Committee Guests (abbreviated committee name or other session in parentheses):

Plenary Session Guests:
Jim Clifton, chairman and chief executive officer, Gallup

Economic Development and Commerce Committee (EDC) – Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture for Economic Growth in the States
Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee (ECW) – Feeding America’s Children: Governors’ Efforts to Eliminate Childhood Hunger
Health and Human Services Committee (HHS) – Sustainability of the Medicaid Program
Natural Resources Committee (NR) – The World’s Energy Future
Special Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety (HSPS) – The Changing Role of the National Guard
2011-12 Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire's Chair's Initiative: Growing State Economies
Plenary Session Discussion Subjects: Growing State Economies, Discussion of NGA Policies

The opening session began with a welcome from NGA Chair Gov. Dave Heieneman, who explained how NGA is streamlining the process of reviewing and adopting new policy statements. Gov. Heineman then recognized the distinguished guests, first a guest from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs then delegations from Canada and the head of the Mexican NGA.

Gov. Heineman discussed the important issue of economic growth, highlighting his initiative “Growing State Economies,” which is working to give governors and state policymakers ideas to improve the economic environment in their states. An emphasis is put on how a small business can become a fast-growing firm as high-growth businesses provide jobs, prosperity and economic competitiveness. Start-up firms must work to stay ahead and remain entrepreneurial, constantly working on new products or entering new markets. The initiative will provide each governor a profile of the small business and economic environment in their state. To date, the initiative has held three summits as a way to provide governors and senior economic advisors with a chance to learn from local entrepreneurs, small-business owners, researchers and other business experts. The final summit will be held in April. Gov. Heineman then introduced the speaker, Gallup Chairman and CEO, Jim Clifton.

Jim Clifton described Gallup and a poll taken on the great American dream. Over time the dream has changed but is now to have a good job. Gallup is currently tracking nightly unemployment and underemployment and says the number for unemployment is at 20 percent with 60 percent of the unemployed having no hope of getting a job. Unemployment is not just an issue in the United States, it is a global problem. Mr. Clifton warned governors the dangers of putting so much money into innovation and ignoring entrepreneurship. Innovation can have no value until it is turned into a business, which is needs entrepreneurship. Currently there are about 400,000 companies starting up in the United States when the number needs to be closer to 1 million.

The opening session ended with an invitation from Gov. Bob McDonnell to the 2012 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg in July.

The closing session of the 2012 NGA Winter Meeting began with Gov. Heineman explaining how the session will focus on association and committee policies. The process was redesigned this year so that policies could be closer aligned with governors’ policies and priorities. Each committee was asked to provide a report on its policy so NGA could vote on the policies. 

Gov. Sam Brownback, chairman of the Economic Development and Commerce Committee highlighted the three key policy areas the committee discussed. This included commerce, transportation and infrastructure and public finance. After a brief discussion, the adoption of policy recommendations was approved.

Next, Gov. Mike Beebe, chair of the Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee made a motion to adopt the report. The policies were adopted.

Gov. Terry Branstand, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, gave a brief summary of the committee meeting. He moved for approval of Interim Policy HHS 2, which focuses on temporary assistance for needy families. The motion was approved.

Next, Gov. Dan Malloy, chair of the Natural Resources Committee, highlighted the three policies discussed in the meeting. This included an environmental protection policy which focused on water, an energy policy and a policy on natural resources. The Natural Resources Committee created positions on all these policies, and all were approved.

Gov. Matthew Mead gave a brief summary of the Special Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety meeting as the co-chair of the committee. This included the subjects of HHS 31, HHS 41 and HHS 51. Gov. Martin O’Malley, co- chair, then spoke on the three policy matters, which included one on homeland security, one on emergency management and one on public safety. All three were approved.

NGA Vice Chair, Gov. Jack Markell presented the NGA policy of state and federal relations and minor changes made in the Executive Committee meeting. The committee also recommended the adoption of a health policy. Both adoptions to the policies were approved. Gov. Markell then moved to replace all existing NGA policies with the new policies. The motion was approved.

Gov. Dave Heineman then closed the meeting by thanking all the attendees and the staff for their work over the weekend and the course of the meeting.