Stateline Midwest

Stateline Midwest is a publication for and about the region’s state governments, legislatures and lawmakers. It keeps members of The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Legislative Conference (MLC), along with other state elected officials, up to date on policy trends and innovations, includes articles on legislative leadership, examines institutional issues in state government and legislatures, and highlights the work being done by CSG. Many of these articles also appear on the CSG Midwest website.

This publication is sent to all Midwestern state legislators, other elected officials in state government, and lawmakers from the Canadian provinces in the MLC. If you are not a state government official, the annual subscription rate is $60. Please contact CSG Midwest director of policy and research Tim Anderson with any questions.

Issue 5, 2024 | Stateline Midwest

• Cover article: “Big data, big rewards: As the number of these centers grows, states are offering new or enhanced tax incentives, but questions also are being raised about the demands on water resources and electricity” »
• Capital Insights from two minority party leaders in the Midwest:
  • South Dakota Sen. Casey Crabtree: “It’s not just listening. It’s working hard to understand exactly where your colleagues are coming from and what they want to achieve, and then pulling that together into a collective goal.”
  • Indiana Rep. Cherrish Pryor: “When my [caucus] colleagues are working on issues, I want to be someone they know is working as hard for them as I do for the constituents in my district.”
• Full PDF of Stateline Midwest »

 

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Previous Editions of Stateline Midwest

Issue 4, 2024

• Full PDF of Stateline Midwest »
• Cover article: “New laws reflect states’ move to consolidate early learning and care” »
• Capital Insights from two minority party leaders in the Midwest:

Minnesota House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth: “Work hard for the people [you’re] serving, learn what you can, and stay true to yourself.”

 

North Dakota House Minority Leader Zac Ista:
“What makes one legislator more successful than another is a willingness to be out in the open, go sit in a different spot in the chamber, go talk to somebody that may have very different views than you.”

 

Issue 3, 2024

• Cover article of featured session at MLC Annual Meeting: Workforce Innovation and Transformation »
• Articles on presentations from three of the MLC Annual Meeting’s featured speakers: Technology writer Kevin Roose, White House correspondent April Ryan, and political strategist and historian Karl Rove »
• Articles on policy sessions at the MLC Annual Meeting:
  • Agriculture & Rural Affairs/Energy & Environment: “A peek at the post-Chevron world of state and federal regulations” »
  • Criminal Justice & Public Safety: “A blueprint for evidence-based policies to improve outcomes in youth and adult justice systems” »
  • Education & Workforce Development: “Colleges, states rethink approaches to remediation for postsecondary students” »
  • Fiscal Affairs: “Entering an era of ‘unsettled normalcy’ for budget leaders” »
  • Great Lakes: “New investments and strategies to manage phosphorus, and reuse it” »
  • Health & Human Services: “Ohio’s value-based payment model to transform maternal care »”
  • Midwest-Canada Relations: “Binational push to build out infrastructure for electric vehicles” »
• Full PDF of Stateline Midwest »

Issue 2, 2024 

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on state responses to rise in interest carbon sequestration and carbon-capture pipelines »
• Capital Insights from two legislative leaders:
  • Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins: “You can be one person with one vote, or you can be one person with 20 votes because you have built a coalition of people of like mind who will get things done. I’ll take the guy who can get 20.”
  • Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst: “Floor speeches are some of the most important things that we do as legislators from a communications standpoint. It’s when the media are listening, when our colleagues are listening, and when the public is listening. … I think they can be used more strategically.”

 

Issue 1, 2024 

•  PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on policy options for states seeking to provide property tax relief »
• Capital Insights from two legislative leaders:
  • Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel: “We really work on being kind and careful with our words. Don’t overpromise, and don’t say things you haven’t thought through.”
  • Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl: “Don’t put daylight between the leadership team because when you do, it’s going to make the caucus try and choose who the favorite is. You can’t have that.”

