Contributed By Senator Karen Morgan – 8th Utah Senate District

In the wake of the financial recession, state legislators began taking constructive policy actions towards relieving the future pangs of financial instability. Utah enacted a required high school financial literacy course, which began with the graduating class of 2008. 

Contributed by Senator Lesil McGuire of Alaska

In Alaska, oil and natural gas provide the backbone of our economy. We are blessed with proven resources and continued potential for fossil fuel development. But Alaska is also uniquely situated to be a world leader in the development of cleaner, greener renewable and alternative energies.

As traffic congestion worsens each year, state legislatures from across the country are looking at innovative ways to mitigate congestion, improve air quality, save energy and improve quality of life within local communities. State legislators play an integral role as a stakeholder in their state’s transportation planning. It is important that legislators work with all stakeholders, from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to federal representatives, to ensure a plan that is comprehensive and coordinated among all involved.

Women In Government State Directors Rep. Kim Meltzer and Sen. Martha G. Scott hosted a State Briefing in Michigan on February 25. This briefing featured Karen Steinberg from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and continued the efforts from the 2009 Adult Learning Summit.
 

Mary Brooks Beatty, President of Women In Government, represented the United States at the Women Against Cervical Cancer (WACC) Third International Forum. The forum was held February 17-18, 2010 in Monaco. WACC represents 31 women’s organizations from 22 nations across the world.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that the North Carolina Community Care Networks (NC-CCN) was selected to expand Patient Centered Medical Homes. The Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a comprehensive approach to primary care for patients and coordinated care throughout the system. Centered on primary care, it reduces costs and improves quality. The PCMH encourages the use of primary and preventative care for patients which moves away from the current model of acute episodic care.