Remembering Former CSG West Director Kent Briggs

By Edgar Ruiz

The CSG West family is mourning the loss of Kent Briggs, who served as the organization’s executive director from 1996 to 2011. He passed away on April 19 at the age of 82.

Kent was a larger-than-life figure who was fun, kindhearted, and had a gregarious personality. He had the ability to light up a room and enamor people with his smile, charismatic presence, and great stories, as he was a walking encyclopedia of Western politics, leaders, and issues.

Kent had a distinguished public service career, which was sparked by his keen interest and love of public policy. He worked for a U.S. senator in Idaho, two Utah governors, co-founded a public policy think tank focused on the West, and capped his career with CSG West.

While at the helm of CSG West, Kent stabilized and helped grow the organization’s budget, oversaw the establishment of the Western Legislative Academy, which is our premier training program for newer legislators to this day, and was instrumental in furthering a continental vision through engagement with policymakers from Canada and Mexico. One of his passions was advocating for the advancement of the Western region. To this end, he established meaningful and lasting relationships with public officials, staff, academics, and entities from across the region, including the Western Governors’ Association, of which he was very fond of.

Kent was a beloved friend, colleague, and mentor to staff and leaders alike. He left a lasting impression and legacy. Those of us that had the privilege of knowing him can still recall his witty anecdotes and one-liners that made us laugh and ponder, even to this day. Kent will be missed and the CSG family is grateful for his commitment, dedication, and his many contributions to advance the public good. To learn more about Kent’s contributions, please view his obituary HERE.

WATER IN THE WEST

Dates Announced for the Colorado River Forum and Legislative Council on River Governance

CSG West is excited to announce the confirmed dates for its two regional water programs. On September 9-12, the Legislative Council on River Governance (LCRG) will convene in Richland, Washington. Established in 1998, LCRG is a cooperative, bipartisan program comprised of state legislators from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Members exchange information and identify solutions to address the challenges and opportunities along the Columbia and Snake River basins. To learn more about the program, please visit the LCRG website.

Upcoming this fall, CSG West will host the Colorado River Forum (CRF) November 18-20 in Phoenix, Arizona. This annual forum brings together legislators from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as other key stakeholders, to review and discuss issues and opportunities related to the Colorado River Basin. Additional information is available at the CRF website.

Be sure to save the dates! Registration and program details are forthcoming. For additional information about LCRG or CRF, please contact Jackie Tinetti, Policy Analyst.

Panel Discussion on Natural Disaster Spending Oversight in State Legislatures

The Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy recently launched a recorded webinar examining how states oversee the distribution of funds in the wake of natural disasters. The Levin Center’s State Oversight Academy discusses investigations following hurricanes in North Carolina, flooding in West Virginia, and wildfires in Hawaii, as well as research into the distribution of these funds. Hawaii House Majority Leader Nadine Nakamura, an invited expert, joins the panel to discuss the Lahaina wildfire response.

These topics are of relevant to CSG West’s Legislative Oversight Working Group, whose members work to provide information on existing legislative oversight practices and offer suggestions to improve government accountability, transparency, and responsiveness. Additionally, wildfire management is a topic that will be addressed at the upcoming CSG West 77th Annual Meeting. The forum will focus on key issues that policymakers are tackling in their states, including protection and sustainability of forests and utility infrastructure.

Watch the Levin Center’s fascinating roundtable below.

New Report from CSG Justice Center Shows Promising Trends in Second Chance Act Implementation

A new report from the CSG Justice Center highlights the significant progress made in reducing recidivism across the country over the past 15 years. Since its passage in 2008, the Second Chance Act has invested in state and local efforts to improve outcomes for people leaving prison and jail, with a total of nearly 1,200 grantees from 48 states and 3 territories administering programs that have served more than 400,000 people. Click below to read “50 States, 1 Goal: Examining State-Level Recidivism Trends in the Second Chance Act Era.”

READ THE REPORT

Don't Forget to Register!

The CSG West 77th Annual Meeting will convene July 9-12 in Portland, Oregon.

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