November/December 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on new programs in some Midwestern states and provinces to build up their immigration workforces »
• Capital Insights from two legislative leaders:
  • Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic: “We listened to each other. We found out there was much more common ground, even though we were from very diverse regions of the state, representing very diverse populations.”
  • North Dakota Senate Majority Leader David Hogue: “The most effective legislators are the ones who go about their work quietly. … They’re encouraging others and providing the sort of collateral support that just about every bill needs.”

September/October 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on new laws, policies and investments that aim to improve reading instruction and student performance »
• Capital Insights from two legislative leaders:
  • Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard: “Leadership is a lot of listening. Leadership is stepping outside of what may be comfortable, and knowing that you’re not always going to be faced with cheers.”
  • Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston: “You’ve got to know your topic. You can’t ‘cheat’ by thinking that since you’re in a position of leadership, people are just going to follow blindly.”

MLC Annual Meeting Edition 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on this year’s MLC Chair’s Initiative of Michigan Sen. Roger Victory on “Food Security: Feeding the Future” »
• Articles and presentations from sessions at 2023 MLC Annual Meeting in Detroit »
• Capital Insights:
  • Profile of Ohio Sen. Bill Reineke, incoming chair of the Midwestern Legislative Conference »

May/June 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on new laws and legislative proposals that reflect concerns about loss of Midwest farmland »
• Capital Insights from two legislative leaders:
  • Profile of Michigan House Majority Floor Leader Abraham Aiyash: “This institution can be a mechanism to take people’s pain away, to build a stronger and safer society, and to help make a society that is more connected.”
  • Profile of Wisconsin Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August: “The best way to lead a group of people, whether it’s in politics or otherwise, is to lead by inclusion.”

March/April 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on state options for replacing the gas tax as more electric vehicles, highly fuel-efficient vehicles hit the roads »
• Capital Insights from two Minority Party Leaders:
  • Profile of Indiana Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor: “I’ve learned how to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
  • Profile of Illinois Senate Minority Leader Leader John Curran: “To me, the most important [leadership] characteristic is the ability to listen and comprehend the problems and challenges that legislators from around the state and different districts are working on.”

January/February 2023

• PDF of full edition »
• Cover article on how and why, minus federal action, states are continuing to pursue new laws that protect consumer data privacy »
• Capital Insights:
  • Profile of Nebraska Unicameral Legislature Speaker John Arch: “Find a way to sit down and talk to the person, and not about the person.”
  • Profile of South Dakota House Majority Leader Will Mortenson: “The number one thing the caucus leader can do is provide an example. … I can’t go to one of my members and say, ‘Hey, that’s not how we treat each other’ if I’m treating people badly.”

