
colleges focus of Stateline Midwest cover story
 November
10 — The cover story of the
most
recent edition of Stateline Midwest takes a look at the vital
role that community colleges play in states' higher-education and economic development
policies. It also explores the education and fiscal challenges that these
colleges now face. Other issues covered in the November issue of Stateline
Midwest include:
▪ state and local policies limiting the availability of junk food in school
vending machines,
▪ a new $475 million federal initiative to clean up the Great Lakes,
▪ the crisis in Medicaid budgets that lies ahead for states, and
▪ new laws in Nebraska that aim to improve the state's
behavioral-health system (article by Nebraska Sen. Tim Gay).
Homegrown entrepreneurs: Firstline Midwest
highlights state efforts to encourage the next generation of business leaders
November 12 --As many Midwestern states work to reinvigorate their
economies, they are looking to entrepreneurs to provide new and innovative
business models that spur economic growth. As a result, educating young people
about entrepreneurship is growing as a priority among state policymakers.
This
month’s edition of Firstline Midwest focuses on efforts in this
region to strengthen entrepreneurship education.
MLC releases report on K-12 math, science education
 August
19 – The Midwestern
Legislative Conference has released a report focusing on state efforts to
improve math and science education. Unveiled at this year’s MLC Annual Meeting,
which was held in August,
“Laboratories of Reform: Initiatives in Midwestern States to Improve Math and
Science Education"
focuses on how states are
redesigning schools, creating new scholarships and reward programs, adjusting
graduation requirements, altering academic standards, and improving teacher
recruitment and retraining — all with the goal of sparking young people’s
interest in math and science
The report was done as part of Kansas Sen. Jay Emler’s agenda as 2009 chair of
the MLC.
CSG releases 50-state study on stimulus spending
CSG
has released a new report on how states are using the flexible spending
portion of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The fund was part of the $787
billion federal economic stimulus package signed into law earlier this year. The
50-state study is part of an effort by CSG to provide timely guidance and
information to state policymakers as they look to make the most of the new
federal funds available to them.
For more information on CSG's STATERECOVERY.org initiative, contact Chris
Whatley, director of CSG's Washington office, at
cwhatley@csg.org or visit
www.staterecovery.org.
Midwestern lawmakers complete regional training
program
 Thirty-six
Midwestern legislators completed the 15th annual Bowhay Institute for
Legislative Leadership Development on July 14. The members of the 2009 BILLD
class were awarded fellowships through a competitive selection process by the
BILLD Steering Committee -- a bipartisan group of legislators from the 11
Midwestern states.
BILLD is a five-day institute designed to help the region’s new lawmakers
improve their leadership skills. The program is conducted each summer in
Madison, Wis., in partnership with the University of Wisconsin’s Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs. This year's Institute
was held July 10-14.
Congratulations to the
2009 BILLD
class.
Click here for more information about
BILLD.
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