CSG Regions

While the Supreme Court’s next term officially begins Oct. 6, its long conference is Sept. 29. The court will review a backlog of petitions that have been piling up over the summer. SCOTUSblog compiles a list of petitions it believes have a reasonable chance of being granted. Looking at long conference petitions and petitions that haven't yet been set for conference, four stand out as having a particularly significant impact on the states, if the court accepts them.

The Supreme Court held 6-2 in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action that voters may by ballot prohibit affirmative action in public university admission decisions.  In 2006, Michigan voters adopted a constitutional amendment that prohibited preferential treatment in admissions to public universities on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or...

Summary drafted by The Council of State Governments

Congress’ swift passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) demonstrates the importance of modernizing workforce and jobs training programs to help equip workers with the skills needed for 21^st century jobs. Shrinking the skills gap and placing workers in good-paying jobs is the cornerstone of CSG’s 2014 “State Pathways to Prosperity” initiative, and this legislation is an important step. This memorandum will provide an overview of WIOA and the key changes for states.

The Council of State Governments, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, launched a $3.2 million Overseas Voting Initiative in late 2013 to improve the U.S. overseas voting process. CSG is working to develop policy solutions to ensure that overseas voters have the tools to vote while serving their nation abroad. That effort will be the subject of a workshop 9-11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11, during the CSG National and CSG West Annual Conference.

Will the fate of the Obamacare subsidy be in the Supreme Court's hands soon?

Short answer: almost certainly.

In an unusual turn of events, two federal courts of appeals on Tuesday issued opinions on whether the Affordable Care Act permits tax credits on insurance purchased through federal exchanges. Less surprisingly, perhaps, the D.C. Circuit and the Fourth Circuit disagreed, making Supreme Court review almost inevitable.

The ACA provides tax credits to low and middle income purchasers of health...