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The Council of State Governments
@csgovts.bsky.social
Championing excellence in state governments, 90 years strong.
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"As we mark America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, CSG is proud to celebrate not only our nation’s founding ideals but the people who bring those ideals to life every day in state capitols and communities across the country." — David Adkins, CSG executive director/CEO

www.csg.org/2026/01/09/t...
The Quiet Courage of Public Service - The Council of State Governments
As we mark America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, CSG is proud to celebrate not only our nation’s founding ideals but the people who bring those ideals to life every day in state capitols and communitie...
www.csg.org
January 13, 2026 at 8:53 PM
📩 Your front row seat to state news in 2026.

Get the latest news, analysis and insights from The Council of State Governments from the Capitol Ideas newsletter.
https://www.csg.org/capitol-ideas-email-signup/
Capitol Ideas Email Signup - The Council of State Governments
Your Front Row Seat to State Policy
www.csg.org
January 12, 2026 at 6:02 PM
The latest CSG 50-State Scan is here. “Building Healthy Communities, Strengthening States: How States are Meeting Today's Public Health Challenges" provides an overview of state actions and emerging trends on public health issues throughout the country.

https://ow.ly/zLIM50XSHaM
Newly Released CSG 50-State Scan Explores Public Health Policy - The Council of State Governments
The fourth installment of the nonpartisan CSG 50-State Scan research series, “Building Healthy Communities, Strengthening States: How States are Meeting Today's Public Health Challenges," is a strategic overview of the public health landscape that provides state and territorial officials with actionable insights and emerging trends to guide effective policy decisions.
ow.ly
January 7, 2026 at 3:20 PM
The CSG Shared State Legislation program (SSL) is a member-driven service, producing an annual compendium of some of the states’ most innovative bills for lawmakers looking to craft legislation in those policy areas.

https://www.csg.org/2025/11/25/shared-state-legislation-a-catalyst-for-innovation/
December 2, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The latest CSG 50-State Scan Report is now available! This report provides an in-depth analysis of state legislation aimed at supporting the development and innovation of the AI sector, offering new insights for lawmakers and policy professionals.

www.csg.org/2025/05/21/c...
November 25, 2025 at 7:24 PM
The southern regions hosts around 42% of the 4,149 facilities nationwide. CSG South breaks down their energy use, state tax incentives, and recent legislative actions shaping the industry.

https://www.csg.org/2025/11/12/data-centers-in-the-south-trends-energy-use-and-policy-impacts/
Data Centers in the South: Trends, Energy Use, and Policy Impacts - The Council of State Governments
CSG South Senior Policy Analyst Tom Opdyke delivered a virtual presentation, “Data Centers: Energy Projections and Economic Drivers in the South,” covering the number of data centers across the region, their energy use, state tax incentives, and recent legislative actions shaping the industry.
www.csg.org
November 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM
New from CSG South: A look at the recent push to increase basic training requirements for police officers in an attempt to help officers better interpret and effectively respond to the public’s needs.

https://www.csg.org/2025/11/04/question-of-the-month-november-4/
Question of the Month, November - The Council of State Governments
How do policy officer training requirements differ across southern states? Each state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board or an equivalent accreditation body governs police officer training and certification requirements for all police agencies, including state troopers, city/county police departments, Sheriff’s Offices, and special police.
www.csg.org
November 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Executive Director of the Montana Digital Academy Jason Neiffer's central message to policymakers: Don’t ignore AI.

https://www.csg.org/2025/10/27/rethinking-artificial-intelligence-in-education/
Rethinking Artificial Intelligence in Education - The Council of State Governments
Artificial intelligence could transform education more than any previous technology—but only if schools proactively engage with it, said Jason Neiffer, Executive Director of the Montana Digital Academy and creator of the nation’s first AI help desk for educators.
www.csg.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:15 PM
In 2024, nationwide losses from cryptocurrency fraud jumped 66%, up to $9.3 billion, and the total number of complaints more than doubled, to nearly 150,000, according to the FBI. More from CSG Midwest:

https://ow.ly/ZVV950Xh07P
October 30, 2025 at 7:35 PM
According to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC), annual energy demand is estimated to grow 20.4% from 2025 to 2034. This increase is largely driven by data centers, large-scale manufacturing facilities and cryptocurrency mining.

https://ow.ly/Y6G950XgZZK
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Community responder programs are reshaping how we respond to behavioral health crises. Check out the CSG Justice Center #ExpandingFirstResponse brief series — built on insights from a national commission of experts.

https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/expanding-first-response/commission/
National Commission - CSG Justice Center
Expanding First Response Commission The national Expanding First Response Commission launched in February 2023 with 21 leaders from across the...
csgjusticecenter.org
October 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
In recent years, false reports have been increasingly used to target, intimidate or harm public officials, otherwise known as "swatting." Many states are taking action to establish clear frameworks for legal recourse.

