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Congratulations to Western Leaders Selected to the 2024 CSG Toll Fellowship | |
Each year, the Henry Toll Fellowship convenes 49 of the nation’s top officials from all three branches of state government in Lexington, Kentucky, for its distinguished leadership development program.
CSG West is delighted to congratulate the 13 state officials selected from the West for this year’s class:
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Assemblymember Mike Gipson
California
Heidi Hedberg
Commissioner, Department of Health and Social Services
Alaska
Representative Joshua Hernandez
New Mexico
Representative Greggor Ilagan
House Vice Speaker
Hawaii
Senator Lorraine Inouye
Minority Whip
Hawaii
Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet
Colorado
Senator Wendy McKamey
Montana
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Representative Candice Pierucci
Utah
Representative Lisa Reynolds
Assistant Majority Leader
Oregon
Stephanie Garcia Richard
Commissioner of Public Lands
New Mexico
Rebecca Rockwell
Commissioner, State Tax Commission
Utah
Senator Janeen Sollman
Oregon
Senator Claire Wilson
Assistant Majority Whip
Washington
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The 2024 Toll Fellowship will be held September 6-10, and participants will attend the Toll Fellowship Graduation Ceremony during the 2024 CSG National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Learn more about the Toll Fellowship below.
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Latest Efforts at Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis at the State & Federal Levels | Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic. From 2011 onwards, fatal overdoses associated with misuse of clandestinely produced fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and law enforcement encounters increased markedly, leading to the crisis. | |
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Fentanyl Legislation in the Western States
Western state legislature continued to introduce legislation during this year’s session in response to the fentanyl crisis. Of the 444 bills introduced in the 13 western states served by CSG West, 145 have been enacted. Utah leads the pack with a 76.5% enactment rate, followed by Colorado (61.1%), Nevada (50%), and Idaho (48.3%).
While most of the legislation pertains to drug schedule classification, examination of penalties for the illicit distribution and manufacture of fentanyl, and access to substance use disorder treatment, some different legislative approaches have emerged:
Drug Trafficking
Arizona and Idaho amended their current drug trafficking laws by introducing specific penalties for the sale of lethal fentanyl and illegal entry into the state outside lawful ports of entry (AZ HCR 2060), and adding to existing law to provide for the crimes of trafficking in fentanyl and drug-induced homicide (ID HB 406).
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Consul General of Mexico in Sacramento Christian Tonatiuh González Jiménez, speaking at the 15th Annual California-Mexico Advocacy Day. | |
15th Annual California-Mexico Advocacy Day | |
This year’s California – Mexico Advocacy Day, which highlights and promotes the important California – Mexico relationship, was celebrated August 6-7th. This included a legislative hearing and opportunities to connect at a reception and breakfast.
The California Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and Dialogue, chaired by Senator Steve Padilla, held an informational hearing the afternoon of Tuesday, August 6. The hearing, titled “Building an Agenda with a Gender Perspective through Bilateral Cooperation between Mexico and California,” was inspired by June’s historical election of Mexico’s first woman president, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. She will take office October 1, 2024.
| California Senator Steve Padilla, Chair of the California Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and Dialogue, moderates the informational hearing at California-Mexico Advocacy Day. | |
Speakers included the following:
- Consul General of Mexico in Sacramento, Christian Tonatiuh González, who arrived in Sacramento for his new post towards the end of 2023. Previously, he served as Chief of Protocol and Public Diplomacy at the Permanent Mission of Mexico in the United Nations.
- Mexican Senator-Elect, Karina Ruiz, the first beneficiary of the Deferred Action (DACA) program to be elected to federal office in Mexico. She attended Arizona State University, earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 2015, and then served as executive director of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition (ADAC.)
- Lilia García-Brower, State Labor Commissioner, was appointed to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019.
- Natalia Vega Varela, Director of Policy, at the Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI). She shared research about the earning power of women, particularly undocumented women who need two jobs to make ends meet while often being the head of households.
- Helen Iris Torres, Chief Executive Officer of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), a position she has held for 23 years and through which she has built a pipeline of civically engaged Latina leaders who serve in elected and appointed office, as well as business, philanthropic, and community leaders.
Senator Steve Padilla moderated the hearing and thanked the speakers for taking the time to highlight the important role Latinas have in the economic success of the state.
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CSG National Conference to Convene December 4-7 in New Orleans | |
Each year, CSG convenes state leaders from all three branches of government, subject matter experts, and private sector and community partners from across the U.S. to share ideas and explore solutions to the complex policy issues facing the states. Working with fellow state leaders from across the country and across the aisle, attendees of the CSG National Conference can learn from one another and build relationships to help solve problems and shape public policy.
The 2024 CSG National Conference will convene December 4-7 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Click below to register.
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Oregon Governor Tina Kotek speaks during last month's 77th CSG West Annual Meeting. Bryan Patrick Photography. | | |
THE COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS WEST www.csgwest.org | |
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CSG West is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving western state legislatures. All active legislators are considered members of our organization and included in organizational correspondence regarding news and events. While we hope you find this information of use, we also understand the need for a tidy inbox. If you do not wish to receive email updates from us, please unsubscribe below to be removed from our email list. | | | | |
