For all questions about the Annual Meeting, please contact csgwam@csg.org.
Download the schedule-at-a-glance (as of May 19, 2023)
Tuesday, August 1
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2:00-6:30 p.m. | Registration Opens Attendees are asked to check-in at the registration desk to receive meeting information and credentials. |
| 2:30-5:30 p.m. | CSG National Nominating Committee (invite only) 2024 Officer Positions for CSG West and CSG National Information |
| 3:30-5:30 p.m. | Navigating Conflict in the Legislature through Effective Dialogue Conflict is an important and inevitable component of the legislative process. In this interactive session, participants will learn the main communication traps that stall effective negotiations, and the tools to counteract them, before having an opportunity to put those lessons into practice. The workshop will be led by internationally acclaimed negotiations expert, Elizabeth McClintock, who brings over 25 years of working with public sector officials across the country and the globe. |
| 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Networking Hour Get to know your hosts, meet fellow guests, and learn about the opportunities Universal City offers to recreate, relax, and rejuvenate. |
| 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Welcome Dinner at the Sheraton Circle The meeting will kick off with an evening event that celebrates the state’s diversity. California “knows how to party,” so join in as the host committee rolls out the red carpet for you! |
| 8:30-10:00 p.m. | California Night! (invite only) |
Wednesday, August 2
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. | Registration Open Attendees are asked to check-in at the registration desk to receive meeting information and credentials. |
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Opening Ceremony & Breakfast Open to all registered attendees and guests, this morning’s breakfast will feature the Annual Meeting Opening Ceremony. Following the posting of the colors, pledge of allegiance, and national anthem, CSG West Chair, Assemblymember Mike Gipson will offer an official welcome to kick off the meeting activities. |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Engaging Stakeholders: Broadening Support and Impact Working in a legislative environment requires lawmakers to engage with a wide variety of audiences to bring effective policy into law. Participants will walk away from this session with a deeper understanding of how to balance the interplay between elected officials, government affairs groups, community leaders, and industry experts. Bringing her decades of experience working in government affairs and executive coaching to the table, this session will be led by award-winning author and speaker, Cicely Simpson. |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Trends in Government Accountability, Transparency, and Oversight Participating legislators will exchange ideas on successes and improvements to enhance legislative oversight in their respective chambers, including an overview of the nuts and bolts of legislative oversight and how it can be an effective tool to further government accountability, transparency, and responsiveness. The Legislative Oversight Working Group hosts this session. |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Chairs Forum: Preparing for the Future of Electric Vehicles Discuss trends in electric vehicles and what this means for policymakers across the region, including policy implications on infrastructure, charging stations, commercial fleet vehicles, and more. |
| 8:30-11:00 a.m. | Nominating Committee (invite only) During this session, Nominating Committee members will convene interviews of applicants for the 2024 CSG West Vice-Chair position. Due to the nature of the session, attendance is strictly limited to members of the Nominating Committee and interviewing candidates only. |
| 10:00-10:30 a.m. | Refreshment Break at the Capitol Connections Café A great place to connect with colleagues, the Capitol Connections Café welcomes attendees to sit, sip, and recharge between sessions. |
| 10:30-12:30 p.m. | Accelerating Energy Infrastructure: Permitting Reform at the Federal and State Level The National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and other permitting processes, intended to protect our environment while allowing for the development and siting of critical energy infrastructure, can create delays, increase costs, and sometimes fail to provide environmental and community protection against unintended consequences. Each state follows NEPA for federal-funded projects and may have permitting requirements that are more stringent than the federal standards. In the West, where federal lands are often the path for infrastructure, the challenges and delays can be even more significant. Legislators will examine the benefits and drawbacks of the permitting process and how permitting can be improved across the region. The Energy & Environment Committee hosts this session. |
| 10:30-12:30 p.m. | Facing the Housing Challenges of the Rapidly Growing West The current housing crisis is among state policymakers’ most pressing and complex challenges. In the West, extraordinary population growth, a shortage of building supply, and skyrocketing rents yield even greater urgency on a regional level. Assess state initiatives to address housing affordability and availability. Policymakers will discuss what has been working and where the most significant challenges persist while widening the scope of how states might consider focusing their efforts. Key topic areas will include incentivizing development, rent stabilization policies, permanent supportive housing, and examples of “outside-the-box” approaches to increase affordable housing. The Housing Committee hosts this session. |
| 10:30-11:30 p.m. | Legislative Learning Lab: Addressing the Health Care Affordability Crisis: Policy Solutions and Strategies Join an insightful session into the rising costs of health care. Policymakers will better understand the underlying factors that contribute to rising costs and hinder affordable health care, including provider consolidation and anti-competitive contracting practices. Explore the potential policy solutions and evidence-based strategies to foster competition, promote transparency, and enable access to high-quality, affordable health care. Regence Health Policy Center sponsors this Legislative Learning Lab. |
