Capitol Comments

Going Where the Money Is ... Medicaid

Legislators are under the gun to balance state budgets and that means understanding the ins and outs of Medicaid, a major spending program in all states and territories.

The Council of State Governments has developed Medicaid 101: A Primer for State Legislators to help state legislators learn about Medicaid, the federal-state matching program that provides health insurance for one in four U.S. children, large numbers of elderly and people with disabilities and low-income parents.

Policy analysts at CSG with experience in administering state Medicaid programs provide the background and detail necessary for legislators to understand administrative testimony on Medicaid and to ask appropriate questions of state Medicaid officials. 

Stimulus Package to Help Medicaid Programs

The $825 billion economic recovery package presented by House Democrats includes $88 billion to increase the federal share of states’ Medicaid costs.

States would receive a bump of 4.9 percent in their federal matching rate for nine quarters, retroactive to October 2008. In addition, states could receive an additional increase in federal funds if they experience significant increases in unemployment rates.

In order to qualify for the increased Medicaid funds, states must not restrict Medicaid eligibility levels above those in place July 1, 2008. Restrictions prohibited include income eligibility or changes that make it more difficult for individuals to meet procedural requirements for enrollment or renewal.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has released a preliminary analysis of the increases each state could expect in state fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011.  In addition, check out a comparison between House and Senate versions of the plan.

CSG Justice Center Releases Mental Health Court Primer

The Council of State Governments Justice Center today released Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and Practitioners.

The primer was unveiled at the Philadelphia policy forum of the Chief Justices’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, through which state Supreme Court chief justices receive support as they establish statewide task forces to improve the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. Mental health courts are one of many issues the collaborative task forces are considering as they develop strategic plans for the coming year.

The primer provides the field with its first comprehensive introduction to this increasingly popular specialty court model, which connects individuals with mental illnesses to treatment services while under court supervision. The publication—supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice—presents an overview and history of mental health courts. It describes mental health courts’ goals and processes, how they differ from drug courts, research findings about their effectiveness, and resources for jurisdictions interested in starting a program.

The primer complements a recent Justice Center publication, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court.

Get free copies of both publications.

2009 Toll Fellows Program Applications Available

From economic downturns and resulting budget shortfalls to rising health care costs, a myriad of complex issues face today’s state government officials. For a quarter of a century, The Council of State Governments’ Toll Fellows Program has been dedicated to building qualified state leaders and equipping them with the skills they need to tackle such demanding problems.

The 2009 Toll Fellows Program will be held in Lexington, Ky., Sept. 12-17.

Toll Fellow Hilda Solis Tapped for Secretary of Labor

President-elect Barack Obama has nominated U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis of California, a 1998 Toll Fellow, to be his secretary of labor.

Solis, the daughter of immigrants, has dedicated her career to forwarding fair labor practices.  As a California state senator, Solis fought to increase the state minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996.

“I am humbled and honored to be nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as Secretary of Labor,” said Solis. “I look forward to working with President-elect Obama to reinvest in work force training, build effective pipelines to provide at-risk youth and underserved communities with sustainable skills, and support high-growth industries by training the workers they need. This includes promoting green collar jobs.”

Lieutenant Governors Explore Economic Options in China

By Julia Hurst

The economies of the United States and China are intrinsically linked, China Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Liu Jieyi told five lieutenant governors during a National Lieutenant Governors Association economic development and humanitarian mission to China in October.

Jieyi said China has supported the United States through its economic downturn, in part, by issuing statements of support and optimism.

Exploring Sustainable Development in China

By Julia Hurst

Environmentally responsible urban and rural development is a challenge.

And that’s not just true in the United States. Many other nations around the world face that same challenge, as five lieutenant governors found out in October during a trip to China as part of a National Lieutenant Governors Association economic development and humanitarian mission.

China Housing Vice Minister Dr. Qiu Baoxing said China needs to build housing and infrastructure for its growing population of more than 1.3 billion people and to maintain an expressway second in length only to one in the U.S.

Development of walkable cities, public transit and green buildings are keys to future plans, Baoxing told lieutenant governors from Alabama, Connecticut, Kansas, Nevada and Wisconsin. He also said that China will need technical support, financial support and human capacity to learn quickly how to complete urban and rural development correctly.

Lieutenant Governors See Devastation of Chinese Earthquake

NLGA Executive Director Julia Hurst joins dozens of chidlren who survived an earthquake in China. The children and their families are staying temporarily at a Sichuan high school. 

By Julia Hurst

As a part of an economic development and humanitarian mission to China, five members of the National Lieutenant Governors Association visited China’s Sichuan Province where more than 69,000 Chinese people died as a result of the May 12, 2008, earthquake. That earthquake measured 8.0 magnitude on the Richter scale.

“Thank you with heartfelt gratitude for coming to investigate the tragedy which has befallen this area,” said Mianyang Vice Mayor Wan Lianpo. The Sichuan Province suffered more than $450 billion in damage and lost more than 7,000 school classrooms, according to The New York Times.   
 

NLGA’s China Mission Solidifies Importance of Sister Provinces

By Julia Hurst

During the National Lieutenant Governors Association economic development and humanitarian mission to China in October, several lieutenant governors met with officials from the sister provinces of their states. These relationships gave rise to exchange of information, education, trade and more.

“The mission offered an insight into the unique opportunities that exist in forming relationships between China and our respective states,” said Alabama Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom.

The mission was part of NLGA Chair Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton’s focus on bringing jobs and economic development to the U.S. Lawton met with Zhao Erli, Heilongjiang Province’s director-general of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. Erli expressed interest in hosting a delegation of Wisconsin agriculture, dairy, animal husbandry and cranberry experts to discuss best practices, dairy modernization and potential trade opportunities.