What's New

Too Low State Law Campaign Contribution Limits May be Unconstitutional SCOTUS Warns

Monday, November 25, 2019 at 12:21 PM

Following Thompson v. Hebdon states with low individual-to-candidate or individual-to-group campaign contribution limits may want to review their constitutionality.

In a per curiam (unauthored) opinion the Supreme Court instructed the Ninth Circuit to decide again whether Alaska law, which limits the amount an individual can contribute to a candidate for political office or to an election-oriented group other than a political party...

Washington’s Modernized Elections System Provides One-Stop-Shop for Voters

Casandra Tice

Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 10:28 AM

The state of Washington launched a new and modernized voter registration system this summer to enable citizens to register to vote, update their voter profile and review customized election information in a centralized system, while also supporting the needs of Washington’s local election officials. The system, known as VoteWA, is a one-stop-shop for all things election-related.

Rural Hospitals: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Nick Bowman

Monday, November 4, 2019 at 11:09 AM

With decreasing rural populations and changing federal regulations, many rural hospitals have struggled to maintain financial viability in recent years. In 2017, 6,210 total hospitals operated in the United States; 2,250, of these are rural hospitals. Nationally, 113 rural hospitals have closed since January 2010. Furthermore, the rate of rural hospital closures from 2013 to 2017 was twice as high as the rate of the previous five years. In January 2010, SLC member states had approximately 831 rural hospitals. Since then, 81 rural...

Iowa Gov. Reynolds indicates a focus on criminal justice reform for her 2020 legislative program

Mitch Arvidson

Friday, November 1, 2019 at 01:00 AM

A new working group in Iowa will look for ways to reduce recidivism among former offenders and eliminate racial bias from the state’s criminal justice system.

Gov. Kim Reynolds asked the group, chaired by Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg — a former state public defender — to deliver recommendations by December, to inform several proposals she will submit to legislators when they reconvene in January.

The racial disparity in Iowa’s criminal justice system is indicated by Bureau of Justice Statistics and census data from 2017 — black Iowans are incarcerated at a rate 9.5 times higher than white Iowans, which is tied with Nebraska for the second highest rate in the Midwest. Both states trail Wisconsin (11.7), and are just ahead of Minnesota (9.2) and Illinois (8.2).

Kentucky Representatives Cross Party Lines to Develop Engage and Empower Caucus

Sydney Geiger

Friday, November 1, 2019 at 12:00 AM

Two Kentucky representatives — Rep. Al Gentry and Rep. Brandon Reed — have crossed party lines to co-chair a caucus focused on issues facing people with disabilities. The bipartisan caucus is currently comprised of nine republicans and nine democrats.

Gentry, who lost his dominant arm in a workplace accident when he was 28, uses his experience to empower others through sports and advocacy, and hopes to see the caucus thrive in years to come.

“The mission of the Engage and Empower Caucus is to open up a direct pathway...

Action Civics Education Policies Influence Representative Democracy

Jorden Jones

Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 11:26 AM

Civic education policies have begun to diversify over the past few years as state-level institutions have taken a holistic approach to become more involved in the administrative planning and support process. Included in the state-level changes are revamped curriculum standards, better professional support for educators and newly established assessment tools for classroom programs. New policies are making a difference in the quality of students’ education and civic engagement.

Ride-Share Platforms Continue Expansion into Medical Transportation

Aja Croteau

Monday, October 21, 2019 at 10:32 AM

As of last December, 3.6 million Americans avoid or are unable to leave their homes because of travel-limiting disabilities (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2018). While an increasing number of services, including mental health care and retail delivery, are now available with the push of a button, many people with disabilities have critical needs that must still be met through in-person appointments. These individuals are also less likely to own a vehicle. In 2018, 20% of non-workers and 12% of workers with disabilities between...

CSG Associate Johnson & Johnson Partners with DOD to Help Service Member Spouses Build Careers

Guest

Friday, October 18, 2019 at 01:44 PM

A 24% unemployment rate is just one of the many job challenges faced by military husbands and wives. Johnson & Johnson, a CSG Associate member, recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense to help those facing these employment obstacles.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 77% of people who have a spouse in the military want—or need—work. But they face some unique statistical obstacles: Military spouses...

SEED Initiative Recognized During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Jorden Jones

Monday, October 14, 2019 at 04:18 PM

Approximately 56.7 million Americans live with a disability and a significant percentage of these individuals continue to have difficulty finding, securing and retaining employment, despite the unemployment rate hovering at a 50-year low. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) highlights the expertise and skill sets people with disabilities possess and the vital role they play in America’s economy.

Containing vaping: Midwestern states act to keep e-cigarettes away from teenagers as deaths and lung injuries proliferate

Jon Davis

Monday, October 14, 2019 at 03:52 PM

Vaping burst into the national consciousness this summer when hundreds of people reported lung damage and at least 12 people died from what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “vaping-associated pulmonary injury.”...

What's New

A new working group in Iowa will look for ways to reduce recidivism among former offenders and eliminate racial bias from the state’s criminal justice system.

Gov. Kim Reynolds asked the group, chaired by Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg — a former state public defender — to deliver recommendations by December, to inform several proposals she will submit to legislators when they reconvene in January.

Vaping burst into the national consciousness this summer when hundreds of people reported lung damage and at least 12 people died from what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “vaping-associated pulmonary injury.”...

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