Public Safety and Legal Counsel

Governors legal counsel serve as senior staff, overseeing legal issues with legislation, policy, executive orders, administrative actions, and executive appointments. Additionally, Governors are focused on public safety, crime, delinquency and related social and economic consequences. NGA serves the needs of governors and their policy advisors in a broad range of criminal, sentencing, corrections and justice-related policies.

Latest

Memorandum on Actions of the Bipartisan Working Group on School and Community Safety

Following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, former National Governors Association (NGA) Chair Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and former NGA Vice Chair and current Chair New Jersey Governor Phil ...
Read More

Briefing on State Legal Considerations Related to Gubernatorial Transition Planning

On Thursday, October 27, the National Governors Association hosted a briefing on State Legal Considerations Related to Gubernatorial Transition Planning. The call featured a discussion with governors’ counsel who are ...
Read More

Briefing on State Legal Considerations Related to Major Infrastructure Projects

On Thursday, September 15, the National Governors Association hosted a briefing on State Legal Considerations Related to Major Infrastructure Projects. The call was a joint briefing for Governors’ legal counsel ...
Read More

Webinar on Programs Designed to Mitigate Gang Reengagement

On September 22nd, 2022, the National Governors Association hosted the virtual webinar on Programs Designed to Mitigate Gang Reengagement. This webinar convened subject matter experts, service providers, and individuals with ...
Read More

Briefing on DOJ Programs to Improve School and Community Safety

On Friday, September 2, the National Governors Association Bipartisan Working Group on School and Community Safety hosted the second of a three-part briefing series on the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ...
Read More

NGA Public Safety networks

Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors Network

The Governors Criminal Justice Policy Advisors (CJPAs) Network provides a forum for governors’ criminal and juvenile justice policy advisors to connect with their peers in other states, promote regional information sharing and collaboration, and learn about best practices and the latest research in the field. NGA convenes CJPAs for an annual institute and offers customized technical assistance to them as requested through research and strategic planning support.

Consortium Of State Public Safety Executives

The Consortium of State Public Safety Executives is a network of cabinet-level secretaries and commissioners from across the country who are responsible for oversight of their state’s public safety enterprise, including state police, fire, corrections, emergency management and/or other related agencies. Through the consortium, members can connect with their peers in other states to share lessons learned, receive briefings from national experts on best practices in the field and receive ongoing technical support from NGA staff.

Meet the team

Ken Hardy, Program Director
Lauren Dedon, Senior Legal Policy Advisor
Elise Simonsen, Senior Policy Analyst
Maria Kearl, Policy Analyst
Micaja Verna, Policy Coordinator

Resources

NGA Chairman & Vice Chairman Issue Statement on Congressional Gun Safety Legislation

WASHINGTON D.C. – National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and NGA Vice Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy have issued the following statement responding to the bipartisan ...
Read More

Letter to President Biden on School Safety

National Governors Association Chair Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and National Governors Association Vice Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. regarding the ...
Read More

Briefing on State-Tribal Legal Affairs

On Tuesday, May 31, the National Governors Association hosted a its monthly legal counsel briefing on State-Tribal Legal Affairs. The call provided a high-level overview of the state-tribal legal landscape, ...
Read More

Empowering Returning Citizens to Connect to Higher Education and Employment Opportunities

The 2022 NGA Winter Workforce Symposium Highlight featured a session on empowering people leaving prison in the workforce through connecting them to higher education and employment opportunities. by Rachel Hirsch ...
Read More

State Targeted Violence Prevention: Programming & Key Performance Indicators

A resource to develop communities statewide that are well-equipped to prevent targeted violence. (Download) State Targeted Violence Prevention The following resource aims to serve as a guide for U.S. state ...
Read More

State Efforts to Improve the Continuum of Care for Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder

Lessons Learned from the National Governors Association Substance Use Disorder Learning Collaborative in Six States (Download) Executive Summary In June 2020, the National Governors Association (NGA) launched the Strengthening Substance ...
Read More

Governors Leading to Strengthen Traffic Safety by Reducing Impaired Driving

This report looks at the findings from a 2019–2021 learning collaborative in which NGA hosted experts from academia, government, and the private sector to discuss a range of emerging issues ...
Read More

Lessons Learned in State Collaboration to Address Substance Use Disorder and Justice-Involved Individuals

This policy brief highlights lessons learned from collaborative efforts in Hawai‘i, Pennsylvania and West Virginia between SAAs and SSAs to address SUD issues within justice-involved populations. (Download) Executive Summary A ...
Read More

Equity and Policy Preparedness During Public Health Emergencies

Emergencies, by definition, occur suddenly and without warning. Whether the situation involves an infectious disease like the current COVID-19 pandemic—or a natural disaster like the brutal hurricanes of recent years—these ...
Read More

National Governors Association Asks Congress to Swiftly Pass Funding Package

Today, National Governors Association (NGA) Chairman Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Vice Chairman Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey called on Congress to swiftly pass a federal funding measure ...
Read More

Age Boundaries in Juvenile Justice Systems

This brief focuses on emerging trends in raise-the-age efforts across states, including: (1) raising the maximum age of juvenile court jurisdiction beyond 18, (2) raising the floor, or minimum age, ...
Read More

Letter on Canadian – U.S. Border Restrictions

At this point in the nation’s work to get the economy back on track, it is imperative that the federal government work more closely and transparently with us and our ...
Read More