Opioids, cybersecurity, agriculture and trade topped the agenda items at the 2016 National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Below is a list of top news coverage from the meeting.
In Rare Show of Unity, Governors Vow to Fight Opioid Crisis
Associated Press | July 14, 2016
At least 45 state governors signed on to the Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction committing to fight the epidemic, fueled by the overprescribing of prescription pain relievers. The National Governors Association released the compact ahead of its summer meeting, which starts Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. On Friday, governors are expected to hear from experts about the crisis and further discuss how they are responding.
Governors: Help Us Respond to Opioid Epidemic
Des Moines Register (op-ed by Govs. Herbert, McAuliffe, Baker and Hassan) | July 14, 2016
As governors, we have developed a comprehensive approach to combating the [opioid] epidemic that focuses on prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery while supporting the law enforcement community. Governors have taken bold action, limiting opioid prescription amounts, putting life-saving naloxone in the hands of first responders, educating the public and doctors, increasing access to treatment and recovery programs, and enhanced support for those with addictions.
My View: Governors Make the Tough Decisions
Des Moines Register (op-ed by Gov. Branstad) | July 13, 2016
As governors, many of us are making the tough decisions that taxpayers, businesses and families expect us to make. We are balancing state budgets, reducing taxes and easing regulatory burdens. By making these tough decisions, we are fostering a culture of growth and prosperity.
Why Governors Admire Branstad
Des Moines Register (op-ed by Gov. Herbert) | July 13, 2016
While presidential candidates and governors may come and go in Iowa, Terry Branstad remains a constant, and his commitment to the people of Iowa and to the United States of America is unprecedented. As his fellow governors, we admire the work he has done for the people of Iowa and the example he sets for the rest of the nation.
Congress Passes Bill to Fight Opioid Abuse, but Funding Clash Continues
The Wall Street Journal | July 13, 2016
Also Wednesday, 46 governors signed a pact to fight opioid addiction, according to the National Governors Association, marking “the first time in more than 10 years that governors have developed a compact through NGA to spur coordinated action on an urgent national issue.”
Painkiller, Heroin Epidemic Draws Governors’ Resolve
Des Moines Register | July 15, 2016
Governors gathered in Des Moines vowed Friday to rein in the rampant abuse of prescription painkillers, heroin and other narcotic drugs. Hassan, a Democrat, and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, led a discussion of the topic with 14 other governors Friday afternoon.
Bipartisan Governors Group Wants Trade Pact Ratified
Associated Press | July 15, 2016
A bipartisan group of governors called on Congress to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Friday despite opposition from both leading presidential candidates. The governors of Iowa, Virginia and Louisiana dismissed attacks on the agreement by presumptive nominees Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton as misguided.
Vilsack: We Can Do Better to Support Rural America
Des Moines Register | July 16, 2016
State and federal governments can do a better job of supporting rural America, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said Saturday. America produces the world’s safest, highest quality, and most affordable food, Vilsack said, but he and others had suggestions to foster future success in a changing agricultural economy. Those included supporting connections between farmers and consumers, teaching students about the field and encouraging trade worldwide.
Governors Ask: Does Congress Not Trust Us?
The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette | July 17, 2016
Some of the nation’s governors worry federal lawmakers do not trust them enough to include wiggle room for states to tweak new federal laws and programs. That was one of the messages governors conveyed to U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley during this weekend’s summer meeting of the National Governors Association.
Opioid Compact is Right Response to Crisis
The Beaumont Enterprise (editorial) | July 14, 2016
Good news is in short supply these days, but here’s something that all Americans can support: Virtually every U.S. governor has signed a pledge to fight the opioid crisis that is damaging—and destroying—so many lives. More importantly, the governors are focusing on this addiction as a medical problem that needs treatment, not just a criminal one that should be prosecuted.
McAuliffe on Cybersecurity: ‘It’s Something That Every Governor Needs to Focus On’
Route Fifty | July 18, 2016
When Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe took the reins of the National Governors Association’s executive committee as the new chair for 2016-17 this weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise that the Democrat made cybersecurity his main initiative for the organization in the upcoming year. McAuliffe regularly talks about the nation’s cybersecurity challenges and is a champion for his state’s important tech and IT security sectors, largely based in the northern part of his state, adjacent to Washington, D.C.
