Colorado River Basin States and Tribal Leaders Begin Historic Negotiations

For the first time, the four Upper Colorado River Basin states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico recently began formal meetings with six tribes to jointly negotiate water management of the Colorado River.

The thirty federally recognized tribes along the Basin hold rights to roughly 25% of its water supply. Historically, the river’s water management decisions have been led by federal and state governments without formal input from tribal leaders.

State and tribal negotiations will seek to establish a framework for future river operations, which are currently shaped by the 2007 Interim Guidelines set to expire in 2026. This becomes increasingly relevant as significant conservation measures have been implemented to combat the region’s drought crisis, which tribal leaders assert they have not been adequately consulted.

Click below to learn more about the historic negotiations and their potential impact on water policy in the Basin.

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The Time is Now to Address the Broadband Gap

The COVID pandemic changed the way we work, and states have been exploring ways to ensure their residents can keep up. 

This “tech new deal” affecting the U.S. includes one of the biggest investments in broadband since 2008. “We have not seen the amount of healthy investment in broadband since the American Recovery Act,” said Nicol Turner Lee, PhD, director for the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution. “It’s important to take advantage of this time.” 

Dr. Turner Lee was a panelist for Tuesday’s luncheon session, “The Age of Transformation: Workforce Development and Education in a Post-COVID Economy.” 

The ability to work remotely grew during the early days of the pandemic, but some people fell through the cracks. Dr. Turner Lee’s forthcoming book – “Digitally Invisible: How the Internet is Creating a New Underclass” – explores the gap and how it impacts those without adequate access. 

“Let’s be smart,” she said. “It’s about closing the divide, preparing people for the next generation.” 

The post The Time is Now to Address the Broadband Gap appeared first on CSG ERC.

CSG Justice Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary

This year the CSG Justice Center celebrates its 20th anniversary, a significant milestone for an organization that has become a go-to resource for state officials that helps foster research-driven strategies to increase public safety and strengthen communities. CSG West applauds the Justice Center’s contributions in the public safety space and their engagement with officials across the country, and at all levels of government, in this important work.

In the past year alone, the Justice Center has successfully launched the Reentry 2030 and Justice Counts initiatives, in addition to comprehensive toolkits associated with the juvenile probation system and community responder programs. Most recently, the Justice Center welcomed five new leaders to its Advisory Board leveraging extensive backgrounds in justice, behavioral health, and state legislation. 

We invite you to view the following stories from the recent issue of CSG Current State, featuring key moments from the Justice Center across 20 years.

20 in 20: 20 Significant Moments in the 20-Year History of the CSG Justice Center

Asked & Answered with Megan Quattlebaum, director of the CSG Justice Center

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Southern Pulse Newsletter, September 2022

It’s been a busy month of traveling and preparation here at CSG South, and our small but mighty team is excited to roll out all the programming, training, and publications planned for the final 3 months of the year.

We would like to thank everyone who attended our first Policy Masterclass, Growing Prosperity: Agriculture, Technology and The Future of Farming. Attendees gathered in Atlanta to learn from industry experts, toured top research laboratory Georgia Center of Innovation at Georgia Tech, as well as the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and enjoyed closing remarks and dinner with Former Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue. Our next Policy Masterclass, The Future State: Cybersecurity, Technology, and Innovation in Government Operations will take place next week in Birmingham, AL, September 27-29.  Our third and final Policy Masterclass, Anchors Aweigh: Navigating the Policy of Ports, will be a deep dive into shipping logistics and post-Covid challenges, the local and regional economic impact of ports, and the incredible technology that supports port operation. Held in none other than Savannah, Georgia, we hope you join us at the Port of Savannah this October 4-6. To submit your interest form click here.

I am so excited to welcome and congratulate the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) class of 2022! Twenty-six legislators and state agency directors from across the region were selected out of an overwhelming response from our member states. CALS is an intensive, four-day, application-based leadership development program held from October 15-19 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in LIttle Rock, Arkansas. We can’t wait to see greet this incredible cohort next month! To see CALS alumni, and to learn more about this unique opportunity for top Southern legislators and upper management executive and judicial leaders, click here.

As fall is yet another busy time at CSG South, always stay connected through this newsletter, website, and social media for updates and new publications. We don’t want you to miss a second of the action!

As always, thank you for all your hard work in your communities and states, and know that our staff is always here to assist you.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- September 2022

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