Major 2023 Takeaways from State and Local Officials' Groups

Chances are you got your state government affairs passport stamped in Scottsdale, Arizona this fall. The end-of-year sprint saw Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and Democratic Governors Governors (DGA) hosting their year-end convenings in the Arizona desert oasis. With additional meetings in Las Vegas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee;and Raleigh, North Carolina, the MultiState team wrapped up the year with a flurry of travel. 

While every organization is different, a number of state and local organizations host meetings in the winter and consider policy resolutions or model policies at those convenings. Below is a recap of the policies passed by state officials at a few of the major meetings.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) held its States and Nation Policy Summit (SNPS) in Scottsdale, Nov. 28-30. ALEC members serving on 11 task forces approved 31 model policies on issues including artificial intelligence/deepfakes, electric reliability, property tax relief, and human trafficking. Two model bills to ban ESG investing in college endowment funds and chances to proxy voting rules in public sector pension funds were tabled. There were a couple of anti-renewable discussions at the meeting. The Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force approved the Electric Reliability Act, model legislation which limits Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) from authorizing or approving the retirement of coal power plants until there is equal or greater contracted new firm power available on the grid. And on the final day of the conference, Florida Speaker Danny Perez (R) passed the gavel of ALEC’s National Chair to Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson (R). The incoming chair will preside over the organization's 2024 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO as well as the SNPS Meeting in Washington D.C. Billy Culleton and Karen Kulivan were in attendance. Feel free to reach out if you require additional information. 

The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) met in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dec. 6-8. The Consensus Resolutions passed can be found here. Of note, the lieutenant governors approved resolutions on hydrogen in energy supply and problem gambling. 

The Council of State Governments (CSG) convened its National Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, Dec. 6-9. The bipartisan Shared State Legislation (SSL) Committee convened to consider a much smaller docket than in years past (55 bills compared to over 100). The committee, which is composed of state legislators and bill drafters, still used the majority of their two scheduled sessions (4 hours over two days) to review legislation based on nine strict criteria. Two-thirds of committee members in attendance were new appointments/first-time participants but were quick to engage. Of note, Maine Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross’s senior advisor Brian Collaren and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman’s senior staffer, Averel Meden, are two new staff appointees. 

Robust discussion revolved around issues including organized retail crime from Virginia (rejected); Nevada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women (included); and consumer data privacy (all submissions from Connecticut, Florida, and Texas rejected). Last year, the committee included two bills — Utah and Virginia — on consumer data privacy with a Note leading many on the committee to conclude that they had weighed the issue sufficiently. California’s Right to Repair bill was rejected. Two first-in-the-nation bills from Nevada, Right to Start and Earned Wage Access, were included. 

Casting aside years of tradition, the committee held extended discussion on a health care issue wrapped into a national social debate: gender affirming care. They ultimately voted upon partisan lines resulting in a tie. The committee adjourned for the day (and early) after the vote. The next morning, an additional bill related to gender affirming care was also rejected. The meeting ended with some debate on California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act but in the end was rejected.