Issue Briefs
In support of the work of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Legislative Conference, CSG Midwest regularly produces Issue Briefs for legislators and other policy leaders. Each brief examines a single issue—often identified by MLC leaders or one of its six policy committees—and highlights legislative trends and developments.
August 2026
LITERACY IN ACTION:
How Midwest States are Providing New Tools for Students and Teachers to Succeed
produced by The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office in support of “Literacy in Action,” the 2026 Midwestern Legislative Conference Chair’s Initiative of Minnesota Sen. Mary Kunesh.
July 2026
Time To Build:
Policy Tools Being Used in Midwest to Address Housing Shortages and Affordability for Workforces
Produced in support of the Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee
March 2026
Child Labor Laws Revisited:
A Review of Legislative Trends and
Long-Standing Protections
Produced in support of the Education & Workforce Committee
December 2025
Farmland at a Crossroads:
Ownership, Investment and Use
Produced in support of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee
December 2025
Center of Power:
The Midwest’s Role in U.S.-Canada
Energy Trade
produced by The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office in support of “North American Energy Security,” the 2025 Midwestern Legislative Conference Chair’s Initiative of Saskatchewan Minister Lori Carr.
May 2024
State Efforts to Combat
Teacher Shortages:
A Look at New Laws and Investments in the Midwest
Produced in support of the Education & Workforce Committee
January 2024
Wind, Solar and Siting:
Laws and Legislative Trends in Midwest
Produced in support of the Energy & Environment Committee
June 2023
Reducing Harm, Increasing
Criminal Penalties:
Responses to the Rapid Rise in Fentanyl-Related Overdose Deaths