- Midwestern Governors Association
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The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the Midwestern governors of states to work cooperatively on public policy issues of significance to the region. The MGA was created in December 1962 in Chicago, when articles of organization were adopted at the first annual meeting in Chicago. The members of the association include the governors of the following Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The purpose of the MGA is "to foster regional development, to attain greater efficiency in state administration, to facilitate interstate cooperation and improve intergovernmental relationships, and to provide a medium for the exchange of views and experiences on subjects of general importance to the people of the Midwestern states." In pursuit of these objectives, the MGA has, through the years, established a wide array of committees, task forces and study groups charged with investigating and reporting on various issues of regional concern.
The MGA staff supports projects undertaken by the governors and by the MGA working groups to promote regional cooperation and problem-solving. These multi-state groups of government officials work to enhance economic development in the Midwestern states and identify opportunities at the federal level to advance the MGA's goals. Issues they have recently addressed include agriculture, workforce development, international trade and tourism promotion.
The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) has Gold and Silver partners, corresponding to the different contribution and benefit levels. The Gold partners include: Altria, American Electric Power, Enbridge Energy Company, Inc., and Alliant Energy. Silver partners include: American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, American Wind Energy Association/Wind on the Wires, Bayer Health Care, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), BP America. Inc, Consumers Energy, CN, Dominion, Duke Energy, Edison Electric Institute, Eli Lilly and Company, Flint Hill Resources Golden Living, Hewlett-Packard Company, ITC Holdings Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods Global Inc., Madison Gas and Electric Company, Moore & Van Allen, PLLC, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, PhRMA, State Farm Insurance, and Trade Commission of Spain.
Contents
List of current Midwestern Governors
The current MGA Chair is Pat Quinn of Illinois. The Immediate Past Chair is Terry Branstad of Iowa.
Current Governor State Past Party Took office Seat Up Pat Quinn Illinois List Democratic 2009 2014 Mitch Daniels Indiana List Republican 2005 2012 (term-limited) Terry Branstad Iowa List Republican 2011 2014 Sam Brownback Kansas List Republican 2011 2014 Mark Dayton Minnesota List Democratic 2011 2014 Rick Snyder Michigan List Republican 2011 2014 Jay Nixon Missouri List Democratic 2009 2012 John Kasich Ohio List Republican 2011 2014 Dennis Daugaard South Dakota List Republican 2011 2014 Scott Walker Wisconsin List Republican 2011 2014 MGA's Leadership
2011 Chair- Illinois Governor Pat Quinn
2010 Chair- Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
2009 Chair- Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm
2008 Chair- South Dakota Governor Michael Rounds
2007 Chair- Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle
2006 Chair- Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Areas of focus
Governor Ted Strickland's agenda focus is Midwestern Jobs: Training Workers and Investing in Businesses for the New Energy Economy. These efforts foster economic growth and opportunities for job creation in the Midwest. Previous chairs' agendas have focused on transportation, energy, trade, reauthorization of the farm bill, and workforce development.
To convey additional policy viewpoints, recommendations or Midwestern implications, the MGA passes resolutions, produces publications and sends letters to Congress, federal agencies, and the administration.
Some of the letter topics sent to Congress by the MGA include: extending tax credit provisions, increasing ethanol blend limits, supporting Midwestern rail projects, identifying unmet federal recovery and redevelopment needs, and encouraging collaboration on greenhouse gas debate.
Current Initiatives
Current initiatives underway by the Midwestern Governors Association include:
Jobs Initiative
Energy Initiative
Rural Development
Transportation
Energy Initiative
At the MGA's November 2007 Energy Summit, Midwestern governors and the Premier of Manitoba signed ambitious regional goals to provide leadership on energy security and climate stewardship, and to stimulate economic development and job creation across the Midwest. Since then, participating states have appointed diverse representatives to advisory groups charged with developing recommendations for achieving the agreed upon goals and objectives.
Since then, participating states have appointed diverse representatives to advisory groups charged with identifying more precisely what Midwestern states should do to secure their energy future. Three of these groups, focused respectively on energy efficiency, renewable electricity and advanced coal with carbon capture, and on bioeconomy and transportation, have been meeting since 2008. An additional group was formed in 2009, focused on the creation and retention of jobs in the new energy economy. For more information on that group and the MGA's jobs initiative click here.
On October of 2009, the region's governors convened in Detroit for a Jobs and Energy Forum to release three new MGA documents:
Platform for Creating and Retaining Midwestern Jobs in the New Energy Economy,
Midwestern Energy Infrastructure Accord, and
Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Roadmap: Advisory Group Recommendations.
Jobs Initiative
Current MGA chair, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s agenda, Midwestern Jobs: Training Workers and Investing in Businesses for the New Energy Economy, will build on previous regional efforts to foster economic growth and opportunities for the Midwest in the new energy economy.
In 2009, then-MGA Chair, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, selected Creating Jobs in the New Energy Economy as her Chair’s Agenda. Toward that goal, the MGA created an Advisory Group composed of leaders from the energy, economic development, education, workforce development and venture capital sectors. The members of the Advisory Group provided their unique opinions and work experience in crafting work products for the governors.
Rural Development Initiative
With quality education systems, low crime rates, small close-knit communities, and numerous outdoor recreational activities, Midwestern states and their rural communities continue to be excellent places to live, work and raise a family. Even with this high quality of life, rural communities have challenges building and maintaining economic activity that supports the quality and well-paying jobs that are needed to promote family success. They lack the resources and economies of scale to address pressing issues such as access to quality health care, educational attainment, and economic development. Additionally federal programs designed for urban needs and high-density service delivery systems fail to meet the needs of rural communities, further compounding the development problems they face. Rural communities need to better leverage the limited federal and state funding they receive in order to maximize the return on these dollars. Rural communities need to plan strategically in order to better earn, keep and grow available state and federal dollars.
In collaboration with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the MGA has hosted learning institutes focused on rural strategies for economic success. Teams of delegates—all of whom were appointed through their respective governors' offices—share ideas and perspectives on combating rural poverty. The focus is for each team to create an action plan to bring back to their home state.
Transportation Initiative
In 2008, the MGA developed regional recommendations for the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill. The MGA continues to work toward meeting rural and urban transportation needs, achieving full funding for transportation projects and implementing high-speed rail in the region.
References
External links
Governors Associations of the United States National Party Regional 
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