July 12, 2018
Regional Roundup
STATE & LOCAL LEGAL CENTER SCOTUS UPDATES
During the latest term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued opinions on a number of cases with implications for states. Some of the most notable cases addressed the states' right to collect sales tax from online retailers, the collection of "fair share" dues from non-union members, allowing states to authorize sports gambling, and upholding the President's travel ban. While these cases reflected obvious impacts to states, additional rulings related to voting, the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and qualified immunity, Tribal jurisdiction, and water rights will also impact states. To help summarize the opinions issued on cases most likely to impact state governance, the State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) has produced an overview of the courts findings.  
 
Legislative Council on River Governance
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON RIVER GOVERNANCE TO MEET IN BUTTE, MT

CSG West's Legislative Council on River Governance (LCRG), made up of legislators from the four Columbia River Basin states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, will meet Aug. 20-21 in Butte, Montana near the Clark Fork River, one of the Columbia's easternmost tributaries. This year's meeting will address state, regional and federal efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, state incentives to encourage watershed protection among landowners, the challenges of balancing commerce with environmental protection in the basin, renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty with Canada, and other topics. Council members will visit the Berkeley Pit and several Superfund remediation sites to learn about state-federal cooperation to clean up toxins left behind by over a century of mining. Visit the LCRG web page for more information.
 
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Annual Meeting
POLICY COMMITTEE TOPICS ANNOUNCED

The CSG West Annual Meeting provides a forum for our standing policy committees to meet and discuss topics important to the western region. 

Be sure to check out recent updates on topics for Women in Politics, Shared State Legislation and the Interstate Compacts sessions on our website. 


Upcoming Events

Join fellow state legislators in conversations related to border legislation, water governance, and much more at our upcoming events. Registration currently open for the Border Legislative Conference, Legislative Council on River Governance, and the 71st CSG West Annual Meeting.


Aug 11-15                                  Aug 20-21                               Sept 11-15
 Santa Fe, NM                               Butte, MT                             Snowbird, UT


Member Resources 
NEWS FEEDS FOR WESTERN LEADERS
As part of our effort to provide value to western leaders, CSG West policy staff offer curated news feeds for our members and partners. Feeds include news articles, reports and events chosen specifically for their relevance to the West and our policy committees.

Click the icons below to explore, and please let us know what you think!


Agriculture & Water
Education & Workforce Development
Finance & Economic Development
Transportation & Infrastructure

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