State and Local Leaders to Congress: Increase Flexibility for Existing Covid Relief Funds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Friday, February 25, 2022 

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

USCM: Sara Durr, [email protected] 

NGA: Eric Wohlschlegel, [email protected] 

NCSL: Mick Bullock, [email protected] 

NLC: Olivia Hodge, [email protected] 

NACo: Paul Guequierre, [email protected] 

CSG: Blair Hess, [email protected] 

ICMA: Elizabeth Kellar, [email protected]  

State and Local Leaders to Congress: Increase Flexibility for Existing Covid Relief Funds  

Bipartisan Language Would Allow Existing Funds to go Towards Infrastructure, Disaster Relief 

Washington, DC – The seven leading organizations that represent state and local governments —The U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, The Council of State Governments, International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, and National League of Cities—have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to include the bipartisan State, Local Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (S. 3011/H.R. 5735)  in the omnibus appropriations package for the 2022 fiscal year. As Congress works to conclude this full-year spending bill, the state and local government groups are calling for more flexibility in how they can invest American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were already provided, allowing this critical aid to be directed to infrastructure and disaster relief.  

The full text of the letter can be viewed here or found below:  

On behalf of the nation’s state, territory, and local governments, we urge inclusion of the bipartisan State, Local Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act (S. 3011/H.R. 5735) in the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations package. This legislation, approved by unanimous consent in the Senate on October 19, 2021 would provide additional flexibility under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFRF) that was included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).  

Since enactment of ARPA, we have been working collaboratively with our respective memberships, the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to implement the $350 billion provided under the law. We believe that this new legislation would both streamline and strengthen this historic program in a number of key ways, including:  

  •  Allowing the greater of $10 million or 30 percent of the total ARPA allocation provided to a state or local government to be used under a new, separate provision that further allows infrastructure- related activities authorized under federal surface transportation laws or Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.  
  • Allowing CSLFRF funding to be used to provide, “emergency relief from natural disasters or the negative economic impacts of natural disasters, including temporary emergency housing, food assistance, financial assistance for lost wages, or other immediate needs.”  

America’s state, territory, and local governments have been engaged in our nation’s response to COVID-19 since the earliest days; and providing these governments with flexible, essential financial resources is the surest way to see that our nation’s preparedness and responsivity continues. As intergovernmental partners, we thank you for the support provided through ARPA and respectfully ask you to include S. 3011/H.R. 5735 in the FY 2022 omnibus appropriations package to help achieve our shared goals of mitigating, responding to and fostering a transformational recovery from this unprecedented national pandemic.  

### 

State and Local Leaders Urge Congress to Complete New Spending Bill 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 

State and Local Leaders Urge Congress to Complete New Spending Bill
Full Appropriations Measure is Critical to Implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

Washington, DC –Today the leading organizations that represent state and local governments —The U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, The Council of State Governments, International City/County Management Association, National Association of Counties, and National League of Cities—sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to complete a full appropriations bill for fiscal year 2022. In the letter, the groups call for an end to governing by stopgap measures so that important state and local priorities can be fully funded. The letter notes that important economic recovery programs, including those in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, cannot be fully implemented without an updated spending bill. The groups write, in part:  

On behalf of the nation’s state, territory, and local governments, we strongly urge Congress to swiftly pass appropriations for fiscal year 2022. 

If lawmakers do not agree on dedicated FY 2022 funding, many programs, including those authorized by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA/P.L. 117-58), will be constrained by last year’s levels. Many programs designed to bolster economic recovery and support critical state, territory, and local infrastructure projects will be unnecessarily delayed or severely hampered. 

For example, without action from Congress, states, territories, local governments, and public transit agencies will be unable to access the IIJA’s roughly 20 percent funding increase for highway formula programs and more than 30 percent increase for public transit formula programs, along with any new transportation initiatives that Congress provided for in the IIJA. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated that roughly $45 billion in competitive resources provided for in the first year of the IIJA will go unrealized should Congress fail to enact a federal spending law for FY 2022. 

See here for the full letter.  

Endeavor Stands Up for Racial Equality Through #ChangeFashion Initiative

Associates in Action

By Victor Montgomery 

Associates in Action articles highlight CSG Associates’ philanthropic efforts and public-private partnerships throughout the states. 

Endeavor, a CSG Associate, has partnered with Color Of Change, Joan Smalls, and the Black In Fashion Council through its subsidiary IMG to launch #ChangeFashion. This initiative aims to eradicate racism in the fashion industry, restore equity and advance racial justice. Announced in February 2021, #ChangeFashion emphasizes the need for companies to move beyond conversation and embrace structural change by acting.

