Southern Pulse Newsletter, October

HELLO!

Life is “gourd” here at CSG South 🎃! As the leaves continue to turn, we are close to wrapping up our fall programming season.

We have successfully concluded three Fall Policy Masterclasses, with 45+ legislators and upper management executive staffers. Each masterclass focused on a unique and regionally relevant policy topic. We are already looking forward to planning our 2025 Policy Masterclasses.

The Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) class has graduated! The class of 24 elected officials spent four full days in intensive leadership development, hearing from world-class speakers and facilitators while also making lasting connections and friendships. Click here to learn more, and cheers to the CALS class of 2024!

Our hearts are with the Southern states affected by both Hurricane Helene and Milton. During this challenging time, please know that we stand with you in solidarity and are here to offer support as you continue to lead your communities. 

All the best,
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- October 2024

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Missed Connections: Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health 

Social media – initially conceived as a means of creating and enhancing community – can quickly devolve into dangerous echo chambers. These platforms that can sustain meaningful connection can, like any tool, also cause harm. Through presentations, interactive discussions, and evidence-based research, this CSG South Policy Masterclass highlighted strategies and policies implemented by states aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of social media on youth mental health. Participants will engaged in constructive dialogue, shared best practices, and brainstormed actionable solutions to promote digital well-being in today’s hyperconnected world.  

Eighteen participants from 10 Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia – participated in the Masterclass over three days.  

Presentations included: 

  • Policy Roundtable: State Approaches to Social Media Regulation

The 18 participants were as follows: 

  • Representative Alan Baker, Alabama 
  • Representative Mandi Ballinger, Georgia; Chair, CSG South Human Services & Public Safety Committee 
  • Senator Jim Burgin, North Carolina 
  • Senator Tyler Dees, Arkansas 
  • Representative Vincent Dixie, Tennessee 
  • Senator Hillman Frazier, Mississippi 
  • Representative Denise Garner, Arkansas 
  • Representative Brandon Guffey, South Carolina 
  • Delegate Anitra Hamilton, West Virginia 
  • Representative Scott Holcomb, Georgia 
  • Representative Leigh Hulsey, Alabama 
  • Representative Marilyn Lands, Alabama 
  • Representative Carolyn Logan, North Carolina 
  • Representative Annie McDaniel, South Carolina 
  • Representative Orlando Paden, Mississippi 
  • Representative Felicia Robinson, Florida 
  • Senator Ally Seifried, Oklahoma 
  • Senator Kristen Thompson, Oklahoma 

Click here for photo gallery

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Dream Machine: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Governing  

The rapid adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has broad implications for every facet of public and private life. In this burgeoning field, the public policy stakes are high, and the issues are complex. CSG South hosted the Dream Machine: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Governing Policy Masterclass to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and expertise to aid policymakers in striking a balance between fostering innovation and establishing regulatory guardrails.  

Twenty-one participants from 12 Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia – participated in the Masterclass over three days.  

Throughout the Masterclass, attendees participated in nine learning sessions and a site visit ranging from information on the impacts of AI and data centers on the energy grid, generative AI tools for legislators and staff, deepfakes and election security, workforce development impacts, permitting reform and governmental transparency, AI and transportation, and protecting student and citizen data privacy. Participants reflected on these presentations and the key issues in their states by participating in a legislative roundtable discussion on AI policies and priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Additionally, participants heard a keynote from Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America, who shared the EU’s leading work regarding consumer data privacy laws and AI regulatory reforms. 

Participants also traveled to the Arlington campus of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, where they received briefings on partnering with postsecondary institutions and the private sector to develop the workforce of the future and increase the U.S.’s physical and cyber security. The Learning Sessions throughout the event were as follows: 

  • Learning Session 3 | Innovation and AI in the Commonwealth’s Permit Transparency Portal  Presenter: Matthew Nolan, Deputy Director, Office of Regulatory Management, Virginia 
  • Learning Session 4 (cont.) | Country R.O.A.D. Take Me Home: How West Virginia’s Using AI to Improve the State Presenter: Hussein Elkhansa, Chief Technology Officer, West Virginia Department of Transportation 
  • Learning Session 5 | AI, Deep Fakes, and Election Security  Presenter: Lindsey Forson, Deputy Executive Director, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), Washington, D.C. 
  • Learning Session 6 | The King and (A)I: Tennessee’s First-in-the-Nation E.L.V.I.S. Act  Presenter: Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, Tennessee 
  • Learning Session 7 | AI, EdTech, and Protecting Student Data Privacy  Presenter: Paige Kowalski, Executive Vice President, Data Quality Campaign, Washington, D.C. 

