LEXINGTON, Kentucky, April 24 -- The Council of State Governments issued the following news: * * * Midwest-Canada Relations: State-by-state data snapshots on binational trade and border crossings in 2024 Since 1991, The Council of State Governments' Midwestern Legislative Conference (MLC) has provided staff support to the binational Midwest-Canada Relations Committee. This binational group is made of legislators from 11 Midwestern states and four Canadian provinces. The province of Saskatchew  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, April 23 -- The Council of State Governments issued the following news: * * * Special property assessments, 'green banks' are among financing tools for states to stimulate investments in energy The idea to let Indiana commercial property owners voluntarily tax themselves to finance renewable-energy or energy-efficiency projects began in 2021 with residential property owners seeking ways to finance a switch from septic tanks to municipal sewer systems. Map showing Midwest  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, April 23 -- The Council of State Governments issued the following news: * * * States already play key role in disaster aid, recovery - and may be required to do more Know your risk. It is common advice for residents and businesses about the potential impacts of natural disasters. But what about state governments themselves? Several factors are driving states to reassess their own disaster-related fiscal and economic risks, and to implement policy changes. Here is a look  more