CSG West

Three days. Three timely conversations. We're excited to announce this year's Chair's Forums at the 79th CSG West Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, July 7–10.

Wednesday, July 8:
🔹Safe at Home: Strategies to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
🔹In partnership with Casey Family Programs
@CaseyPrograms

Thursday, July 9
🔹Next-Generation Nuclear: Advancing SMRs for a Resilient Energy Future
🔹Featuring John Kotek, Nuclear Energy Institute @NEI, and Emy Lesofski, Utah Office of Energy Development @UtahOED

Friday, July 10
🔹State Economic Outlook: Trends, Risks, and Fiscal Realities
🔹Featuring Brian Sigritz, National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) @NASBO

⏰Attending? Be sure to secure your lodging soon—the CSG West hotel group rate closes Friday, June 12.

🔗Registration and event information: cvent.me/o3g4w8

We’re kicking off a series previewing policy committee sessions at the 2026 CSG West Annual Meeting — open to all attendees and focused on timely issues shaping the West.

First up: CSG West Health & Human Services Committee
💰 Following the Money: Legislative Oversight of Rural Health Transformation Funding
📅 Wednesday, July 8 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Salt Lake City, Utah | July 7–10, 2026

$50 billion in federal dollars is flowing into rural health infrastructure — and legislators need the right tools to make sure those funds reach the communities that need them most. Featuring @Benjamin_Eikey from the @Levin_Center for Oversight and Democracy, this session dives into practical oversight strategies for tracking grant dollars, closing accountability gaps, and driving real outcomes across the West.

Co-chaired by Rep. Matt Soper (CO) and Rep. My-Linh Thai (WA)

🔗 Registration and agenda: cvent.me/o3g4w8

See you in Salt Lake City!

#RuralHealth #HealthPolicy #LegislativeOversight #WesternStates #CSGWest2026

Wildfire policy is accelerating across the West.

CSG West has updated its Forging a Resilient West dashboard with new legislative briefs and expanded wildfire bill tracking to help policymakers stay ahead of emerging trends.

Recent additions include:
• Wyoming’s newly enacted wildfire measures
• Wildfire technology
• Prescribed burning
• Mitigation funding
• Insurance policy

The dashboard also tracks 300+ wildfire-related bills across 11 Western states — including 50+ sponsored by members of CSG West’s Wildfire & Disaster Preparedness Committee.

🔗 Explore the latest updates at the dashboard link and stay informed on regional wildfire policy: quorum.us/dashboard/exte…

#WildfirePolicy #WildfireMitigation #WildfireTechnology

🎤We’re pleased to welcome Evy Poumpouras and Elizabeth Smart as keynote speakers for the 79th CSG West Annual Meeting, July 7–10 in Salt Lake City.

Their perspectives on leadership, resilience, and public service will help set the tone for a meaningful convening of Western legislators.

See you in Salt Lake City!

🔗 Explore full biographies for both keynote speakers at the 2026 Annual Meeting site: cvent.me/o3g4w8

We were pleased to see Boise State Public Radio highlight CSG West's "Forging a Resilient West" wildfire bill tracker in a recent article examining how Western states are responding to wildfire risk, mitigation, and insurance challenges.

Developed through CSG West's Wildfire & Disaster Preparedness Committee, the tracker helps lawmakers and staff explore wildfire-related legislation and resources across the region — reinforcing the idea solutions benefit from shared learning.

Special thanks to our CSG West colleague Joe Kolman, who led the development of the tracker, and to the committee co-chairs, Nevada Assemblymember @HowardWattsNV and Oregon Senator @DavidBrockSmith, for helping elevate the importance of regional collaboration on this issue.

#WildfirePolicy #DisasterPreparedness #StateLegislatures

boisestatepublicradio.org/politics-gover…