Artificial intelligence is transforming every sector of society — from healthcare and education to energy and employment — faster than federal policy can adapt. While Congress debates broad frameworks, Western state legislators are crafting the actual rules that will govern AI’s role in daily life.
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Across rural America, a quiet emergency has become a full-scale crisis. Hospitals are closing, maternity wards are shuttering, and mental-health services are vanishing at a time when rural populations are aging and provider shortages are worsening. Can states stabilize rural healthcare before the system collapses?
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The West is facing a dual shock: less water and more market consolidation. What once felt distant is now immediate. Colorado River flows are down 20% since 2000.
The Western snowpack has declined 23% since 1955 — equivalent to losing the most extensive surface reservoir in the West.
Lakes Powell and Mead have fallen from full to 21–30% capacity in 25 years.
Artificial intelligence could transform education more than any previous technology—but only if schools proactively engage with it, said Jason Neiffer, Executive Director of the Montana Digital Academy and creator of the nation’s first AI help desk for educators.
Continue readingIncome, sales and property taxes serve as the own-source revenue base for most states and their local governments. But within this general framework, considerable variation exists among states, including those in the Midwest.
Continue readingCSG West is proud to announce that Hawaii Representative Lauren Matsumoto was unanimously elected by the Executive Committee to serve as the organization’s vice chair beginning in 2026. Her election took place during the 78th CSG West Annual Meeting in Jackson, Wyoming. As an officer, she will help guide CSG West’s strategic direction and programs—ultimately succeeding to the position of chair in 2028.
Continue readingCSG West was pleased to welcome Western legislators to Sandpoint, Idaho for the annual Legislative Council on River Governance (LCRG), held October 13–15. Under the leadership of this year’s LCRG Chair, Idaho Senator Jim Woodward, legislators from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington gathered at the University of Idaho Organic Agriculture Center to discuss shared challenges and opportunities across the Columbia and Snake River Basins.
Continue readingPolicymakers across the West have been giving greater attention to data centers, which are creating unprecedented demands for electricity and water. The demand in data centers is driven by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and increased digitalization across a wide range of industries.
Continue readingIn a single year’s time, reported losses nationwide from cryptocurrency fraud jumped 66 percent, up to $9.3 billion in 2024, and the total number of complaints more than doubled, to nearly 150,000, according to the FBI.
Continue readingCSG South Senior Policy Analyst Cody Allen presented to the Georgia House Blue Ribbon Study Committee on Election Procedures at South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Georgia. His testimony highlighted the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and compared voter registration systems across Southern states.
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