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2022

• December 2022 ~ Includes a cover article on the deep relationship between the United States and Canada on energy, and how it could strengthen even further in the future with the building of new cross-border transmission lines; a profile of Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair, and a FirstPerson article by North Dakota Treasurer Thomas Beadle
• November 2022 ~ Includes a cover article looking at 10 laws passed by Midwestern state legislatures with bipartisan support, a profile of Indiana Senate Assistant President Pro Tem Sue Glick, and a FirstPerson article by Minnesota Rep. Sandra Feist
• October 2022 ~ Includes a cover article on state laws and investments that seek to expand work-based child care options, a profile of Minnesota Senate President Jeremy Miller, and a FirstPerson article by Michigan Sen. Curt VanderWall
• September 2022 ~ Includes a cover article on new policies in the Midwest to address increased concerns about PFAS contamination and use, a profile of Michigan Senate Majority Floor Leader Dan Lauwers, and a FirstPerson article by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate
• August 2022 ~ Includes a cover article on new laws and potential constitutional amendments to change state bail policies in the Midwest, a profile of Saskatchewan MLA Carla Beck, and a FirstPerson article by Wisconsin Sen. Robert Cowles on innovative new laws in his state to protect water quality
• Special Edition on Midwestern Legislative Conference Annual Meeting ~ Includes a cover article based on the Kansas Sen. Carolyn McGinn’s MLC Chair’s Initiative on water quality; coverage of featured speakers and MLC committee meetings; a profile of incoming MLC chair Michigan Sen. Roger Victory; and a FirstPerson article by Illinois Sen. Cristina Pacios-Zayas
• June/July Edition ~ Includes a cover article on the redistricting process used in every Midwestern state; a FirstPerson article by Michigan Rep. Mary Whiteford on a new law in her state ensuring patients can access non-opioid directive forms and are made aware of alternative pain-management options; and a profile of Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson
• May Edition ~ Includes a cover article on the role of and policy options for states in building the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure; a FirstPerson article by Wisconsin Rep. Christine Sinicki on a proposal in her state to allow patients and families to request cameras in operating rooms; and a profile of North Dakota Sen. Judy Lee
• April Edition ~ Includes a cover article on new state laws and legislative proposals to boost state recycling rates; a FirstPerson article by Indiana Rep. Rita Fleming on state options for reducing preventable, pregnancy-associated deaths; and a profile of Ohio Senate President Pro Tempore Jay Hottinger
• March Edition ~ Includes a cover article on budget choices for legislators in a unique fiscal year marked by record-high surpluses; a FirstPerson article by North Dakota Sen. Don Schaible on how and why his state has changed its laws to allow for a personalized, competency-based model of learning; and a profile of Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls
• January/February Edition ~ Includes a cover article on ideas to address the need in many states for more nurses, a FirstPerson article by Michigan Rep. Jeff Yaroch on a new plan for his state to build up its own stockpile of emergency medical supplies, and a profile of Wisconsin Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dan Feyen

2021

• December Edition ~ Includes a cover article on how new state laws have rebalanced the power balance between state legislative and executive branches, FirstPerson article by Ohio Sen. Stephanie Kunze on a new anti-hazing law, and a profile of Nebraska Sen. Dan Hughes, chair of the Unicameral Legislature Executive Board
• November Edition ~ Includes a cover article on the regional impacts of and lessons learned from the partially closed U.S.-Canada border, a FirstPerson article Minnesota Rep. Ruth Richardson and a profile article of Indiana House Majority Caucus Chair Greg Steuerwald
• October Edition ~ Includes a cover article on policies to expand the availability of affordable housing, a legislative profile of Minnesota House Deputy Majority Leader Liz Olson, a FirstPerson article by Michigan Sen. Roger Victory, and more
• September Edition ~ Includes a cover article on recent school-funding breakthroughs in Michigan and Ohio, a legislative profile of Michigan House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski, a FirstPerson article by Kansas Rep. Stephen Owens, and more
• August Edition ~ Includes special coverage of the CSG Midwestern Legislative Conference Chair’s Initiative of South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack, as well as other sessions held and actions taken at the MLC Annual Meeting in Rapid City, S.D.
• June/July Edition ~ Includes a cover article on state policies to address rises in prescription drug costs, a legislative profile of Ohio Speaker of the House Robert Cupp, a FirstPerson article by Wisconsin Sen. Alberta Darling, and more
• May Edition ~ Includes a cover article on key demographic trends in the Midwest and their future policy impacts, a legislative profile of Illinois Senate Deputy Majority Leader Laura Murphy, a FirstPerson article by Illinois Sen. Dale Fowler, and more
• April Edition ~ Includes a cover article on the rise of telehealth use and state policies, a legislative profile of Saskatchewan Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Randy Weekes, a FirstPerson article by Michigan Sen. Jim Runestad, and more
• March Edition ~ Includes a cover article on state actions on policing and social justice since the murder of George Floyd, a legislative profile of Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, a FirstPerson article by Saskatchewan Minister of Trade and Export Development Jeremy Harrison, and more
• February Edition ~ Includes a cover article on state budget conditions entering 2021 sessions, a legislative profile of North Dakota House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Louser, a FirstPerson article by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and more
• January Edition ~ Includes a cover article on state policies to expand school-based mental health, a legislative profile of South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack, a FirstPerson article by Minnesota Sen. Carla Nelson, and more