West Virginia Press Association
ATLANTA, GA — The 2023-2024 Council of State Governments, Southern Region (CSG South) Chair, Senate President Craig Blair, West Virginia, announced his 2024 Chair’s Initiative: Permitting Reform.
In an increasingly stagnant federal landscape, the united voice of the leaders of the states of CSG South can leverage their collective strength and advocate on national issues such as permitting reform, federal mandates tied to federal funding, energy independence, and energy resilience.
“Our goal is to light a fire under our colleagues at the federal level and lead by example by passing bipartisan resolutions all over this country urging good faith work across the aisle on this critical issue,” said Blair of his Chair’s Initiative. “This permitting reform federal affairs initiative draws attention to the overly regulated, slow-moving federal permitting processes that inhibit economic development, job growth, energy innovation, and the ability of states to update aging infrastructure.”
Senate President Blair sponsored Senate Concurrent Resolution 16, passed by the West Virginia Senate on Monday, January 15, and the House of Delegates on January 24, to urge the federal government to enact much-needed reforms to federal permitting policies to accelerate the deployment of new energy infrastructure.
“We’re on our way to a crisis in this country, and unless our Congress acts to reform these permitting laws, we’ll all be seeing higher costs and fewer jobs,” said West Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Roger Hanshaw. “We simply cannot afford any more limitations to our energy infrastructure, and if Congress refuses to do something, it will be a direct line from their inaction to rolling blackouts, national security risks, and even more crumbling infrastructure throughout the country.”
Through a federal affairs-focused survey conducted by CSG South in the fourth quarter of 2023, permitting reform was identified as the top issue of interest to state leaders in the Southern region. Lindsey Gray, CSG South Regional Executive Director, stated, “At the direction of the Senate President Craig Blair and the Executive Committee, CSG South will support the 15 states within the Southern region and carrier forward a unified voice regarding the issue of permitting reform for the states we serve.”
About CSG South
Established In 1947, The Council of State Governments Southern Office (CSG South) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that exists to support members in all three branches of state government. At CSG South, we act as an extension of state government, fostering the exchange of insights and ideas to help state officials and staff shape public policy and create problem-solving partnerships.
The mission of CSG South is to promote and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation among its 15 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Legislative leadership, members, and staff depend on CSG South to identify and analyze solutions for the most prevalent and unique policy issues facing Southern state governments. We facilitate outreach in state capitols, leadership development, staff exchange programs, domestic and international policy delegations, and other efforts to support state policymakers and legislative staff to build stronger, more prosperous states.
For more information, visit www.csgsouth.org.
