State News
Colorado Addresses Child-Only Plans
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed legislation requiring all insurance carriers selling individual health benefit plans in Colorado to provide at least one child-only health benefit plan for children. The measure aims to address an unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act, which requires carriers that offer individual policies to children to accept all applicants, including those with pre-existing conditions. In reaction, many states are seeing all carriers leave the child-only health plan market.

Without access to child-only plans, children without policies would be forced to use the emergency room for all health care services. The legislation, a result of negotiation between insurers and child advocacy groups, sets up two open enrollment periods, in January and July, for parents to enroll children.
(Contact: Brad Finnegan)

Delaware Changes Employee Pensions, Health Care
Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed legislation reforming employee and retiree pension and health care costs. The bill is expected to save over $130 million in the next five years. Under the new law, future state employees must contribute 5 percent of their salary to their pensions (up from 3 percent for current employees) and more time is required to be vested in the state pension system. The law also eliminates the "double state share" health benefit for future state employees, under which health care is free for spouses if both are state employees, and it will not count overtime towards future employee pension calculations. Existing state employees will pay slightly more each month for their health care. Based on current projections, the annual cost increases for health and pension will be reduced by over 53 percent per year in the first five years and by nearly 70 percent by year 15, as a result of the changes.

The bill was crafted with input from a working group of staff from the governor's office and cabinet, representatives from each legislative caucus and the state employee unions, The working group was tasked with crafting a solution that would create lasting savings in pension and health care costs at the beginning of this year.
(Contact: Lauren Stewart)

Vermont to Approve Health Care Payment and Delivery Reforms
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin is expected to sign legislation that would lay the groundwork for a new authority to move forward with health care payment reforms and other cost containment measures. The authorized independent entity, the Green Mountain Care Board, will be tasked with examining options for reforming provider payments at all levels – primary care, specialty care, and hospital care – aimed at moving from fee-for-service to global capitated payments under a fixed budget approved by the legislature.

The board would administer a move towards consolidation of payers in the state and create new contracting procedures for a "universal access" health care system. The board plans to design a package of approved benefits and a provider fee schedule and determine how the system is financed through new sales or payroll taxes. The board will also have the authority to make all decisions regarding the implementation of the state's health insurance exchange.
(Contact: Brad Finnegan)

Kentucky Reports Government Conservation Efforts
Kentucky has released a new website highlighting how state government is saving money and decreasing its environmental impact through energy conservation and other "green" initiatives. The Greening Kentucky website allows users to view completed and ongoing projects or initiatives that the state has implemented. Visitors can search for projects within each government cabinet and the governor's office, and can access information on energy efficiency improvements, recycling programs, water conservation, online portals and forms that reduce paper use and alternative fuel and vehicle initiatives.

The website also includes information on actions that interested citizens can take to reduce their own energy use, including statewide challenges for individuals and industries.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)

Hawaii Removes Hurdle to On-Site Electricity Generation
Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie has signed a law that helps open up the market for distributed solar electricity generation in the state. The new law exempts third-party owners and operators of onsite renewable energy systems from regulation as public utilities, allowing them to compete in the open market without having to submit to rate regulation from the public utilities commission.

Third-party renewable energy operators rent or lease renewable energy systems to customers in exchange for a fee tied to the amount of electricity generated. This allows residents or businesses to install renewable energy systems, such as solar photovoltaic panels, in homes or offices without having to purchase the equipment themselves. The aim of this new law is to increase the market for the distributed energy systems, reducing the up-front cost to customers by allowing them to negotiate prices and terms individually for the operation and maintenance of systems. While the law applies to all forms of renewable energy generation, it is expected to have immediate impact on the solar electricity market in Hawaii.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)

Massachusetts Launches Internship Website
Massachusetts recently launched a new internship site to help keep young talent in the state. The website, titled Mass Stay Here, is a comprehensive statewide internship resource that aims to highlight and increase internship opportunities for college students and recent graduates.  Some features of the site include:

• A one-stop shop platform and design format that allows students to search for statewide internship opportunities while still allowing companies to maintain their own application processes and individual posting mechanisms; and
• A free how-to e-book to assist small businesses who may be creating internships for the first time, produced by the Massachusetts Internship Collaborative and Intern Bridge.

All companies with Massachusetts-based internships are invited to post and promote their opportunities on the site for free, and each undergraduate university within the state has committed to utilizing these resources.  The Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce are also creating internship sites using a similar platform, which will allow them to appear on the Mass Stay Here site and further advance the website's ability to serve as a central hub for all internship opportunities in the state.
(Contact: Garrett Groves)

Ohio Expands Use of Differential Response in Child Protective Services
In an effort to improve outcomes for children, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Supreme Court of Ohio are increasing the number of counties that use the differential response program when investigating reports of child abuse and neglect. Under the state's differential response program, caseworkers are given greater freedom to use alternative investigative approaches, which typically begin with a non-threatening family assessment . The program also allows caseworkers to help families choose local programs to meet their needs, helping fewer children to be placed in out-of-home care without a compromise in child safety. 