| 12:30-2:15 p.m. | General Session Lunch & Keynote – Erik Wahl Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. Erik’s presentation inspires leaders to be increasingly agile and outlines how to use disruption as a competitive advantage. Some will be disrupted others will choose to be the disruptor. Choose wisely. |
| 2:15-2:30 p.m. | Refreshment Break at the Capitol Connections Café A great place to connect with colleagues, the Capitol Connections Café welcomes attendees to sit, sip, and recharge between sessions. |
| 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Building More Effective Healthcare Solutions Engage in a robust conversation on relevant issues facing Western states. For example, how policymakers are working with many stakeholders to address the ongoing opioid crisis and advances in efforts to confront mental health challenges. Other topics may include disparities in health delivery and the long-term mental and funding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Committee hosts this session. |
| 2:30-3:20 p.m. | Legislative Learning Lab: Microgrids 101 Leading North American microgrid developers share how microgrids are a critical tool to meet aggressive clean energy targets. This session will include an overview of microgrids, how they can provide customers with resiliency, reduce strain on the grid, scale local clean energy, save ratepayer funds and optimize clean energy within communities. Additionally, the session will cover barriers to building microgrids in the West. Schneider Electric and Sunnova sponsor this Legislative Learning Lab. |
| 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Powering the West Through a Reliable Energy Grid This informative and interactive session will focus on the importance of the safety and reliability of the power grid. This issue has an outsized role in the Western region’s economic stability, growth, and innovative potential. The Westrends Board hosts this session. |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Sponsored Receptions |
| 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Evening Event – Dinner at Madame Tussauds Meet some of your most favorite stars past and present, in wax, at Madame Tussauds Hollywood wax museum. Join us for this evening event right on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. |
| 8:30-10:00 p.m. | Sponsored Reception |
Thursday, August 3
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. | Registration Open Attendees are asked to check in at the registration desk to receive meeting information and credentials. |
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 7:30-10:00 a.m. | Leadership Coffee Talk (invite only) Legislative leaders, Executive Committee members, and premier sponsorship partners are invited to an exclusive breakfast and conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing their legislatures. This interactive session will be facilitated by Western Legislative Academy trainer, Scott Raecker, Executive Director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center. |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Chairs Forum: Wrapping Our Heads Around AI As artificial intelligence (AI) technology evolves, lawmakers are now considering the implications of these technologies and advances in workforce development, algorithmic decision-making bias, and accountability. Experts from across fields will discuss innovations, opportunities, and responsibilities. |
| 10:00-10:30 a.m. | Refreshment Break at the Capitol Connections Café A great place to connect with colleagues, the Capitol Connections Café welcomes attendees to sit, sip, and recharge between sessions. |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Private Sector Forum (invite only) Private sector forum members will share insights and ideas aimed at strengthening the programs, services, and partnerships of CSG West. |
| 10:30-12:30 p.m. | Approaches to Dams and Hydrogen in the U.S. and Canada Dam infrastructure safety and hydrogen production are significant issues in the U.S. and Canada. Both countries have many dams to store water, but each takes a different approach to safety. Furthermore, Canada and the U.S. share ambitious energy transition goals, and hydrogen is a fuel for which both countries are increasing production. Are there opportunities to join efforts with our neighbor? What can we learn from one another? The Canada Relations Committee hosts this session. |
| 10:30-12:30 p.m. | Optimizing School Funding Formulas How do states determine appropriate school funding formulas? What would adequate funding of public schools look like? Which services are needed, and where can states invest to meet workforce needs more effectively? This session will examine these questions, among others, as policymakers dive deeper into school funding formulas. Participants will discuss advantages, disadvantages, and considerations in existing formulas and explore examples of new school funding models implemented in states. The Education Committee hosts this session. |
| 10:30-11:30 p.m. | Legislative Learning Lab: Improving Equity and Outcomes in Kidney Health Care Kidney disease is a global health problem disproportionately affecting minority populations. Racial and ethnic disparities exist at every level – disease risk, progression, and access to treatment options, including home dialysis and transplant. During this session, we will discuss ways to improve health equity and health outcomes for kidney patients. In addition, we will explore how dialysis fits into the overall healthcare infrastructure and discuss efforts to increase access to treatment and provide more upstream care that will prevent and/or slow the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure. Fresenius sponsors this Legislative Learning Lab. |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. | Energy Transition: Challenges and Opportunities Leading experts in climate and energy sciences recognize that achieving carbon neutrality will require multiple pathways of effort. Moreover, they recognize that those pathways must not only result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions but also be sustainable. Many communities, particularly coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities, already face economic and environmental challenges related to the energy transition. Join three of our nation’s National Laboratories to learn about their work with states to advance energy innovation and what they do to help inform a sustainable, affordable, and equitable energy transition through their research and community engagement efforts. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory sponsor this Legislative Learning Lab |