IMG, the Black in Fashion Council and Joan Smalls combined their deep industry knowledge with Color of Change’s racial justice and corporate accountability expertise to create an industry-specific Roadmap with the following five universal actions: 

  • Invest in Black Talent and Careers to restore the dignity and presence of Black artists, models, designers, talent, and the diversity of coverage on Black life and culture. 
  • Commit to Transparent Reporting and Equal Representation of Black People for complete and accurate data collection on Black workers in the fashion industry at every level. 
  • Invest in Content That Advances Racial Justice by prioritizing accurate and authentic content about social issues and Black life as told by Black people. 
  • Invest in Black Safety by reassessing relationships with police and security within the industry. 
  • Invest in the Growth and Prosperity of Black Communities by investing in Black communities, promoting civic advocacy, and taking a stand on issues that affect Black people. 

“In order to create real and lasting change, we must first identify the systems that cause inequity, exclusion and misrepresentation and then work to find solutions to fix the system. We’re proud to be partnered with Color of Change in building and providing individuals and companies practical tools for systemic change across the Fashion, Music and Entertainment industries,” according to Romola Ratnam, Senior Vice President of Social Impact at Endeavor. 

The Roadmap and additional resources on #ChangeFashion can be found online at https://changeindustries.org/changefashion/. 

ChangeFashion is the third entry into Color of Change’s multi-industry racial justice accountability franchise #ChangeIndustries. WME and Endeavor Content, sister companies to IMG within the Endeavor network, first partnered with Color of Change and Michael B. Jordan to release #ChangeHollywood in July of 2020. Color of Change announced the second initiative in partnership with Recording Academy® in December 2020. 

Wells Fargo Launches Mentorship Program for 500 Women-Owned Businesses

Associates in Action 

by Victor Montgomery 

Associates in Action articles highlight CSG Associates’ philanthropic efforts and public-private partnerships throughout the states. 

Wells Fargo, a CSG Associate, has launched a flagship mentoring program for women entrepreneurs called Connect to Moresm. In partnership with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center’s signature Milestone Mapping Coaching Circles, Connect to More provides 500 women-owned businesses with access to expertise and specialized resources born from the challenges of COVID-19.  

“As a non-profit committed to access and equity in entrepreneurship, we are grateful for this opportunity to help 500 women-owned businesses accelerate their personal growth as leaders and gain support as they solve big problems that make their families and communities stronger,” says Nicola Corzine, executive director of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. “We believe accelerating women business owners’ influence and economic opportunities are critical to addressing the intolerable wealth gap.” 

Each Coaching Circle affords all women-identifying business owners in the U.S. the opportunity to join biweekly meetings with peer mentors and industry experts to work through specific challenges, celebrate milestones, attend workshops, and build strong networks of support.  

“Small businesses are the cornerstones of our communities, and it is imperative that we support the women entrepreneurs who lead them,” noted Maryland State Senator Cory McCray. “Programs like Connect to More provide women entrepreneurs with access to resources, networks, and opportunities that help to grow their businesses and foster success. Women entrepreneurs can tap into a network of expert mentors for personalized help and support, and by participating in its biweekly Coaching Circle, women-owned businesses—like the Financial Joy School in Maryland—have received the benefit of the program’s invaluable mentorship. With its hands-on approach, Connect to More continues to equip women with the strategies and skills needed to reach their business goals.” 

“As an entrepreneur, you don’t always have the time to sit and reflect on your business, it’s always go go go,” said Ruby Taylor, owner of the Financial Joy School. “Not only does this program give you that time, but it also includes a support system of amazing women. So far I’ve walked away with concrete marketing and social media strategies to promote more brand awareness for my business.” Connect to More aims to help participants set and reach critical business goals to help grow their businesses into 2022.  

Any state official who would like to encourage women owned businesses in their own communities to apply can share the application located here. Upon acceptance, applicants will be placed in a Circle. 

“Access to trusted expertise helps small businesses move from surviving to thriving,” said Jenny Flores, head of Small Business Growth Philanthropy at Wells Fargo. “For many small businesses, having access to mentorship and trusted experts in areas like marketing, business planning, technology and legal can be a critical turning point for getting back to growth.” 

More information about Connect to More can be found at https://www.wellsfargo.com/small-business/jump/other/connect-to-more/. Additional resources for women-owned businesses provided by Wells Fargo are located at: https://www.wellsfargo.com/biz/wells-fargo-works/women-owned-business-resources/.  

Staff Profile: Elise Gurney, senior policy analyst

Elise Gurney has been around the world on her quest to find meaningful work. She studied economics at Carleton College before finding her way to Washington, D.C. to work as a researcher and consultant.

“I enjoyed the work but wanted to do something more meaningful, so I joined the Peace Corps in June of 2019,” Gurney said. “I served in Malawi as an environment and food security educator, but was unfortunately evacuated after nine months due to COVID-19.”

She moved to Kentucky and was excited to join the staff at The Council of State Governments.