Differential response has been positively received throughout the state, particularly as it saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the number of children in out-of home care. Efforts to expand the program are based on a successful pilot program, which the state hopes to bring to all counties in the future.
(Contact: Alex Cawthorne)

Alabama Sentencing Bills Aim to Reduce Prison Population
The Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a package of sentencing bills aimed at reducing the state's rising prison population. Specifically, the bill includes measures that would:

• Create a new felony classification, with a maximum sentence of three years for low-level offenders;
• Set up a new schedule for drug crimes to distinguish between low-level drug users and career criminals; and
• Give judges greater flexibility in sentencing recommendations.

Prisons within the Alabama Department of Corrections can only support approximately 13,000 inmates, but currently house twice that number of inmates. The bills were recommended by the Alabama Public Safety and Sentencing Coalition, which consist of judges, legislators, lawyers and law enforcement officers. The intent of the bills is todecrease the prison population while improving public safety and more effectively spending taxpayer dollars. 
(Contact: Jeff McLeod)

Arizona Authorizes Volunteer State Guard
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed a bill authorizing the creation of a volunteer state guard to be mobilized in the event that the National Guard is unavailable or the governor deems it necessary for any reason. The new state guard could be used in emergencies such as radiation leaks, terrorist attacks or securing the border. According to the bill, the purpose of the state guard is to protect lives and property.
(Contact: Carmen Ferro)

Montana "24/7" Program Aims to Reduce Drunk Driving in State
The Montana legislature has passed a bill endorsing a statewide anti-drunk driving initiative to help reduce the number of highway deaths in the state.  The Montana 24/7 Sobriety Program Act requires repeat DUI offenders to take a breath test twice a day, every day, at their own expense from the time of arrest until their sentence is completed. Because repeat offenders often drive drunk many times before they are ever arrested, the program is expected to lower death rates by helping law enforcement monitor offenders more closely and intervene earlier. Since the program requires offenders to pay for the cost of daily testing, the state can administer the program at little cost.

The bill directs the attorney general to establish reasonable participation and testing fees for the program. For those that fail mandatory testing, the court may withdraw the individual's probationary driver's license and reinstate the remainder of the suspension period.
(Contact: Jeff McLeod)

Louisiana Consolidates Under-Enrolled Degree Programs
The Louisiana Board of Regents recently voted to consolidate a significant portion of the state's degree programs in order to streamline offerings. The results impact roughly 88 percent of "low-completer" programs by:

• Terminating 109 programs;
• Consolidating 17 programs;
• Consolidating and terminating 172 programs; and
• Maintaining 51 programs.

Low-completer programs are defined as undergraduate programs with fewer than 8 completers in one year or fewer than 24 completers in three years; masters programs with fewer than five completes in one year or fewer than 15 completers within three years; and doctoral programs with fewer than two completers in one year or fewer than six completers within three years. Identified programs were given a month to provide a recommended course of action, including justification regarding potential cost savings, how the program fits within the institution's mission and reasoning for maintaining programs that are duplicated across other institutions. The board also conducted a comprehensive review of the programs' likelihood of success and regional workforce impacts.
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

New Mexico Seeks Framework to Reward Excellent Teachers
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed an executive order creating the New Mexico Effective Teaching Task Force. The task force, which will include education leaders, teachers, parents and other community stakeholders, will focus on finding ways to identify, recruit, reward and retain the most outstanding teachers and report its recommendations by August 31, 2011.

The task force seeks to create an environment in which teachers, principals, parents and community members can agree on systemic reforms. Specifically, the group will examine measures of achievement; identify the best practices of New Mexico's best teachers; and propose a system of performance-based compensation that acknowledges student growth and progress.
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

Other News
MIT Energy Group Proposes Changes to US Nuclear Fuel Cycle
A new report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative makes several recommendations for how the U.S. should manage spent fuel and the nuclear fuel cycle for the foreseeable future. Highlights of the recommendations include:

• Accelerating incentives for the construction of new nuclear power plants, but only for a limited number (7-10 plants) as nuclear energy should be able to compete in the open marketplace;
• Continuating current practices regarding the once-through fuel cycle;
• Utilizing planned management of current stores of spent nuclear fuel for approximately 100 years, including a move towards a centralized storage site or sites; and
• Creating a quasi-governmental organization to manage nuclear waste and spent fuel and integrating waste management policies in any future changes to the fuel cycle.

