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CSG WEST OFFICERS
Working in coordination with the CSG West Director and the Executive Committee, the CSG West Officers will lead the organization's efforts in 2019. Most prominently, the CSG West Chair, Representative Kimberly Dudik, will host this year's Annual Meeting in Big Sky, Montana. The meeting hosts policy committee meetings, as well as informational forums on key regional topics.
For more information on the governance of CSG West, Officer roles, and the Executive Committee, please click below.
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2019-20 CSG WEST POLICY COMMITTEES
CSG West policy committees provide a structured forum for the exchange of ideas and collaborative learning on issues important to the western region. Through the coordination of the Chair and Vice Chair, each committee convenes during the Annual Meeting, inviting committee members and topic experts to participate in the conversation. Committees can also recommend resolutions and policy positions for the consideration of the CSG West Executive Committee.
Below is a listing of the policy committees and working groups for the upcoming 2019-20 biennium:
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Photo courtesy of Eder Escamilla,
Eder Photo
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FORMER AMBASSADOR WAYNE TESTIFIES ON BORDER SECURITY
On December 12, 2018 Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Public Policy Fellow at the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, Earl Anthony Wayne, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Border Security.
His testimony focused on U.S. - Mexico cooperation and areas of potential engagement with Mexico's new president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, as well as
the progress made over the past ten years on a range of security issues. He also addressed the pressing challenges faced today and stated that the U.S. and Mexico need to invest in deepening joint efforts to augment the homeland security of both countries, while also reviewing how cooperation can mesh most effectively with the new multi-pronged approach to public security being developed by Mexican President Lopez Obrador and his team.
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THE U.S. - MEXICO BORDER REGION PRESENTS: CALIFORNIA
California
is known for its 1,100-mile-long coastline, national parks, redwood trees, the Hollywood entertainment industry, and is often cited as a laboratory for testing new modes of living. The heartland of California is the Central Valley, which runs for 450 miles and is the state's agricultural center. With more than 40,000 plant and animal species, it is the most biologically diverse state in the United States. The state shares six land ports of entry throughout its border with Baja California, including san Ysidro which connects San Diego and Tijuana. This port is often cited as the world's busiest land border crossing and, in 2017, it was estimated that more than 32 million people crossed from Mexico into the United States at San Ysidro, averaging over 87,000 per day. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), in 2016 the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in California reached $2,637,868,000,000, which was 14.2% of total U.S. GDP and continues to be ranked as the largest state economy in the nation.
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Photo courtesy of WGA
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WESTERN GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION - 2018 WINTER MEETING
The Western Governors Association (WGA) convened its 2018 Winter Meeting in the Big Island of Hawaii on December 11-13. WGA Chair and Hawaii Governor David Ige hosted ten western governors' as well key federal officials and regional stakeholders. The meeting included roundtable discussions on biosecurity and invasive species, outdoor recreation, skills development for veterans, renewable energy integration, and social determinants and health care. Moreover, western governors engaged with federal administration officials, including Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Veteran Affairs Robert Wilkie, and Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon.
The participating governors also adopted four
policy resolutions
. The resolutions covered a variety of issues, including foreign visitor preclearance, cybersecurity, compensatory mitigation, and health care in the western states. Furthermore, the WGA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a framework to allow the U.S. Forest Service and WGA to work collaboratively to accomplish mutual goals, further common interests and effectively respond to the increasing challenges facing regional landscapes.
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