The 21 participants included:  

  • Representative Leigh Hulsey, Alabama 
  • Ms. Laura Howell, General Counsel for the Alabama Office of Information Technology 
  • Representative Denise Garner, Arkansas 
  • Ms. Kimberly Davis, Statewide Program Manager for the Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services 
  • Mr. Zachary Roger, Assistant to the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Arkansas General Assembly 
  • Representative Scott Holcomb, Georgia 
  • Mr. Patrick Love, Attorney Analyst for the Georgia Senate Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis 
  • Representative Derek Lewis, Kentucky 
  • Representative Barbara Freiberg, Louisiana 
  • Ms. Julia George Moore, General Counsel for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor/Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism 
  • Senator Rod Hickman, Mississippi 
  • Representative Renee Reuter, Missouri 
  • Senator Jim Burgin, North Carolina  
  • Representative Carolyn Logan, North Carolina 
  • Representative Daniel Pae, Oklahoma 
  • Representative Arturo Alonso Sandoval, Oklahoma 
  • Ms. Abby Berquist, Research and Budget Analyst for the South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee 
  • Delegate Bonita Anthony, Virginia  
  • Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Virginia  
  • Mr. Luke Priddy, Chief of Staff to the Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee Chairman Adam Ebbin  
  • Delegate Daniel Linville, West Virginia 

Click here for photo gallery

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Southern Pulse Newsletter, September

HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!

As fall approaches, we’re thrilled about the upcoming events at CSG South. We’ve already hosted two Policy Masterclasses: “Bigger May Not Be Better” in Ontario, Canada, and “Dream Machine” in Alexandria, Virginia. Next, we’re excited for “Missed Connections” this week in Charlotte, North Carolina, focusing on social media’s impact on youth mental health.

Our fall leadership development began with the Legislative Service Agency Directors Group’s retreat in St. Louis, Missouri. In the coming months, the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) and the Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE) will convene, offering networking and training for officials and staffers.

We’re also reflecting on the successes of the 2024 Southern Legislative Conference at The Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia. The Summary Report, which celebrates the contributions of attendees, staffers, and volunteers, is now available to download below. 

We hope you continue to keep CSG South at the top of your mind if you need anything! 

All the best, 
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- September 2024

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Living With Water: An International Masterclass

In this inaugural International Policy Masterclass, hosted in partnership with the American Flood Coalition, CSG South led a delegation of 19 lawmakers from 10 states to the Kingdom of the Netherlands to gain insight into water management and flood mitigation, including research and innovation, coastal protection, resiliency, costs, and funding sources.  

For years, major flooding events have engulfed several Southern states. These repeated flood events can create a significant and long-term strain on the environment and economies, both in tangible losses and productivity. As the South braces for rising seas, heavier rains, future hurricanes, and continued coastal development, the Netherlands’ significant expertise in water management innovation, flood-control measures, and state-of-the-art disaster-mitigating infrastructure will be invaluable in navigating these challenges. 

Over four days, delegates engaged in briefings and tours focused on natural and engineered solutions to coastal, urban, and inland flooding.  

Experts from several ministries and organizations briefed attendees, including the following: 

  • U.S. Embassy  
  • Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management 
  • Association of Dutch Water Authorities 
  • Deltares 
  • Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) 
  • City of Rotterdam 
  • Port of Rotterdam 
  • Okra 
  • Municipality of Katwijk 

Participants also received tours of the Port of Rotterdam and the Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier, one of the largest moving structures on Earth.  

Participants included: 

  • Representative Chip Brown, Alabama 
  • Senator Jenn Bradley, Florida 
  • Representative James Buchanan, Florida 
  • Representative Jennifer Canady, Florida 
  • Representative Matt Windschitl, Iowa 
  • Senator Robin Webb, Kentucky 
  • Senator Phillip Wheeler, Kentucky 
  • Senator Beth Mizell, Louisiana 
  • Representative Jerome Zeringue, Louisiana 
  • Senate President Pro Tempore Dean Kirby, Mississippi 
  • Representative Zack Hawkins, North Carolina 
  • Representative Mark Pless, North Carolina 
  • Senate President Thomas Alexander, South Carolina 
  • Senator Larry Grooms, South Carolina 
  • Speaker Pro Tempore Tommy Pope, South Carolina 
  • Senator Mamie Locke, Virginia 
  • Speaker Don Schott, Virginia 
  • Senate President and Lieutenant Governor Craig Blair, West Virginia 
  • Delegate Clay Riley, West Virginia 

CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTATIONS

Click here for photo gallery

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Bigger May Not Be Better: The Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors to Address Energy Needs 

With the emergence of new nuclear energy technologies, states may soon begin to reconsider how nuclear generation factors into their energy portfolio. What is expected to be the first operational Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in North America is currently being built in Ontario, Canada. In addition to the SMR, Ontario’s current and planned nuclear programs require the development of a skilled workforce and a reliable supply chain of critical minerals. To facilitate an exchange of knowledge and expertise on the cost and timelines associated with new nuclear energy projects, CSG South, in partnership with the Government of Ontario (through the Ontario Investment and Trade Office in Dallas, Texas) hosted the Bigger May Not Be Better: The Potential of Small Nuclear Reactors to Address Energy Needs Policy Masterclass.  

Twenty participants from ten Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia – participated in the Masterclass over four days. The first day included arrivals and an evening reception jointly hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) at the OTPP headquarters in Toronto. Officials from both organizations; diplomats from the U.S. Consulate General in Toronto (including the Consul General) also participated.  

Over the next three days, attendees participated in 17 learning sessions ranging from information on SMR technology to critical minerals to workforce development. Throughout the Masterclass, participants engaged with top Ontario officials, including:  

  • Premier Doug Ford 
  • Ted Arnott, Legislative Assembly Speaker 
  • Stephen Lecce, Minister for Energy and Electrification 
  • Jill Dunlop, Minister for Education 
  • Victor Fedeli, Minister for Economic Development 
  • Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries 

Participants travelled to the Darlington Nuclear Station operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) where they received briefings on nuclear expansion, waste management, and supply chain growth and undertook a walkthrough of a mockup Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactor and a bus tour of the Darlington site, including where the SMR is being constructed.  

The 17 Learning Sessions were as follows: 

  • Learning Session 17: Canada, the United States and Top Tier Nuclear Nations: A Comparative Policy Analysis  Presenter: Chad Richards, Nuclear Innovation Institute 

The 20 participants were as follows:  

  • Mr. Joshua Baxter, Attorney Specialist for the Arkansas Public Service Commission 
  • Senator George Burns, Oklahoma 
  • Senator Danny Carroll, Kentucky 
  • Representative Micah Caskey, South Carolina 
  • Senator Hillman Frazier, Mississippi 
  • Representative Donna Givens, Alabama 
  • Delegate Anitra Hamilton, West Virginia 
  • Senator Bob Hensgens, Louisiana 
  • Representative Brian Hill, Oklahoma 
  • Representative Jason Hughes, Louisiana 
  • Senator Andrew Jones, Alabama 
  • Representative Jack Ladyman, Arkansas 
  • Representative Annie McDaniel, South Carolina 
  • Senator Matt McKee, Arkansas 
  • Representative Sam McKenzie, Tennessee 
  • Secretary of Energy & Environment, Ken McQueen, Oklahoma 
  • Mr. Weasley Seaman, Energy Project Manager for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce 
  • Delegate George Street, West Virginia 
  • Representative Bill Werkheiser, Georgia 
  • Representative Bruce Williamson, Georgia 

Click here for photo gallery

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Southern Pulse Newsletter, August

THAT’S A WRAP ON SLC 2024!

What an incredible Southern Legislative Conference it was! Can you believe it? Nearly 1400 legislators, families, and affiliates gathered at The Greenbrier Resort in beautiful White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. We can’t express how thankful we are for the continuous support from our host state and the fantastic volunteers and legislative staffers who helped make this conference wonderful! Thank you, West Virginia!  

Our office is bursting with excitement for the months ahead. At CSG South, we consistently uphold the standard of outstanding professional development, insightful policy masterclasses, and robust publications that bring hours of research into your hands. In the coming months, we will have completed all three of our Policy Masterclasses and our two signature leadership development programs – the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills (CALS) and its staffer parallel, the Staff Academy for Governmental Excellence (SAGE). Additionally, our policy team is working on creating new publications with regionally focused data and analysis to provide you and your office with knowledge on critical matters.  

We hope that you have enjoyed your summer, and we can’t wait to see all the great work you continue to do in your communities.  

All the best, 
Lindsey G.

Click here to read Southern Pulse- August 2024

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