The report also discusses the potential consequences for the nuclear power industry, and spent fuel management in particular, given the recent disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan. This includes the likelihood of increased capital costs for construction and operation issues surrounding the relicensing of existing facilities, and a reevaluation of current spent fuel management practices.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)

Study Examines Community Policing Role in Preventing Youth Radicalization
A recent study by the University of Birmingham examines the role community policing plays in preventing Muslim youth from being radicalized. Specifically, the study examined how police work with Muslim communities to develop trust; how police work with other agencies such as youth services to prevent violent extremism; and to what extent community policing activities link to the larger security strategy. Key findings of the study included:

• Due to the sensitivities around counterterrorism, police officers should be specially selected for their skills in engaging and building trust with communities;
• Community members can play a crucial role in compiling a risk-assessment of those individuals who are vulnerable to violent extremism;
• Discussion and debate of theological concepts and practices are a key aspect of preventative work and intervention. This challenges the misinterpretation of religious texts by Al-Qaeda and similar groups; and
• Community-led preventative approaches such as interventions and mentoring not only help to minimize the vulnerability of individuals to extremism but have lower financial implications than covert police led operations.

The study involved 62 individuals closely involved or affected by the development of engagement between community members and police in the United Kingdom.
(Contact: Alisha Powell)

Does Employer-Based Health Insurance Discourages Entrepreneurship?
The Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy (KRI) released a study examining the effect that employer-based health insurance has on new business creation. The concern is that workers with this type of insurance may be reluctant to leave their current jobs and venture out as entrepreneurs because of the high cost of premiums or the possibility of losing coverage altogether, a phenomenon known as "entrepreneurial lock." The study considered whether people with employer-based health insurance are more likely to become self-employed if they have an alternative source of health insurance through a spouse or if they are eligible for Medicare. The study found that:

• Men and women with poor family health and no access to spousal health insurance were significantly less likely to give up an employer plan in order to start a new business than were those individuals with access to insurance through their spouses; and
• Self-employment rates rise when Medicare becomes available at age 65.

Overall, KRI's analyses provide evidence that entrepreneurship lock exists, which implies that the availability of affordable health insurance for the self-employed has a significant impact on whether or not individuals choose to become entrepreneurs.
(Contact: Jason Hsieh)

Census Data Shows Increasing Share of Adults with College Degrees
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a report with a detailed analysis of census data. The data presented in the report shows that between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of adults over the age of 25 with at least a bachelor's degree rose from 26 percent to 30 percent. Additionally, the data shows that women are slightly more likely to have a degree than men, and people who are employed are more likely to have a degree than those who are unemployed.
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

Report: Trends in Venture Capital by State
The State Science and Technology Institute recently released an analysis of venture capital dollars per capita and deals per million residents by state between 2005 and 2010. The analysis shows that U.S. venture capital investment per capita grew almost 19 percent in 2010 over the previous year. That increase, however, only represented a partial return to 2007 levels after plunging investment levels in 2008 and 2009. States experiencing the largest increases in per capita investment over the past five years include Illinois, Delaware, Kansas and Iowa. The analysis for venture deals reveals that Kansas, New York, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania had the largest increase in venture deals per million residents over the same period.
(Contact: Erin Sparks)

What's New
NGA Center Cybercrime and Forensic Sciences Executive Policy Forum
The NGA Center is inviting governors' criminal justice policy advisors to participate in the Cybercrime and Forensic Sciences Executive Policy Forum in Snowbird, Utah, on June 9-10, 2011. The meeting will feature scenario-based sessions and facilitated discussions led by experts in forensic sciences, corrections and criminal justice policy. The NGA Center will provide travel and lodging reimbursement for one participant per state.

If interested, please contact Alisha Powell at 202-624-3598, or Jeff McLeod at 202-624-5311.
(Contact: Alisha Powell)

NGA Center Offers Technical Assistance on Charter Schools
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and Center for School Change (CSC) are offering states tailored technical assistance on topics related to state charter public school policies. Please see the attached document to request requirements and for information on the project and options for technical assistance. There are limited financial resources available from CSC to support meeting expenses related to technical assistance requests. The T.A. must be requested by a governor's office via the attached form and completed by August 31, 2011.  Applications for assistance will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Interested states are encouraged to contact Stephanie Shipton at 202-624-7857 prior to submitting an application. We look forward to working with you on this important topic.
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

NGA Center Issue Brief: Improving the Effectiveness of School Principals
The NGA Center has released a new Issue Brief, State Policies to Improve the Effectiveness of School Principals, which recommends focusing on improving the preparation, training and evaluation of principals as states look for ways to turn around low-performing schools and improve the overall quality of education. Specifically, they can:

• Reform state regulations to require at least the annual evaluation of principals to assess and monitor effectiveness; and
• Use the state's accreditation and licensure authority to ensure principal preparation programs make the admission process more rigorous; redesign the program curriculum; create stronger clinical experiences; use data to drive improvements in preparation programs; require partnerships between preparation programs and school districts; and create a tiered licensure structure for school principals.

This publication was supported by The Wallace Foundation. To learn more, please visit www.nga.org/center/edu.
(Contact: Tabitha Grossman)