“Coming back from the Peace Corps, I realized that I could combine my research skills with my desire to make a meaningful and productive contribution,” she said. “CSG ended up being the perfect fit for that. I was also excited to work in the policy space, and to come to a new-to-me state.”

At CSG, Gurney works as a senior policy analyst on the education and workforce team. In this role, she develops and implements policies centered around disability employment, telework, apprenticeships and more.

“My role entails everything from writing policy briefs on specific topic areas — such as how to address the mental health needs of workers amid and following the COVID-19 pandemic — to completing research requests for states to organizing webinars on different topics,” she said.

When she is not working, Gurney enjoys playing guitar, trying to keep her pet rabbit from eating everything in her apartment and taking dance classes.

She enjoys working with the talented team at CSG.

“Everyone is smart and dedicated, but also has interests and passions outside of the office. I also appreciate the opportunity to work with smart, dedicated policymakers; they always inspire me to do more,” she said.              

CSG Staff Profile: Dexter Horne

Dexter Horne is the kind of person who will find solutions. When he meets an obstacle, he takes his passion for helping others and turns it into action. This is evident in his role as a senior policy analyst at The Council of State Governments.

“I wanted to work for CSG because I wanted the opportunity to dive deep into the big challenges of our time and attempt to find ways to overcome them,” he said. “CSG allows me to do that. This job combines my passion for service with my desire to continually learn new things. It’s a good fit for me.”

Horne is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.

“In my day-to-day work, I provide research and logistics support to CSG’s Healthy States National Task force which includes state leaders from across the three branches of government in all 50 states and six territories,” Horne said. “For me, key project tasks include conducting or assisting with data analysis, developing and conducting national scans of state policy, responding to research inquiries from state officials (and) writing research-based State Leader Policy Guides.”


Horne also works with project managers on convening partners and task force members together to discover best practices in civic health, economic and workforce health, fiscal health and human health.

Horne, a lover of doughnuts, is involved in his local community.

“A civic engagement enthusiast, I spend a lot of my time helping lead the Kentucky chapter of a nonprofit called the New Leaders Council (NLC),” he said. “Our mission is to connect and train young, progressive thought leaders across the state. As do-director, I manage a 17-member board and am responsible for ensuring that our work is aligned with our mission and values.”

Horne said his dream would be to a community organizer who could eliminate poverty.

“Were there no obstacles to me doing so, I would be an author and a philanthropist investing in grassroot efforts to eliminate poverty and homelessness in communities across the United States. I would create a fund, and actively campaign for others to invest in a fund, that would exist purely to support experiments in poverty and homelessness reduction, designed in part by people who have experienced one or the other,” he said.

Horne said his favorite part of working at CSG is being able to build relationships.

“Beyond the chance to continually learn more about the inner workings of government, policy and communities, I enjoy working with public servants who really care about their state and the people they serve. I’m often reminded in this job that there are a lot of people in the country who are working to make it better. I find that encouraging,” he said.

CSG Staff Profile: Casandra Hockenberry

Casandra Hockenberry is a pivotal member of The Council of State Governments team whose work includes apprenticeships and the Overseas Voting Initiative.

“I manage our new Registered Apprenticeship Data and Best Practices Technical Assistance Center as well as the Overseas Voting Initiative Administrative Data Project and Military Ballot Tracking Program. I spend a lot of time speaking with members about the data for our programs. Sometimes we are requesting that they provide data,” she said. “Other times we are talking about what the data is telling us and asking our members to help us understand the context of the data. I also spend time researching new, innovative programs that our members are developing to do things like improve their workforce, improve elections administration and make voting easier for military and overseas citizens.”

Hockenberry, a Case Western Reserve University School of Law graduate, has an extensive background in law, making her the perfect fit for understanding data and explaining it to members in meaningful ways— one of her favorite parts of the job.

“I love that I get to spend my days learning and helping our members. States are the laboratories of democracy, so getting to help our members innovate and help their states implement successful policies and practices is so exciting,” she said.

Hockenberry wanted to work at CSG so she could make a difference through work that matters to so many.

“I wanted a job where I was able to still make a difference in the world but with a bit less emotional baggage than the public defender’s office. I loved the idea of championing excellence in state government, which often has the most direct impact on citizens,” she said of her work at CSG. “Plus, the café snacks are delicious.”

Hockenberry and her miniature dachshund, Remington McTavish Hockenberry, live in Lexington where she is a member of the Lexington Public Library Board of Advisors. She enjoys reading, watching Pittsburgh sports, and exploring Lexington’s food scene.

Celebrating the Life, Career and Character of Sen. Bob Dole

A Statement from David Adkins, CSG executive director/CEO:

As a kid growing up in the middle of Kansas, I wasn’t an athlete or an artist, but I loved politics. My mom was an active volunteer for the Republican Party and often took me along when she was canvassing, phone banking or putting up yard signs for the candidates she supported. The town of my boyhood, Salina, wasn’t far from Russell, Kansas, the hometown of Bob Dole.