| 12:30-2:15 p.m. | General Session Lunch & Keynote – Sekou Andrews Sekou Andrews is founder/CEO of SekouWorld, Inc., and one of the world’s most successful spoken word poets. He is the innovator of “Poetic Voice,” – a cutting-edge speaking category that seamlessly fuses inspirational speaking with spoken word poetry, like “Hamilton” meets “TED.” |
| 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Enhancing Data and Reforms in Public Safety Address some pressing issues facing states to achieve desired outcomes and safe communities, including the importance of data collection and analysis and efforts to enhance officer safety and wellness as public safety agencies undergo reforms. The Public Safety Committee hosts this session. |
| 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Protecting our Western Agricultural Ecosystem Agriculture and water resources in the West are under tremendous pressure from climate change and the need to meet the needs of a growing population. Challenges include leaving acreage unused due to lack of water, the threat of soil loss, erosion, and increased dust. Opportunities include the broad deployment and use of precision irrigation and agricultural inputs, smart water use technology, and increased water conservation. Western legislative leaders will discuss these issues and what the future of agriculture and water might look like. The Agriculture and Water Committee hosts this session. |
| 2:30-4:30 p.m. | The Promise of Biomarkers to Improve Health Outcomes Biomarkers are effective tests to ensure that patients receive the correct disease treatment. This informative session will discuss the latest advances in diagnostic testing for disease states and reducing overall healthcare costs by treating the right patient at the right time. Learn from patient groups and providers about their experiences and improved health outcomes due to precision medicine. Genentech sponsors this Legislative Learning Lab. |
| 4:30-5:00 p.m. | Refreshment Break at the Capitol Connections Café A great place to connect with colleagues, the Capitol Connections Café welcomes attendees to sit, sip, and recharge between sessions. |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. | Oregon Kickoff for the 2024 CSG West Annual Meeting Oregon, hosts of the 2024 Annual Meeting, invites you to a special reception. After, you can keep connecting as you head out on the town for a night out to appreciate local restaurants and attractions. |
| 6:00-7:00 p.m. | Sponsored Receptions |
| 7:00 p.m. | Free evening to enjoy all that Hollywood has to offer |
| 8:30-10:00 p.m. | Sponsored Reception |
Friday, August 4
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Registration Open Attendees are asked to check in at the registration desk to receive meeting information and credentials. |
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Chairs Forum: State Efforts to Address Gun Violence Learn how Western states respond in different and innovative ways to curb gun violence in their respective states and communities. The session will feature a diverse and bipartisan panel of state legislators and stakeholders sharing their insights, perspectives, and relevant data. |
| 8:30-10:00 a.m. | Improving China-U.S. Relations Where do we go from here? It has been a decade since the National People’s Congress elected Xi Jinping when he became China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. Since then, three different U.S. administrations have taken various approaches to the binational relationship with slight improvement. The tension and mistrust are real. This international program session will present the perspectives of subnational officials, academics, business executives, and others who want to advance a constructive dialogue for improved relations between the two countries. |
| 10:00-10:30 a.m. | Refreshment Break at the Capitol Connections Café A great place to connect with colleagues, the Capitol Connections Café welcomes attendees to sit, sip, and recharge between sessions. |
| 10:30-11:30 p.m. | Challenges with Poor Sleep: Sleep Health, Sleep Hygiene, and Sleep Disorders This session will address challenges patients face, such as the requirements for sleep therapy, pre-authorization, and co-pay accumulator policies when pharmacy benefit managers do not apply for co-payment assistance programs. It will also highlight legislative efforts in Western states to address these issues. Jazz Pharmaceuticals sponsors this Legislative Learning Lab. |
| 10:30-12:00 p.m. | Implementing Augmented and Virtual Reality in Education and Workforce Development Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality technologies are promising due to their immersive nature and ability to share information in multiple ways, including engaging different populations such as youth and young adults with disabilities. This session will provide an opportunity to learn and discuss the implementation of technologies in career and technical and STEM education, as well as how they can provide soft and career development skills that can prepare students for success after high school. |
| 10:30-12:00 p.m. | Executive Committee Meeting (invite only) Members of the CSG West Executive Committee will convene for their annual review of organizational business and confirmation of the incoming CSG West Vice Chair. Participation is limited to Executive Committee members. |
| 12:00 p.m. | Depart for Afternoon at Universal Studios After sessions conclude, participants will receive a complimentary ticket to Universal with an onsite dinner, followed by an exclusive back lot tour. This is an event not to be missed! |
| 6:30-8:00 p.m. | Dinner Event at Universal Studios |
| 8:30-10:00 p.m. | VIP Private Back Lot Tour Experience at Universal Studios |
Sessions are open to all registered attendees unless otherwise noted.