Natural and manmade disasters wreak incredible amounts of destruction on our nation’s energy and electric infrastructure. Recent events like Hurricane Sandy impacted over 20 states and caused over $20 billion in insured losses and left millions without power for several days.  State policymakers can learn from these tragic and terrible events and find ways to improve the resiliency and strength of their electric grid infrastructure with strategic all-hazards planning and implementing new technological benefits provided by SmartGrid technologies. On Wednesday, June 12, CSG’s webinar "Storm Recovery—Building Stronger, Smarter Electrical Grids" featured two prominent grid modernization experts who shared their expertise and perspective on proactive steps states can take to improve the hardening and redundancy of energy infrastructure.

This webinar examined trends and corresponding state policies to address the most dramatic change in the U.S. prison system, one that is having far-reaching effects on all components of the criminal justice system: the increasing number of elderly inmates. 

The Pew-MacArthur Results First initiative, a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, works with states to implement an innovative cost-benefit analysis approach to policy evaluation that helps them invest in policies and programs that are proven to work. This webinar takes a look at how Results First works and why using this approach to policy decision-making can lead to better, more efficient use of scarce state dollars while simultaneously ensuring that outcome goals are being met or exceeded.

The Food Safety Modernization Act, signed into law on Jan. 4, 2011, represents the most significant revision of food safety laws in the United States in more than 70 years. The legislation carried with it new mandates for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including comprehensive, prevention-based approaches across all aspects of the food supply system.  Such a prevention-based approach will require food facilities to evaluate hazards in their operations and establish procedures to prevent contamination. The law also requires the FDA to establish safety standards for production and harvesting of fruits and vegetables based on science. In addition to enhanced prevention and surveillance tools, the FDA will also have mandatory recall authority for all food products.

On March 19, 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) issued its 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, a once-every-four-years assessment of current infrastructure conditions and needs in 16 categories, including seven related to transportation.

What kind of foreign direct investment opportunities are on the market for states right now? Chris Steele, chief operation officer and North American president of Investment Consulting Associates, provided the site selector’s view on industries and how foreign direct investment is being used during a March 27 webinar, “Foreign Direct Investment: Economic Development Strategies for States.” The presentation featured discussion on issues such as nearshoring, re-shoring, best practices for industry and the ongoing incentive debate’s impact on the outlook for the U.S.

This webinar, recorded on March 15, provided information on state efforts to enhance Medicaid program integrity, which have been catalogued in a new database by the Pew Center on the States. The program also highlighted policies implemented by Georgia to target Medicaid fraud and abuse, and to reduce wasteful errors, including detailed claims reviews, enhanced recovery of payments and coordinated efforts to target high-risk providers.  

CSG’s webinar, “The Clean Water Act and Waters of the U.S.,” helped state policymakers unravel the complex legal issues involving the limits and scope of federal regulatory jurisdiction over “navigable waters of the U.S.” in the Clean Water Act. The timing of the webinar is important as the Obama administration announced its intention December 2012 to pursue a federal rulemaking that may ultimately chart a path forward for states and other stakeholders after two ambiguous decisions made by the Supreme Court and more than four years of agency guidance.