Agriculture & Rural Development
The Economics of Herbicides: The Dicamba Dilemma
2018 Farm Bill: What Might Be Expected
Eric Bohl, Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs, Missouri Farm Bureau
Recommitting to Rural America: Policies and Initiatives in Southern States
Representative Terry England, Georgia
Jared Arnett, Executive Director, Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Kentucky
Economic Development, Transportation, Cultural Affairs
Expanding Apprenticeship Programs for Workforce Development
Kimberly Hauge, Senior Policy Analyst, National Governors Association, Washington, D.C.
The Importance of Site Selection for Promoting Growth
Adam Bruns, Managing Editor, Site Selection Magazine, Georgia
Christopher Chung, CEO, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
Effective Economic Development Strategies in Missouri
Rob Dixon, Director, Department of Economic Development, Missouri
Zora Mulligan, Commissioner, Department of Higher Education, Missouri
Education
The Whole Child Initiative: A Collaborative Approach to Education
World Class Education Systems Panel
Marc Tucker, President and CEO, National Center for Education and the Economy, Washington, D.C.
Dion Burns, Senior Researcher, Learning Policy Institute, California
Senator Joyce Elliott, SLC Education Committee Chair, Arkansas
Representative Robert Behning, Indiana
Energy & Environment
Brownfield Restoration: Leveraging Resources to Revitalize Communities
Maggie Egbarts, TAB Coordinator for EPA Regions 5 and 7, Kansas State University
Expanding the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: A Briefing from the U.S. Department of the Interior
Oklahoma’s Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program
Scott Thompson, Executive Director, Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma
The Future of Electricity Storage and the U.S. Grid
Michael Herbert, Energy Industry Analyst, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C.
Fiscal Affairs & Government Operations
National and Regional Economic Trends
Mark Vitner, Managing Director and Senior Economist, Wells Fargo, North Carolina
Examining the Federal Budget’s Effect on Southern States
How States Use Data to Inform Decisions
Amber Ivey, Officer, Government Performance, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, D.C.
Supreme Court Update
Daniel Epps, Associate Professor of Law, Washington University School of Law, Missouri
Human Services & Public Safety
Aging Inmate Populations
Anne L. Precythe, Director, and Matt Sturm, Deputy Director, Department of Corrections, Missouri
School Safety: Solutions from States
Mark Keel, Chief, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
Ted Mullenix, Former State Representative, and Representative Scott Baltz, Arkansas
Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents
Jennifer Snow, Director, Public Policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Virginia
Comparative Data Reports
Adult Corrections: Monique Appeaning, Legislative Fiscal Office, Louisiana
Education: Hank Hager, Senate, West Virginia
Medicaid: Zachary M. Rau, Legislative Fiscal Office, Louisiana
Transportation: David Talley, Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky
Staff Workshop
Supreme Court Update: A Briefing from the State and Local Legal Center
Lisa Soronen, Executive Director, State and Local Legal Center, Washington, D.C.
Handout: Supreme Court Review for States 2018
Homeland Security and Emergency Planning at State Capitols
Michael E. Dossett, Director, Kentucky Emergency Management
Retaining and Rewarding Legislative Staff
Marty Garrity, Director, Bureau of Legislative Research, Arkansas
Martha Wigton, Director, House Budget and Research Office, Georgia
Succession Planning in State Government
Adriane Crouse, Secretary of the Senate, and Patrick Baker, Senate Administrator, Missouri
STAR Award
Tennessee – Smart Steps Child Care Payment Assistance Program
Oklahoma – Feral Swine Program
Tennessee – Tennessee Promise (Winner)