Stateline Midwest Is Published 12 Times a Year Some Best Practices Going,” Petersen Says
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Stateline Vol. 26, No. 3 • March 2017 MidwestTHE MIDWESTERN OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS INSIDE CSG Midwest Issue Briefs 2-3 Improving healthy birth • Midwest-Canada Relations: Leaders pledge to deepen world’s largest trading partnership • Economic Development: Michigan considers new tax policies to help redevelop brownfields outcomes in the Midwest • Agriculture & Natural Resources: Change in farmland taxation a top priority in Nebraska MLC Chair: Make this the best region for healthy start to life • Education: Illinois reworks teacher licensing rules in attempt to alleviate shortages by Jon Davis ([email protected]) Around the Region 4 tate policymakers are increasingly worst in the country for the number of Minnesota praised for evidence-based policies; Infant mortality rates in Midwest, protest bills introduced across Midwest realizing that beyond the importance stillbirths to third-best. Sof early childhood development lies 2015 (U.S. rank in parentheses)* Question of the Month 5 its foundation, a healthy birth outcome for 6.2 Simple steps to big gains Do states have laws to prevent agency rules parents and their newborns. (26) 5.1 more stringent than the federal government’s? nother unheralded threat to fetal The phrase “healthy birth outcome” 7.4 (13) 6.0 7.0 health that concerns Sen. Petersen can encompass numerous initiatives — (44) (23) 10.76(36) is congenital cytomegalovirus. Per Capital Closeup 5 safe-sleep education to reduce incidents of 4.8 A 4.9 The story behind the ‘Ad Astra’ statue’s long climb (5) 7.4 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, mentoring (7) 6.2 7.0 to the top of the Kansas Capitol dome (44) Prevention, CMV is a common virus and support for new and expectant mothers (26) (36) 6.4 that infects almost a third of children to combat child and infant mortality, and (29) Profile 8 by the time they hit 5 years of age, and Minnesota House Minority Leader Melissa Hortman even the somber task of collecting child and infant mortality data. State’s infant mortality rate is lower half of adults by age 40. It’s transmitted FirstPerson 9 It can also include public education than the overall U.S. rate of 6.0 via direct contact with bodily fluids including saliva, breast milk and urine. Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly Speaker Corey campaigns to raise awareness of not-always- State’s infant mortality rate is higher Tochor on connecting civics teachers with legislators apparent health hazards (such as congenital than the overall U.S. rate of 6.0 Most people show no symptoms, cytomegalovirus) and to reduce stress on but it can hurt people with weakened CSG News & Events 10 new parents and parents-to-be. * The rate is the number of deaths of infants less than 1 immune systems or babies in utero, who year of age per 1,000 live births. CSG helps North Dakota leaders on justice This year, Iowa Sen. Janet Petersen, chair can get it via the mother’s blood passing reinvestment; BILLD application deadline nears of the Midwestern Legislative Conference, Source: United Health Foundation, U.S. Centers for Disease Control through the placenta. For those babies, aims to put a yearlong spotlight on the role congenital CMV can cause premature Capitol Clips 12 you just wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” she of states in ensuring healthy birth outcomes. births or even a pregnancy loss, as well as • Iowa revamps collective bargaining law That issue is her MLC chair’s initiative for says. “So I think I carry Grace in my heart lung, liver and spleen problems, seizures • Michigan compensates wrongfully imprisoned 2017. (CSG Midwest provides staff support as a way to try and prevent other families or small head or birth sizes. • Midwest states get high marks on budget policy for the MLC, a nonpartisan association of all from experiencing the heartache of having So, Peterson asks, why not educate • Minnesota ends ban on Sunday alcohol sales legislators from 11 states and four affiliate something go wrong with their pregnancy.” pregnant women now about CMV provinces.) She led an effort to make Iowa the first and simple techniques to prevent its “I’m hoping for dialogue where legis- state to expand its birth-defects registry to transmission, to prevent higher health lators can learn from each other and get include stillbirths. And in 2009, she and four costs later? Stateline Midwest is published 12 times a year some best practices going,” Petersen says. other Iowa women founded Healthy Birth “Very simple things, like when a baby by the Midwestern Office of “So that if you’re having a baby in Iowa or Day, a nonprofit that launched the “Count drops a pacifier, don’t just pick it up and The Council of State Governments. in North Dakota or wherever you live, you the Kicks” public awareness campaign wipe it off and put it back in your baby’s Annual subscription rate: $60. don’t have to worry that you won’t have encouraging expectant mothers to monitor mouth because she may have just picked To order, call 630.925.1922. a better chance for your baby’s survival their baby’s in utero kicks, because decreased up the virus,” she says. “Don’t kiss your in one state or another because we don’t fetal movement could indicate a problem. child on the mouth — little things like share best practices.” Since then, Iowa has gone from 33rd that. Be very vigilant in how you wash It’s a personal mission for Petersen. In 2003, she had a stillborn daughter, due to PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 a true knot in her umbilical cord — a rare CSG Midwestern Office Staff occurrence, according to her doctor. But Throughout 2017, one goal of CSG’s Michael H. McCabe, Director when Petersen learned soon thereafter that Tim Anderson, Publications Manager (at the time) one in 160 pregnancies were Midwestern Legislative Conference Jon Davis, Assistant Editor/Policy Analyst ending in stillbirths, she decided to turn is to highlight state strategies and Cindy Calo Andrews, Assistant Director personal tragedy into motivation. programs that promote healthy birth Ilene K. Grossman, Assistant Director outcomes and help get children off to Lisa R. Janairo, Program Director “It’s not an issue I’m willing to give up a good start — in each of the region’s Laura Kliewer, Senior Policy Analyst on, and if one should experience the heart- Gail Meyer, Office Manager U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Laura A. Tomaka, Senior Program Manager wrenching loss of delivering a full-term baby Kathy Treland, Administrative Coordinator and Meeting Planner who was otherwise healthy but has died, Katelyn Tye, Policy Analyst CSG MIDWEST ISSUE BRIEFS Issue Briefs cover topics of interest to the various groups and policy committees of CSG Midwest, including the Midwestern Legislative Conference, Great Lakes Legislative Caucus, Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission and Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee. Midwest-Canada Relations Trump-Trudeau summit billion in exports to Canada last year, and imported Midwestern jobs dependent on $11.5 billion in Canadian goods. Some of this trade is promises more cooperation on trade/investment from Canada trade, border efficiency between firms in supply chains that send components across the border as they make things together. Canadian companies have invested heavily in Ohio as ithin a month of President Donald 29,000 Trump’s taking office, he and Canadian 174,000 well, and directly employ more than 26,000 Ohioans. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met for This close trading relationship occurs through- W 158,000 a White House visit in which they jointly agreed 29,000 out the region. Last year, Iowa’s $3.4 billion in 259,000 to strengthen cooperation on a range of issues, exports to Canada included more than $815 million 100,000 from regulatory reform and cooperation, to border 57,000 worth of tractors and farm machinery, while Iowa 309,000 efficiency and security. 344,000 purchased $2.5 billion in goods from Canadian 190,000 “It was important for building a foundation,” companies. Iowa’s insurance service sector Stephen Brereton, Canada’s consul general in 84,000 benefited as well, with Canadians purchasing $67 Chicago, says of this early meeting of the two million in insurance-related products. federal leaders, “and the government ministers Source: 2014 report (using 2013 data) commissioned by government of Canada The bilateral trading relationship extends to agri- will move much of this forward.” culture as well. The 11 Midwestern states accounted In part, the February summit between Trudeau which, once constructed and open to traffic, will for one-third of all agricultural exports to Canada in and Trump simply reaffirmed a commitment to some add capacity along the Detroit-Windsor border, the 2015 — $8.4 billion in exports from the region, out of ongoing initiatives between Canada and the United busiest commercial crossing in North America. a total of $25 billion in U.S. farm exports. Wisconsin States — for example, giving preclearance to cross In the Midwest, 1.7 million jobs are dependent led the way, with $1.4 billion in agricultural exports, the border for people who meet certain requirements on trade with and investments from Canada (see followed by Illinois, Ohio and Michigan. and better integrating cross-border law enforcement. map). Canada is the largest market for goods in 35 Brereton says he is “very encouraged” about In order to simplify the movement of goods U.S. states, including all 11 Midwestern states. the cooperative tone set by Trudeau and Trump. across the border, the leaders also pledged to expand In Ohio, for example, autos and motor vehicle parts He adds that continuing advances toward a smooth preclearance for freight.