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AUGUST 2021 | VOLUME 30, NO. 7 THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS | MIDWESTERN OFFICE land conservation policies take Special edition of Stateline Midwest: Coverage of the 2021 Midwestern center stage at MLC meeting Legislative Conference Annual Meeting During expert-led session, legislators learn how new investments, partnerships This edition of Stateline Midwest highlights the sessions with agriculture producers can improve the environment — and bottom lines held and actions taken at this summer’s Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting. The Council of State Governments provides staff support to the MLC: a by Tim Anderson ([email protected]) “Give back to the land so it MLC Chair’s Initiative binational, nonpartisan association of legislators from the continues to produce for you,” Midwest’s U.S. states and Canadian provinces. hen South Dakota Sen. Cammack said of one of the Gary Cammack wants lessons learned from his decades This year’s event, held July 11-14 in South Dakota, Wto know how well of ranching. marked the 75th Annual Meeting of the MLC. It was his family ranching business is Three years ago, Cammack hosted and chaired by South Dakota Senate Majority doing, one of his indicators is the Ranch was awarded the Leader Gary Cammack. CSG Midwest thanks all MLC condition of the land. Leopold Conservation Award, participants, speakers and sponsors for making this landmark meeting a success, and greatly appreciates How is the diversity and vitality a recognition of the family’s the many hours of work put in by South Dakota’s host of our wildlife? How is the health many successful practices over environmental protection, legislators and staff at the Legislative Research Council. of our soil? the past three decades — for you need to look for ways of “Those are barometers of example, the use of rotational assisting your state’s agricultural Inside this issue, you will find articles on sessions hosted profitability,” he said in July grazing, the planting of tens of producers. by the MLC’s policy committees and led by various to fellow lawmakers at this thousands of trees, and decisions “Nearly three quarters of the keynote speakers. You will also learn about actions taken year’s Midwestern Legislative that minimized the beef herd’s land in the continental United by the full MLC, including the passage of resolutions on Conference Annual Meeting. movement near water sources. States is privately owned, and topics such as federalism, chronic wasting disease, food- Land conservation and This year, under the leadership the vast majority of that land is labeling laws and reopening the Canada-U.S. border. agricultural sustainability are of Cammack, the MLC has been in working farms, ranches and deeply meaningful to Cammack, examining state policies that forests,” said Kevin McAleese, who has been a rancher in his help the Midwest’s farmers and president and CEO of the Sand home state much longer than he ranchers “give back,” and prosper County Foundation, which runs has been a legislator. as a result. the Leopold Award program for Three expert conservation-leading private speakers joined landowners. South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack talks Cammack for a “So if you care about clean to fellow lawmakers at this featured session water and open space and year’s Midwestern Legislative on this topic at wildlife recreation, you need to Conference Annual Meeting. the July meeting. care about private lands.” Cammack is the 2021 MLC It was held as part chair, and has made land of his MLC Chair’s conservation the topic of his NEW PARTNERSHIPS, 2021 MLC Chair’s Initiative. Initiative for 2021. INVESTMENTS IN OHIO In July, at the MLC Annual One of the Meeting in South Dakota, he takeaway Lake Erie is one of the crown led a featured session on this messages for jewels of Ohio. topic with the help of three legislators: If you’re But pollution runoff has policy experts. (photo: Johnny Sundby) interested in degraded its water quality, led broader issues of to harmful algal blooms and COVER STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Inside this issue CSG Midwest Issue Briefs 2-5 Featured MLC Meeting Sessions 6 CSG Midwest News 10 • Education: Year of learning loss puts pressure on states to • Historian Ronald White shares the timeless wisdom of • Midwestern Legislative Conference find ways of helping students catch up Abraham Lincoln with today’s political leaders approves five policy resolutions in July at Annual Meeting • Fiscal Affairs: What policymakers got right during the • Tawanna Black discusses path to inclusive economic growth • Ohio Sen. Bill Reineke joins four- pandemic to ensure budgets didn’t go in wrong direction • Futurist Ben Hammersley lays out four existential threats to member officer team of Midwestern • Economic Development: Jobless data point to challenges address in the post-pandemic United States Legislative Conference ahead for non-degreed workers, long-term unemployed Capital Insights 8-9 • Criminal Justice & Public Safety: ‘Fair