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| Ariz. Gov. Doug Ducey spoke during a panel at the NGA 2018 meeting. (Associated Press photo by Jose Magana) |
On Guns:
Gun laws weren't on the official agenda, though President Trump said at the conference's opening night black-tie ball that the recent school shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wanted to discuss with the nation's governors, Darlene Superville reports for The Associated Press.
Republican governors were skeptical about the possibility of arming teachers, which Trump has said would help deter future attacks. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who is also the chairman of the NGA, met with Vice President Mike Pence on Friday to discuss school shootings. On Friday Sandoval told reporters he supports Trump's proposal to ban bump stocks, but said that arming teachers "needs a lot more discussion. At first blush it concerns me . . . You've got to look and see what the other alternatives are. Perhaps we just need to secure the schools a little better," Gary Martin reports for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam told Politico "I’m not certain I see arming teachers as being the answer because I think there’s a very small percentage of teachers who say 'yes, I want to do that.'" Haslam said last week that he supports banning bump stocks and raising the age for purchasing a high-powered rifle to 21. And Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey told Politico that he prefers only resource officers to have guns in school so teachers can focus on teaching. "Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican in a relatively liberal state, pled with his legislature last week to fast-track a bill that would remove guns from people deemed a threat. He said he’s 'changed completely' on gun issues since the Parkland shooting," Politico reports. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he supports better background checks, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said he was open to restricting access to so-called assault rifles. And Florida Gov. Rick Scott is urging the state legislature to pass a bill that would raise the age on gun sales to 21, ban bump stocks, and spend at least $450 million on mental health and enhancing security in schools.
On Rural Broadband:
Microsoft announced its first rural broadband partner, Packerland Broadband, to bring broadband internet to about 82,000 people living in rural northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan within the next four years. The initiative is part of a coalition between Microsoft and a host of rural broadband and tech groups called Connect Americans Now, aimed at eliminating the digital divide in rural America. During his NGA address, Microsoft President Brad Smith criticized the Federal Communications Commission's failure to generate good data on broadband availability.
On Agriculture:
A plenary session was dedicated to "The Future of Food and Agriculture." Zippy Duvall, who is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in his NGA address that America's agricultural economy hinges on infrastructure. "Infrastructure’s so important. Road, bridges, dams and locks are so important," Duvall said, according to Eleanor Lamb of Transport Topics. "What sets us apart from the rest of the world is our infrastructure. Yes, it is crumbling, but we have a president who wants to rebuild it." Duvall also said that preserving the North American Free Trade Agreement is necessary, though he said some parts of it could be reworked. NAFTA negotiations are now in their sixth round.
On Opioids:
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in remarks at the NGA meeting that the Food and Drug Administration plans to expand medication-assisted treatment by allowing pharmaceutical companies to sell medications that help curb cravings, even if they don't completely stop addiction. HHS will issue draft guidelines for the proposal in the next few weeks, Sheila Kaplan reports for The New York Times.
Earlier this month, the NGA announced two new projects aimed at helping states combat the opioid epidemic. "In one, participating states will travel to Kentucky to learn about how that state is addressing the increased risk of infectious disease through public health surveillance and community prevention efforts. In the second, states will learn from Ohio’s efforts to better serve pregnant and post-natal women with opioid use disorder and improve health outcomes for their babies," according to the NGA's press release.
from The Rural Blog http://ift.tt/2CKv7H4 National Governors Association meeting addresses broadband, opioids and ag; guns discussed, though not on the agenda - Entrepreneur Generations
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