www.csg.org/2025/10/20/s...
Swatting: State Efforts to Prevent Political Violence - The Council of State Governments
In recent years, false reports have been increasingly used to target, intimidate or harm public officials. Since 2013, 15 states have enacted legislation to expand the scope of existing false reportin...
www.csg.org
October 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
The new Readiness Toolkit from the CSG Justice Center and OMNI Institute helps counties determine readiness to implement a #SteppingUp initiative while building strong community partnerships.

csgjusticecenter.org/publications...
Stepping Up Readiness Toolkit - CSG Justice Center
Counties should use this toolkit to consider their readiness as pre-work to revisit, grow, or implement any initiative, including Stepping Up.
csgjusticecenter.org
October 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
The first CSG South Policy Masterclass of the 2025 series brought state leaders and staff to Bentonville, Arkansas, to examine how affordable housing affects teacher recruitment and retention.

csgsouth.org/from-lesson-...
From Lesson Plans to Building Plans: Addressing the School Workforce Shortage Through Housing  - CSG South
From Lesson Plans to Building Plans: Addressing the School Workforce Shortage Through Housing took place in... Read More
csgsouth.org
September 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM
New Jersey is being recognized as a leading state for AI adoption after the recent launch of 'NJ AI Assistant', a generative AI-powered platform for state employees that is being hailed for saving time and money.

www.route-fifty.com/artificial-i...
How New Jersey’s AI assistant saves the state time and money
Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole said the cost is about $1 per user, per month, and has already helped employees save hours of time by helping with various tasks.
www.route-fifty.com
August 27, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by The Council of State Governments
Did you know that @csgovts.bsky.social has compiled a list of community and behavioral health trends? Here’s how NH shows up in the stats 📊📈

projects.csgjusticecenter.org/justice-data... #NHPolitics
August 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by The Council of State Governments
In 2023, 1 in 5 people in state prison were there for a supervision violation—often for missing appointments, not breaking laws.

Supervision was meant to support rehabilitation, but it’s fueling incarceration instead. @csgovts.bsky.social breaks down the data: buff.ly/4ZyKrY4
Home - Supervision Violations and Their Impact on Incarceration
Supervision was meant to help people stay out of prison, but too often it sends them back for breaking rules, not laws.
buff.ly
August 26, 2025 at 4:07 PM
According to @pewresearch.org, 74% of U.S. adults say they support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class. We discussed approaches to statewide cell phone bans with Louisiana Sen. Beth Mizell and the South Carolina Board of Education.

www.csg.org/2024/10/16/e...
Ending the Call: How States are Disconnecting Students from Cellphones to Reconnect with Learning - The Council of State Governments
Across the nation, legislators are taking steps to reduce the usage of cellphones and other electronic devices in schools. States are seeing increased
www.csg.org
July 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Earlier this month, the "One Big Beautiful Bill" was signed into law. Jamal Nelson, CSG national director of legislative affairs, provides a breakdown of key provisions in the newly signed law and their anticipated effects on states: www.csg.org/2025/07/16/p...
President Trump Signs Tax and Spending Bill: What it means for state governments - The Council of State Governments
In April, Congress passed a budget resolution launching the reconciliation process — a fast-track tool with major implications for states. Lawmakers are now set to craft a sweeping package focused on ...
www.csg.org
July 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
In 2024, New Mexico launched a pilot program to divert people with mental health needs and misdemeanor charges out of the justice system and into care. The CSG Justice Center breaks down 5 key strategies of the initiative:
csgjusticecenter.org/2025/06/27/n...
From Courtroom to Care: 5 Key Strategies Behind New Mexico’s Competency Diversion Pilot - CSG Justice Center
New Mexico launched a pilot program in 2024 to divert people with mental health needs and misdemeanor charges out of the justice system and into care.
csgjusticecenter.org
July 18, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Public sector AI governance has been a top priority for states, establishing statewide task forces and commissions to develop policies and oversee the use of AI in state government.
@cdt.org breaks down various approaches to AI leadership here: cdt.org/insights/sta...
State Leadership in Public Sector AI Governance: A Breakdown of Key Officials & Their Responsibilities
Many states have already acknowledged the importance of an interdisciplinary, inter-agency approach to public sector AI governance with the creation of statewide task forces and commissions to develop...
cdt.org
July 15, 2025 at 2:16 PM
About one in five adults in rural America experiences mental illness. Last month, CSG South partnered with SEED to host a panel discussion titled Rooted in Resilience: Strengthening Workforce Mental Health Supports in Rural Communities.

csgsouth.org/webinar-summ...
Webinar Summary: Mental Health and Workforce Policy in Rural Communities - CSG South
Presented by CSG South in collaboration with the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) About... Read More
csgsouth.org
June 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
It's #PublicServiceDay. We asked the 2024 20 Under 40 recipients to provide a one-word response to describe what leadership as a public servant means to them.

Here's what they had to say:
June 23, 2025 at 4:18 PM