July 9 | MLC Education & Workforce Development Committee Meeting

• “Update on Midwestern Higher Education Compact” | Susan Heegaard, President, MHEC »

July 9 | MLC Health & Human Services Committee Meeting

• “How You Can Influence Improved Performance by Your Child Protection Agency” | David Sanders, Executive Vice President, Systems Improvement, Casey Family Programs »
• “Reducing Harm, Increasing Criminal Penalties” | HHS Committee brief on new state and provincial laws and investments in the Midwest that seek to address the rise in fentanyl-related overdose deaths »

July 9 | MLC Midwest-Canada Relations Committee Meeting

• “Canada/U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement” | Alexander Vernon, Director, Immigration Law Clinic, University of Detroit Mercy »

July 9 | MLC Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee Meeting

• “Scouting a 2023 Farm Bill” | Roman Keeney, Professor & Farm Policy Specialist, Purdue Agricultural Economics »

July 9 | MLC Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee Meeting

• “Justice Center Supporting Midwest States” | Megan Quattlebaum, Director, CSG Justice Center »

July 9 | MLC Energy & Environment Committee Meeting

• “The Midwestern Regional Electric Grid” | Bob Kuzman, Staff Director, Midwest Independent System Operator » 

July 10 | The Midwest’s Policy Landscape: A Look at What Surveys of Public Opinion — and Legislators Themselves — Tell Us

• “Emerging Trends in State Policy” | Reid Wilson, Founder & Editor, Pluribus News »

July 10 | Workforce Challenges & Collaborative Solutions: Strategies to Address Talent Gaps and Improve Opportunities (hosted by the MLC Education & Workforce Development Committee)

• “Sector Strategies, Employer-Led Collaborations” | Deb Lyzenga, Division Administrator, Michigan Dept. of Labor & Economic Opportunity; Debora Majewski, Manager, Workforce Development, DTE Energy; Michelle Economou Ureste, Executive Director, Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan »

July 10 | Road to Recovery: A Path to Improve Policies on Substance Use Disorder (hosted by the MLC Health & Human Services Committee)

• “State Principles for Financing Substance Use Care, Treatment and Support Services” | Andrew Whitacre, Officer, Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts; John O’Brien, Affiliate, Technical Assistance Collaborative »
• “Reducing Harm, Increasing Criminal Penalties” | HHS Committee brief on new state and provincial laws and investments in the Midwest that seek to address the rise in fentanyl-related overdose deaths »

July 10 | Professional Development Session

• “Finding Common Ground: A Road Map for Good-Faith Debates Over Policy, Science & Innovation” | Dietram Scheufele, John E. Ross Professor in Science Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison »

July 11 | Plenary Session: MLC Chair’s Initiative — Food Security: Feeding the Future

• “Addressing Food Insecurity in the Midwest” | Craig Gunderson, Snee Family Endowed Chair, Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, Baylor University »

July 11 | Plenary Session: Urban Revitalization

• “Priming the Pump: State Policies to Help Cities of the Midwest Prosper” | Pete Saunders, Editor & Publisher, Corner Side Yard »

July 11 | Lunch & Featured Presentation

• “Why Place Matters: A Path for Building Healthier People and Communities” | Shannon Wilson, Vice President, Population Health & Health Equity, Priority Health »

July 11 | Fiscal Leaders Session & Roundtable

• “State Fiscal Update” | Shelby Kerns, Executive Director, National Association of State Budget Officers »
• “State Budget Surpluses and Strategies to Improve Long-Term Fiscal Stability” | Justin Theal, Officer, State Fiscal Policy, The Pew Charitable Trusts »

July 11 | Future of Farmland in the Midwest (co-hosted by the MLC Agriculture & Rural Affairs, and Energy & Environment Committees)

• “Preserving Midwestern Farmland,” Part One/Part Two | Kristopher Reynolds, Midwest Regional Director, American Farmland Trust »
• “Dual Use Practices for Solar Energy Systems” | M. Charles Gould, Bioenergy Educator, Michigan State University Extension »

July 11 | Developing a Comprehensive, Research-based Response to Youth Crime and Violence, and Juvenile Justice (hosted by the MLC Criminal Justice & Public Safety Committee)

• “Final Report, June 2023” | Indiana Youth Justice Oversight Committee »