US West governors adopt bipartisan resolutions on environment, energy, healthcare

Governors from the U.S. West came together this week to adopt a set of bipartisan resolutions, with a goal of solidifying state and federal partnerships on environmental policies, as well as energy, healthcare and labor issues.

The leaders, who convened in Las Vegas for a Western Governors' Association (WGA) meeting, approved five new measures as part of a larger set of 29 policy resolutions — which help inform their collective advocacy for Western priorities in Washington, D.C.

“This organization operates in what I would argue isn't really bipartisan anymore, it's nonpartisan, it's having concrete conversations with experts all across the country," New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), this year's WGA chair, said in a statement.

"We ask tough questions and figure out ways to make that meaningful and solve those problems," Lujan Grisham added.

Also attending this latest meeting of the WGA, which represents the heads of the 22 westernmost U.S. states and territories, were five other governors: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), this year's vice chair; Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D); Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D); Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R); and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R).

The first resolution adopted by the group focused on the energy sector as both a significant contributor to U.S. West economies and a critical resource to meeting the nation's demands. The governors expressed their collective commitment to grid modernization and resilience, innovation and economic and workforce development, while also incorporating the geothermal and decarbonization goals of the two previous WGA chairs, Polis and Gordon.

A second resolution, on air quality protection and management, recognized the fact that Western states have achieved significant emissions reductions in recent decades. However, the resolution also emphasized a need to address ongoing challenges in the region — recommending stronger state-federal cooperation on regulating air quality, ozone, particulate matter, haze, methane and hydrofluorocarbon releases. Also included in this measure was support for prescribed burns, which the governors said could reduce the polluting effects of extreme wildfires.

The third resolution, regarding workforce development, centered on the expansion of work-based learning, high-quality career and technical education and lifelong learning opportunities.

A fourth resolution focused on what's known as "compensatory mitigation," or the restoration of wetlands to offset environmental impacts from land development — either directly or through the purchase of credits. Stressing the vital role compensatory measures play in their areas, the governors urged the federal government, which owns sizable chunks of land across the West, to adhere to state-based mitigation programs and policies.

The fifth resolution, regarding physical and behavioral healthcare, noted the unique challenges that can prevent Western residents from accessing these services, particularly in rural, frontier or tribal communities. The governors acknowledged the importance of robust state-federal partnerships, with a goal of ensuring that all levels of government are collaborating on these issues.

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