Announcing the 2023 Border Legislative Conference | A Conversation with the BLC Chair

Click above to register for the 2023 CSG West Annual Meeting

International Programs

Border Legislative Conference (BLC) to Convene October 5-7 in Ensenada, Baja California

CSG West is pleased to announce that this year’s Border Legislative Conference (BLC) will convene October 5-7 in Ensenada, Baja California, which is located about 90 miles south of San Diego. Administered by CSG West for more than two decades, the BLC serves as a binational forum where legislators can exchange best practices and identify policy solutions to address the complex issues along the U.S.-Mexico border region. Membership is comprised of state legislators from the ten states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in the U.S. and Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas in Mexico.

An optional policy tour to the Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley), which produces 90% of all of the wine in Mexico, will be offered at the conclusion of the conference. It will include a visit to the Museo de la Vid y el Vino (Museum of the Vine and Wine), which has a rotating art collection from local artists and explains the history of the Valle de Guadalupe and the wine making process.

BLC EVENT WEBSITE

A Conversation with Our BLC Chair, Baja California Diputado, Roman Cota Muñoz

The nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border region is home to over 80 million people where over a billion dollars’ worth of goods cross the border each day. It’s dynamic, rich in culture and possesses immense opportunities.

As programming for this year’s Border Legislative Conference (BLC) in Ensenada, Baja California gets underway, we had a chance to talk with current Chair, Baja California Diputado Román Cota Muñoz, about his background, his district, and the issues in his community which led him to run for public office. We hope you enjoy learning about him as much as we did.

One last most important note, on April 26th Diputado Cota Muñoz and his wife, Alejandra, welcomed their first little one into this world. Congratulations on this exciting event, Diputado Cota!

What inspired or motivated you to run for a seat in your legislature?

Throughout my life I have had experiences which drew me to public service. The first is academics, which lured me towards the legal field with the aim to modify the laws of my state to achieve the development and well-being of its residents. That’s a passion of mine. The second is having served as executive secretary for the Mayor of Tecate, which broadened my perspective by working closely with the city’s residents.

What do you view as the most important binational issues for your community?

Improving infrastructure and wait times for Mexican tourists crossing into the U.S. It is essential for future binational agendas to optimize and expand modalities such as Ready Lanes in cities that do not yet have them, which would have a positive impact for both sides of the border.

Increased tourism should also be a primary objective in the binational agenda given the important cultural and economic ties held by the CaliBaja region. Our state has immense natural wealth that we are willing to share with our neighboring state, as well as with visitors who come from beyond California.

CSG Justice Center Resources

CSG Justice Center, DOJ Offering Free Police-Mental Health Collaboration Support

The CSG Justice Center, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance, is offering free training and technical assistance to jurisdictions and agencies looking to develop data collection strategies to enhance police-mental health collaborations. Applications are due by July 10. Participants will be notified about next steps no later than July 24.

LEARN MORE

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.