Council of State Governments West ANNUAL 2013 REPORT Western Legislative Academy Border Legislative Conference 66th Annual Meeting CSG West 2014 Officers Table of Contents Governance Executive Committee 2 Policy Committees Agriculture & Rural Affairs 3 Canada Relations 4 Economic Development & Trade 5 Education 6 Energy & Public Lands 8 Fiscal Affairs 9 Health 10 e are pleased to share the CSG West 2013 annual Water & Environment 11 report that highlights our programs and activities Annual Meeting 12 during the past year aimed at strengthening Western General Sessions • Women in Politics Wstate legislators and legislative institutions. Special Recognitions • North America Summit Future of Western Legislatures • Policy Tours The report provides an overview of our key forums and efforts, including the annual meeting, policy committees, legislative Legislative Training training opportunities, international exchanges and research Annual Legislative Training Assembly 19 resources available. It also identifies some of the key leaders and WESTRAIN 20 stakeholders that contributed to the ongoing success of CSG West. Western Legislative Academy 21 Legislative Service Agency Directors 22 CSG West is committed to serving Western states by providing a forum and program opportunities for leaders to share insights, Programs WESTRENDS 23 broaden their perspectives and learn from each other. We look Legislative Council on River Governance 24 forward to continue advancing the mission of the organization Border Legislative Conference 25 and to empower Western lawmakers to achieve excellence in their U.S.-Mexico State Alliance Partnership 26 respective legislative institutions. Sponsor Recognition 28 Sincerely, Craig, Nancy, Kelvin and Jeff Mark Your 2014 Calendar 30 CSG West 2014 Officers Resources 32 Left to right: Representative Craig Johnson, Alaska, CSG West Chair; Senator Nancy Todd, Colorado, CSG West Chair-Elect; Senator Kelvin Atkinson, Nevada, CSG West Immediate Past Chair; Representative Jeff Thompson, Idaho, CSG West Vice Chair Edgar Ruiz Executive Director CSG West Cover Photo: Red Rock Canyon State Park, Nevada About CSG West he Council of State Governments (CSG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that fosters regional and national cooperation and promotes best practices among state leaders across the United States, as well as with Tour international partners in Canada and Mexico. CSG West facilitates regional cooperation and the strengthening of Western state legislative institutions. CSG West advocates multistate partnerships and solutions, the exchange of capitol ideas, building leadership and promoting a regional vision that transcends state and international borders. The membership of CSG West consists of the Western state legislatures of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Associate members from the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia as well as the Pacific islands of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are also valued participants in CSG West. Olympia Washington Alaska Montana Salem Helena Oregon Boise Idaho Wyoming Juneau Sacramento Nevada Cheyenne Carson City Salt Lake City Denver Utah Honolulu Colorado Hawaii California CSG West CSG West Santa Fe Arizona • • 2013 Annual Report Annual Report 2013 2013 Phoenix New Mexico CSG West Staff Martha Castañeda, Director, International Programs Rich Lindsey, Policy Consultant Alma Lopez, Logistics/Meeting Coordinator Catheryn Mercado, Database/Meeting Associate CSG West Hans Poschman, Policy Analyst 1109 Ninth Street, Suite 730 1 Edgar Ruiz, Executive Director Sacramento, CA 95814 Jennifer Schanze, Director, Operations (916) 553-4423 www.csgwest.org Governance CSG West 2013 Executive Committee The Executive Committee serves as ALASKA IDAHO UTAH the board of directors of CSG West Charlie Huggins, President of the Senate Brent Hill, President Pro Tempore Wayne Niederhauser, Johnny Ellis, Senate Minority Leader Bart M. Davis, Senator President of the Senate reviewing the work and activities of John Coghill, Senator Michelle Stennett, Gene Davis, Senate Minority Leader Gary Stevens, Senator Senate Minority Leader Ralph Okerlund, Senator policy committees, adopting policy Lesil McGuire, Senator Dean Mortimer, Senator J. Stuart Adams, Senator positions, selecting participants for Mike Chenault, Speaker of the House Scott Bedke, Speaker of the House Peter Knudson, Senator John Rusche, House Minority Leader Rebecca Lockhart, the Western Legislative Academy and Maxine Bell, Representative Speaker of the House Jeff Thompson, Representative Roger Barrus, Representative approving the annual selection of Richard Wills, Representative Melvin R. Brown, Representative Brad Dee, Representative CSG West officers. MONTANA Jack Draxler, Representative