CHAIR'S AGENDA
2008 - South Dakota Governor M. Michael Rounds' Agenda
As the 2008 Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association,
South Dakota Governor Michael Rounds, is focusing on Transportation for Energy,
People and Products. He will also
continue completion of the Midwestern Governor’s Energy Summit Agenda.
Each region of our nation has talented people, an abundance of raw materials, the capacity to transform ideas and those materials into finished products, and the capacity to create cost-effective and reliable energy supplies. The most successful regions and states will combine and transform those assets to create a better future for their citizens. The most critical component and the catalyst for creating that better future is transportation.
Transportation is critical in the production and distribution of energy. Transportation is also a key factor in determining the price and supply stability for both fuels and electricity. Transportation is critical in creating a high quality of life for people because we rely on transportation for the basics of life, such as food, and for many of our entertainment options. Transportation is also a key factor in determining the price and availability. Since the beginning of our nation, transportation has been and continues to be critical in the movement of raw materials and distribution of finished products. Transportation still determines where the most economic growth happens. Transportation is also a key factor in the price of every product sold. In addition to helping us better manage and improve our traditional transportation systems, newer technologies are also being used as transports themselves to help people transform raw data into usable, marketable information. Those electronic transportation systems also need continuous improvements.
As the discussions continue on the reauthorization of national surface transportation legislation, Governor Rounds believes that fixing and maintaining our current transportation systems are the most critical and immediate problems to solve because our people and our economies depend on them every day. New transportation initiatives should be done in addition to, and not in place of, fixing and maintaining our core systems.
Stable energy prices and supplies, higher quality of life for our citizens and growth in the economies of our Midwestern states and region can all be realized by improving our transportation systems.
Gov. Jim Doyle’s Chair’s agenda addressed three areas of
importance to the Midwestern region.
First, Gov. Doyle hosted an MGA Energy Summit to focus on energy issues in
the Midwest. The meeting was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November
14 and 15. With a burgeoning biofuels industry, the potential for increased
geologic and terrestrial CO2 storage, abundant coal reserves, and
well-established energy conservation programs, the Midwest is the clear leader
in addressing the energy needs of the nation. As a result of the summit, Gov.
Doyle lead the MGA to adopt the
Energy and Security and
Climate Stewardship Platform and the
Midwestern
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord.
Secondly, in order to continue to compete internationally for new economic
development opportunities, the Midwest needs to increase it visibility as a
region. In response to this goal, Gov. Doyle identified two opportunities for
the states in the region to work cooperatively. The MGA will actively plan and
participate in the upcoming U.S. Midwest – China trade summit that will be held
in Chicago in 2009. Additionally, Gov. Doyle wanted the region to have a
higher profile at the BIO 2010 convention that will be held in Chicago. At both
of these events, the region’s powerful research institutions will be
highlighted, along with the numerous emerging businesses that are created by
them.
Finally, Gov. Doyle continued the MGA’s focus on the reauthorization of the
farm bill. In 2006, the MGA approved policy recommendations for the farm
bill and have been actively working with their congressional delegations to
implement these recommendations. Gov. Doyle would like to see this involvement
continue throughout the authorization and appropriations process.
2006 - Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's Agenda
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, chair of the Midwestern Governors Association in
2006, focused his chairman's agenda on two major issues. The first was the 2007
re-authorization of the farm bill. The Midwestern governors appointed
their top agriculture policy experts to a working group that determined the
governors’ bi-partisan priorities for the farm bill.
The second focus of the Chairman’s agenda was to promote the increased production and consumption of biofuels. Midwestern governors have been actively promoting biofuels, and the Midwest currently leads the nation in their overall production and consumption. Pawlenty asked the governors to appoint their top energy policy experts to a working group to focus on increasing American energy independence, to stimulate economic development and to keep the environment clean.
These working groups developed two documents. The Midwestern Governors
Association Policy Objectives and
Recommendations for the 2007 Farm Bill, was developed to be used as a
starting point to shape the future of