Plenary Session Transcripts

Governors Attending:

Discussion Subjects:

Purpose, Structure, Staffing and Financing of the National Governors' Conference

Points of Interest:

This was the first Governors' interim meeting, where members voted to amend the Articles of Organization to authorize staffing in Washington under the administrative authority of the Council of State Governments (CSG). The staff's purposes would be to improve the effectiveness of the states—particularly of the Governors—in dealing with problems arising out of federal-state relations, and to coordinate research for the Governors at the national level.

Governors were provided with a report indicating that despite the many and important missions that had been flown by Air National Guard units (which handled aeromedical evacuation and transported military passengers and cargo), the Department of Defense (DoD) had ordered the deactivation of a number of National Guard airlift troops.  A Congressional mandate was in effect to postpone the deactivation during the Vietnam conflict, but that mandate was due to expire.

The Governors' Conference Advisory Committee on the National Guard recommended: maintaining the existing force structure and state troop allotment of the Army National Guard; retaining airlift squadrons that had been scheduled by DoD to be deactivated; providing training of recruits in the non-selected reserve force units as the first step in reestablishing the high degree of training necessary to ensure attainment of operational and combat readiness; providing funding, equipment, supplies, technicians, and facilities necessary to maintain operational and combat readiness; and providing retirement benefits for National Guard technicians.

Memorable Quotes:

The Report of the Committee on Federal-State-Local Relations read in part: “Follow up…is the most significant of the several factors that must be improved if the influence of the Governors is to be strengthened…The services of the several Washington offices of the individual states can and should be coordinated with the common effort…That the representation of the National Governors’ Conference in Washington is inadequate is a simple statement of fact…If [the Washington staff of CSG] were doubled, it would still be appreciably smaller than that of the National Association of Counties or National League of Cities…the staff has prepared statements; and Governors, other state officials, legislators or the staff have appeared before Committees of Congress…[but] missing…are appearances by Governors on legislative proposals of major importance. Concerning follow up, the record may be described as occasionally good but more often erratic, noncontinuous, halting, or in a word, inadequate…what we need is to do more and better…We need to improve our information services. We should receive timely information on all subjects of significance to federal-state relations. Information on more important subjects should include analyses and suggestions for possible alternatives…in the matter of follow up, we must expect to participate personally much more frequently than we have in the past. Preliminary to all other steps, however, is the strengthening of our staff…The record shows, we believe, certain successes when the ingredients necessary for success have been present. It shows, also, not too many failures, but a great many omissions. We are confident that acceptance of our recommendations would have an immediate impact on the influence that the National Governors’ Conference has on national policies that affect the states. In many states there is the political difficulty of leaving the Capital to travel to Washington, or wherever it is that a Governor is needed…The criticism may exist because we haven’t exercised our right as leaders in state government before the policy-making machinery in Washington, D.C. It may exist because we didn’t travel to Washington, D.C. often enough in past years to add our voices to the chorus. And that chorus can easily drown the voice of state governments unless we try harder, and do better. A Governors’ presence is the presence of his State; and it is time, right now, for a dramatic upgrading of the role of the States and of their Governors.”

Resolutions:
(1) Expressing the belief that it was essential for the federal government to adopt fiscal policies that gave more discretion and responsibility to state and local governments, particularly with respect to categorical grant-in-aid programs, and endorsing the principles of tax sharing and the consolidation of federal categorical grants into block grants; (2) authorizing the association’s Committee on State and Local Revenue to develop a federal tax sharing plan for consideration by the association’s Executive Committee, such plan to include the allocation of additional federal income tax above current levels; (3) reaffirming opposition to federal legislation to restrict the jurisdiction of the states to tax businesses engaged in multistate business activities; (4) requesting that the U.S. Bureau of the Budget (Office of Statistical Standards) assume interim responsibility as secretariat for a permanent National Conference on Comparative Statistics, which should work to utilize the broad computer capability of the Office of Emergency Planning in developing an action program; (5) urging the same federal reimbursement for aid to families with needy children as for programs for the aged, blind, and disabled; and (6) recommending that where federal public assistance was lower than the standard of need established by a state, the federal government partially waive its prohibition against the exemption of earned income.