During the years Dole was on the ballot, my mom would wear a ribbon sash emblazoned with the words “Dolls for Dole.” This meant she was one of the people who would pour the Dole pineapple juice often served at Dole campaign events. During one campaign swing, Dole was scheduled to attend an event at the Saline County Republican Headquarters, but a blown fuse cancelled the event. My mom asked Dole if he wanted to visit my elementary school instead. He agreed, and they travelled together to my school in our family’s Ford Fairlane 500 station wagon. I was seated in Mr. Powell’s sixth grade math class when in walked Senator Dole and my Room Mother mom. He told the class about his work in Washington and said that he had spoken to President Nixon, who had called him from Air Force One, earlier that day. I was wearing a pair of burgundy bib overalls and sporting a button I had picked up at the county fair which said, “Proud to Be a Farmer.” Dole, one of the funniest political figures to ever live, saw the button and asked me how my crops were doing.

To grow up with a front row seat to Bob Dole’s career in public service was to have a master class in the art of legislating. Dole was a fierce partisan, but also a master at forging compromise.

In junior high, I wrote a letter to Dole asking his advice about the best path to become a politician. He wrote back a two-page letter in which he talked about what I should study and how his own life story shaped his interest in elected office.

After being left for dead on the World War II battlefields of Italy, Dole went through a grueling, nearly three-year rehabilitation. The citizens of Russell raised the funds to support him during those darkest of days.

When he was picked as President Ford’s running mate at the 1976 GOP Convention in Kansas City, the first stop for the ticket was at the courthouse in Russell — the same courthouse where Dole began his political career as the county attorney. My dad, the captain of the Kansas Highway Patrol whose division included Russell, quarterbacked security for the hastily arranged event. In the moment, recalling all that the people of Russell had done for him, Dole broke down and wept and the crowd fell silent. When it was clear he couldn’t regain his composure, President Ford stepped up and began the applause. The crowd erupted in a loud embrace of their favorite son.

Bob Dole was my hero. He inspired me to become a politician. He made me laugh. He made me see how a politician can work a room. He had that uncanny gift for remembering names and details of the Kansans he had met — the same kind of skill that allowed him to be an effective majority leader in the Senate. He knew the members of his caucus, he remembered the names of their spouses and kids and he knew exactly how far he could ask each of them to go as he forged compromises. I was in awe of Bob Dole.

The citizens of Russell elected Dole to the Kansas House of Representatives, his first foray into legislative service. I was serving in that same body when Dole returned to Topeka in 1996 to announce his bid for the presidency. I was backstage next to him at the kick-off event, originally scheduled for the state house steps by moved indoors to the Kansas Expocentre because of snow.  As he waited to go on stage, I turned to him and said, “There’s still time to change your mind. Are you sure you want to do this?” “I might as well,” he said, smiling. “It’s not like I have anything else to do.” And with that, I turned on the backstage microphone and in my best radio announcer voice said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the next President of the United States, Bob Dole.”

By Election Day, it was clear Dole wasn’t going to beat Bill Clinton. That didn’t stop Dole from making a last-minute whirlwind tour of a number of states the day before the election. Candidates who know their chances are slim often like to reassure their supporters by referencing Truman’s expected victory over Dewey in 1948. So it was with Bob Dole in 1996. I was standing in front of the courthouse in Independence, Missouri, at 3 a.m. on Election Day as Bob Dole made his final campaign stop on his way home to Kansas. I will never forget the song blaring over the loudspeakers as the candidate took the stage: “I can see clearly now the rain is gone. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright sunshiny day.”

Bob Dole would be the last of The Greatest Generation to run for president. His war injuries rendered his right arm useless, but it never limited his reach. Because of Bob Dole, Social Security was saved from insolvency, millions of families received nutrition support because Bob Dole created the food stamp program as part of the Farm Bill, and Dole was a tireless advocate for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

While Dole’s death gives us the opportunity to recall all of the achievements of a life well lived, for me, the best of Bob Dole’s character is revealed in all the quiet, unseen ways he worked to lift others up.

In the fall of 2017, my dad celebrated his 90th birthday. On a whim, I sent Bob Dole an email asking if he might consider calling my dad and wishing him a happy birthday. I never heard back and had, frankly, forgotten I had made the request, when I got a call from my dad. “You’ll never guess who just called me to wish me a Happy Birthday!”

That’s the Bob Dole I will remember.

Godspeed, Senator Dole. Thank you for your inspiration and the enduring example of your life of service.

On another dawn, I’d like to think my mom just offered her favorite senator some pineapple juice and the thanks of a grateful nation.