licensing’ reforms BILLD News 11 aim to improve career prospects of formerly incarcerated • Profile: Kansas Sen. • Bipartisan group of state, provincial legislators from • Health & Human Services: ‘Tsunami’ of mental health Carolyn McGinn needs among top post-pandemic challenges facing states region chosen to take part in this year’s CSG Midwest • FirstPerson article: Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development • Agriculture & Natural Resources: Effective career and South Dakota Rep. Peri technical education seen as way of building stronger Pourier on the tragedy workforces in agriculture, other key sectors of missing Indigenous women, children CSG MIDWEST ISSUE BRIEFS Education ‘Short-term’ or ‘generational’ impact? Critical choices ahead in mitigating learning loss from past school year by Tim Anderson ([email protected]) Lastly, he said, new policies are needed to improve postsecondary Students’ academic Growth during look back at the last school year readiness. Currently, only about is a reminder of the educational 2020-’21 school year compared to 37 percent of graduating high growth in 2018-’19 — as measured by A imperatives that lie ahead for school students are prepared for states and their school districts. college-level math and reading; 70 changes in median scores on the MAP Tiffany Sanderson, secretary of the percent of beginning students at test (Measure of Academic Progress) South Dakota Department of Education, two-year colleges require remedial put the stakes this way to lawmakers coursework. Low- High- who attended a July session of the According to Lovell, states can Grade and subject poverty poverty Midwestern Legislative Conference improve these numbers in part schools schools Annual Meeting: by strengthening the rigor of K-12 Effectively re-engage students who curricula and expanding access to Third-grade reading -3* -11* were chronically absent or who fell college-credit courses. behind academically due to a year of He singled out a competency-based Eighth-grade reading -2* -6* South Dakota Sen. Jim Bolin presides over instructional disruptions and alterations, education model in Georgia known as this year’s MLC Education Committee Third-grade math -6* -17* and you’ve contained the problem to a meeting. He serves as co-chair of the “Move on When Ready,” a requirement “short-term educational impact.” committee along with Ohio Sen. Hearcel in Indiana that high schools offer two Eighth-grade math -8* -8* Fail to do so? Then it becomes a Craig. (photo: Johnny Sundby) advanced-placement and two dual- “generational impact.” enrollment courses, and a new law * Figures represent the difference in percentile points. Student learning gained Sanderson was one of two expert in California that incentivizes schools during the pandemic school year, 2020-’21. But that growth in achievement lagged compared to increases during a typical school year (2018-’19 school year). The presenters at this session organized about 3 percent of students miss 30 or to develop high-quality career and decline in student growth was steeper in high-poverty schools. by the MLC Education Committee. She more days of school. That rate of chronic technical education courses. Source: NWEA Center for School and Student Progress and the second speaker, Phillip Lovell, absenteeism more than doubled in 2020- focused on the impacts of COVID-19 and ’21, Sanderson said. These higher rates $123 BILLION OPPORTUNITY related policies on student achievement. tended to be in schools providing virtual sessions held across the state. Lastly, One huge new opportunity for states: “There are now even greater gaps rather than in-person learning. More South Dakota will explore new ways of the American Rescue Plan Act, which sets in learning, especially among our than half of the state’s chronically absent delivering instruction, with less emphasis aside $123 billion for states and school historically underserved students,” said students were Native American and 80 on seat-time requirements in favor of a districts to spend on education between Lovell, associate executive director of the percent were low-income. personalized, competency-based model. now and 2026. Alliance for Excellent Education. Lovell singled out three post-pandemic “Help students accelerate when they’re Nationwide analyses comparing challenges for all states to address. One “There are often strings attached to ready to do so,” she explained, “and academic gains during two different is helping students catch up from lost money that comes from Washington,” have more time and attention given school years — the pandemic year of learning opportunities over the past year. Lovell said. “These [dollars] have as few where they might be at risk or in need of 2020-’21 vs. the non-pandemic year of Options include developing summer strings as possible attached to them.” additional supports.” 2018-’19 — show that minority and low- learning and enrichment activities, In South Dakota, the money will go to To advance the competency-based income students were hit the hardest.

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