Updates from the NGA Membership Team for December 2022. For more about the programs below and a list of upcoming events please email us at: membership@nga.org.
2022 Seminar for New Governors
NGA Hosts Seminar for New Governors
Last month, NGA met with newly elected Governors and current Governors at the 2022 Seminar for New Governors (SNG).
SNG is the first opportunity for Governors-elect and First Spouses to get to know their colleagues. The seminar also provides Governors-elect and First Spouses with essential information to establish a smooth transition and maximize the success of the initial months in office. Topics of discussion include, but are not limited to: developing the executive budget, hiring the best and the brightest cabinet officials and senior staff members, shaping a vision for the administration and strategic scheduling, communications and legislative relations.
Inaugural & State of the State Addresses
NGA Gubernatorial Elections & Inauguration Dates Resources
NGA maintains a resource that provides information about upcoming inauguration dates. Users can hover over each state, commonwealth or territory to find specific details.
NGA also maintains a resource to provide details about Governors’ upcoming inaugural addresses and state of the state, territory or commonwealth addresses, including the dates of the addresses.
NGA will collect and share Governors’ 2023 addresses on NGA’s website to help showcase Governors’ leadership and priorities in the year ahead.
Chair’s Initiative
Second Chair’s Initiative Roundtable to Occur in Los Angeles
NGA will host the second roundtable convening for NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s 2022-23 Chair’s Initiative on Strengthening Youth Mental Health in Los Angeles, California.
This meeting will begin on Tuesday, January 24, and conclude on Wednesday, January 25.
The roundtable will bring together Governors, First Spouses, private sector leaders, and policy and subject matter experts for a conversation on states’ roles in strengthening youth mental health.
In addition to the discussions on youth mental health, this event will also focus on maternal and infant health, a top policy priority of New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy.
Youth Mental Health & Maternal and infant Health insights
In support of Governor Phil Murphy’s NGA Chair’s Initiative, and to assist Governors and their staff with strengthening youth mental health and improving maternal and infant health, NGA has collated a variety of resources from stakeholders to provide insights to assist with delivering specific program areas and cross-program tools and best practices.
This page will continually be updated with timely and actionable resources leveraging the expertise of NGA’s partners.
Government Relations
NGA Urges Congress to Pass Spending Bill
NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and NGA Vice Chair Utah Governor Spencer sent a letter urging Congress to pass and enact a Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) spending bill before the current continuing resolution expires on December 16, 2022. Congressional leaders are working to negotiate an agreement on topline funding for the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bills before the expiration of current government funding.
Governors’ Working Group Releases Memo on School and Community Safety
Members of the Governors’ Bipartisan Working Group on School and Community Safety have released a memoregarding actions the working group has taken since forming following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The bipartisan working group set two goals. The first goal was to advocate for bipartisan federal legislation to make schools and communities safer from threats of gun violence. The second goal was to explore recommended best practices around potential uses for new federal dollars for states and territories to address these issues. The memo details the working group’s actions and considerations.
Following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, former NGA Chair Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and former NGA Vice Chair and current Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote a letter to President Biden informing him of the establishment of NGA’s Governors’ Bipartisan Working Group on School and Community Safety.
Members of the bipartisan workgroup included:
- Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
- Utah Governor Spencer Cox
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul
- Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont
- South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster
- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
ONDCP Director Gupta Sends Letter to Governors Regarding Provisional Drug Overdose Death Data and State Naloxone Plans
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta sent a letter and memoto Governors regarding the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent release of provisional drug overdose death data.
The data, which shows 107,582 predicted overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in June 2022, represents a decrease in predicted overdose deaths for the third month in a row and a steady slowing of the rate of increase in overdose deaths for the eighth month in a row.
Through the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), $1.5 billion has been allocated to states and territories to address the opioid epidemic.
Naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, is a major focus of the SOR grant program, with each state or territory required to develop a naloxone saturation plan to strategically increase availability as a condition of the grant.