Jeff Essmann, President of the Senate Jennifer Seelig, Representative The Committee is comprised of Jon Sesso, Senate Minority Leader Brad Wilson, Representative Mark Blasdel, Speaker of the House • Four CSG West officers Chuck Hunter, House Minority Leader WASHINGTON Representative Craig Johnson Tom Berry, Representative Rodney Tom, Senate Majority Coalition • Presiding legislative officers of both CSG West Chair-Elect Doug Kary, Representative Caucus Leader Mark Schoesler, chambers of each Western state Beth Kerttula, House Minority Leader Lance Pruitt, Representative NEVADA Senate Republican Leader • Ranking minority leaders of both Moises “Mo” Denis, Ed Murray, Senate Democratic Leader ARIZONA Senate Majority Floor Leader Karen Fraser, Senator chambers of each Western state Andy Biggs, President of the Senate Michael Roberson, Frank Chopp, Speaker of the House Leah Landrum Taylor, Senate Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen, House Minority Leader • Chair and vice chair of CSG West Senate Minority Leader Judy Clibborn, Representative committees John McComish, Senator Sherry Appleton, Representative Andy Tobin, Speaker of the House Sam Hunt, Representative • Legislators appointed by the Chad Campbell, House Minority Leader Jeff Morris, Representative Frank Pratt, Representative presiding legislative officers of WYOMING member states CALIFORNIA Tony Ross, President of the Senate Darrell Steinberg, Christopher Rothfuss, • Western legislators serving as CSG President Pro Tempore Senate Minority Floor Leader Bob Huff, Senate Minority Leader Ogden Driskill, Senator national officers or leaders of CSG John A. Pérez, Speaker of the Assembly Senator Kelvin D. Atkinson John Schiffer, Senator national committees and task forces Connie Conway, CSG West Chair Tom Lubnau, Speaker of the House Assembly Minority Leader Marilyn Kirkpatrick, Mary Throne, • Western legislators who are former Steven Bradford, Assembly Member Speaker of the Assembly House Minority Floor Leader Paul Anderson, Assemblyman CSG or CSG West chairs COLORADO Irene Bustamante Adams, Lucia Guzman, Assemblywoman Senate President Pro Tem David Bobzien, Assemblyman Bill Cadman, Senate Minority Leader Marilyn Dondero Loop, Actions-at-a-Glance Gail Schwartz, Senator Assemblywoman Jason Frierson, Assemblyman July 30 and August 2, 2013 Pat Hickey, Assembly Minority Floor Leader Las Vegas, Nevada Lynn Stewart, Assemblyman Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Representative Rosie Berger CSG West Immediate Past Chair Selected the Western Legislative Assemblywoman Elaine Harvey, Representative Academy Class of 2013 NEW MEXICO Mary Kay Papen, ALBERTA, CANADA Adopted policy resolutions on President Pro Tempore Mary Anne Jablonski, Senator Nancy Todd Stuart Ingle, Member Legislative Assembly • Combating Aquatic Invasive Species CSG West Vice-Chair Senate Minority Floor Leader Mark Ferrandino, Speaker of the House Gay Kernan, Senator Ex-Officio Member 2013 Annual Report 2013 • Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling Michael Sanchez, Senator Michael Christensen, Director • Brian DelGrosso, House Minority Leader • Reauthorization of the State Trade Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, Representative John Sapien, Senator Legislative Research & Counsel, Utah Claire Levy, Representative W. Ken Martinez, Speaker of the House and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant Dan Pabon, Representative Donald Bratton, Libby Szabo, Representative House Minority Floor Leader Program Rick Miera, Representative CSG West • Supporting Increased North American HAWAII Donna Mercado Kim, OREGON Cooperation and Coordination President of the Senate Peter Courtney, President of the Senate Sam Slom, Senate Minority Floor Leader Ted Ferrioli, Senate Republican Leader Adopted resolutions in memory of Brian T. Taniguchi, Senator Ginny Burdick, Senator Jackie Dingfelder, Senator 2 Arch Lustberg and Alan Rosenthal Joseph Souki, Speaker of the House Aaron Ling Johanson, Tina Kotek, Speakers of the House respectively House Minority Leader Mike McLane, House Republican Leader Marcus Oshiro, Representative Sara Gelser, Representative Resolutions available at http://www.csgwest.org/ Scott Saiki, Representative policy/resolutions_by_year.aspx Kyle Yamashita, Representative Policy Committees Agricultural Water Conservation & Rural Broadband CHAIR VICE CHAIR Gail Schwartz Frank Pratt August 1, 2013 CSG West he inaugural meeting of the Senator Representative Annual Meeting Agriculture & Rural Affairs Colorado Arizona Las Vegas, Nevada Committee focused on several issues Timportant to rural America: agricultural water conservation, rural broadband, the farm bill, Nevada’s efforts to grow agriculture, Agriculture & Rural and a brief recap of the