Policy Area

The multi-layered contributions of the arts and arts-related activities rank among the lesser known and unheralded aspects of contemporary American society. Beyond the intrinsic benefits of the arts—i.e. benefits that serve to enrich an individual’s life experiences, standard of living and learning—recently, advocates have demonstrated the crucial role played by the arts in generating a significant level of economic growth too. In fact, highlighting the substantial private and public economic benefits flowing from a thriving arts environment continues to be a theme often stressed by arts advocates of every stripe across the country. Consequently, the objective of this summary report is to capture elements of this theme by focusing on the 16 states that belong to The Council of State Governments’ Southern office, the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). This is not the first time that the SLC has featured this topic among its publications, with the most recent effort being in November 2000, and the SLC’s ongoing review of this topic is a reflection of the recognition of its importance to SLC economies and public officials in the South.

This list of Notable Rural Development Programs was compiled by Jonathan Watts Hull, Senior Policy Analyst at the Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments, in August 2005.

This presentation was given by Sujit M. CanagaRetna, Senior Fiscal Analyst at The Council of State Governments' Southern Office, the Southern Legislative Conference, as testimony before the Alaska House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee (via Conference Call), July 14, 2005.

The current farm bill reauthorization takes place in an environment more heated than any in recent times. Trade and budget concerns combined with growing domestic fiscal policy demands will make the 2007 Farm Bill a very difficult piece of legislation to craft. Public and political engagement in agriculture has declined as the number of Americans living on farms has steadily dropped over the past several decades. This translates into a considerably weaker political position for agriculture as farm policy competes at the table with numerous other sectors of the economy. To make sense of some of the complexities associated with the crafting of the 2007 Farm Bill, this document will explore a few of the major forces shaping the Farm Bill debate.

The severe economic distress of the 1980s produced an interest in state action to help rural citizens and communities. One result of that interest has been the creation of statewide offices and agencies whose primary mission is to study rural concerns and develop policy options to address rural needs.

We are again in an era when interest in such offices is at a peak level. Four state “rural centers” were created in 2004. Another has been created this year in Indiana, and a serious effort in Alabama fell just short of success. The current level of interest led SLC to form a Rural Development Task Force, and the Task Force encourages states to consider establishing such centers. As an aid to such efforts, the Task Force offers these profiles of four rural centers in the South: North Carolina, Louisiana, Maryland and Texas.

The following is a summary of the research conducted over the past three years by Joint Project on Term Limits. The project is a cooperative effort by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and a group of legislative scholars.

Judicial elections in 2004 were in the spotlight again, mostly for the wrong reasons. Many campaigns were costly and negative in tone. A few candidates signaled how they would decide types of cases. Positive developments include new and active campaign oversight committees, and public funding for appellate candidates in North Carolina.

State transportation departments that supply roads, bridges and transit face tough challenges. With the U.S. population projected to grow steadily, increasing vehicle miles traveled, and booming freight traffic, officials are squeezing efficiency from current funds even as they seek more. In coming years, it will be important to build a case for the value of transportation with the public and explore a variety of construction and financing approaches.