Dr. Gupta urged Governors to consider having appropriate leadership participate in upcoming technical assistance opportunities, described in the memo, to enrich naloxone plans and maximize efforts to save lives.
EPA Administrator Regan Sends Letter to Governors on the Geological Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan sent a letter to Governors outlining expectations for state programs interested in seeking primary enforcement and permitting responsibility (primacy) for regulating the injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into underground deep rock formations, called Class VI underground injection control (UIC) wells under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The letter calls for states to work in partnership with EPA to advance the Biden Administration’s goals of combating climate change and supporting environmental justice (EJ) objectives as the pursue primacy and implement Class VI programs. Additionally, Administrator Regan’s letter mentions the availability of $50 million of grant funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states interested in pursuing primacy.
Colorado Requests Additional Notice and Tapering of Enhanced FMAP When PHE Ends
Last month, Colorado Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing sent a letter to NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy requesting that Governors ask Congress for continuation of a portion of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to cover eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program members throughout the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ suggested disenrollment period after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) concludes.
The letter also requests that Governors support a 90-day notice period from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before the end of the PHE versus the current 60-day assured notice.
Two NGA Employees Recognized by The Hill
Two of NGA’s Government Relations professionals have been recognized for their advocacy work on behalf of Governors. Government Relations Director Tiffany Waddell and Legislative Director Richard Lukas have been named to the national publication The Hill’s annual list of Washington, D.C.’s top lobbyists.
In describing those named to the list, the introduction says the list honors individuals “who leveraged their expertise and connections to make a difference in the nation’s capital this year.”
As a result of their work on federal legislation developed in recent years, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Tiffany and Richard have deep knowledge of the final outcome of the laws and will continue to serve as great resources as laws are implemented.
NGA Activities
NGA Hosts Infrastructure Coordinators Workshop
Last week, NGA hosted Governors’ Infrastructure Coordinators and their representatives in Washington, D.C. this week for a quarterly Infrastructure Coordinator Workshop. Participants from 38 states and territories met over two days to share best practices and discuss priorities with federal leaders and private sector stakeholders.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu participated in the discussions.
NGA’s Infrastructure Implementation Resource provides resources and updates on IIJA implementation. NGA’s Infrastructure Workforce Resource can be found here.
NGA Releases Commentary on Maternal and Infant Health
NGA released the commentary Centering Women’s Voices in Maternal and Infant Health detailing ways Governors and other state leaders can work to reduce disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes and make their states safer places for pregnant women, babies, mothers and families.
The piece includes information about ways New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy is expanding her Nurture NJ initiative on maternal and infant health.
The commentary also details ways Governor Murphy and First Lady Murphy will convene Governors, First Spouses, Governor’s health and human services advisors, policy experts, individuals with lived experience, industry leaders and other key stakeholders to discuss these issues in a series of roundtables to take place in the coming months.
NGA Releases Commentary about Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce Project
NGA released the commentary Preparing the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce to provide an overview of a recent convening of twelve of the sixteen Learning Collaborative and Knowledge Exchange Network states participating in the Next Generation of the Healthcare Workforce Project.
The commentary features an in-depth review of the meeting as well as high level takeaways from conversations with states, experts and NGA partners. If your state or territory is interested in joining the network, please contact us.
Membership Programs & NGA Events
Governor Murphy Speaks at NGA Holiday Reception
NGA Chair New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy joined a Holiday Reception NGA recently hosted for Governors’ State-Federal Affairs Representatives, Partners and guests from Capitol Hill and the Administration.
December in Focus
This month’s photo highlights section recognizes the ten Governors who have recently left or will soon leave office. NGA thanks these Governors for their service to the people of their states, commonwealths and territory:
Former NGA Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
Former NGA Chairman Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey
Hawai‘i Governor David Ige
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak
Northern Mariana Islands Ralph DLG. Torres
Oregon Governor Kate Brown
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf
