Latest news with #NationalGovernorsAssociation
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Gov. Wes Moore says Democratic governors' frustrations with the NGA are ‘justified'
The National Governors Association (NGA) summer meeting ended with a media availability, in which vice chair Gov. West Moore., D-Md., said Democratic governors' frustrations with the bipartisan group are justified.
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
How Colorado's governor is reimagining education
The legacy Gov. Jared Polis wants to leave behind is a roadmap for educating the next generation. Why it matters: The term-limited Democratic governor is issuing a call to action for the nation's governors to push a new vision that better connects education to workforce, civic and wellness outcomes. The big picture: The plan is outlined in a 48-page report released Thursday ahead of the conclusion of Polis' tenure as chair of the National Governors Association. Titled " Let's Get Ready!," it reimagines student readiness for life beyond school. The four pillars begin with competency in reading and math, but the knowledge base extends to workforce preparedness, lifelong well-being and civic engagement. To achieve this, states must develop new systems to measure outcomes and publish the data on a public dashboard, holding leaders and educators accountable. What he's saying: "We need better ways to measure the outcomes to make sure that kids are able to succeed in the world, and then … success spells economic success for our country," Polis told Axios Denver on the sidelines of the association's weekend meeting in Colorado Springs. The other side: One of the key components of the initiative is building a more effective partnership with the federal government on education. And it's unclear whether the Trump administration is willing to do so. In a discussion at the NGA conference between Polis and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, he thanked her for releasing $66 million in withheld federal dollars now headed to Colorado school districts. But she made "no guarantees" the same thing won't happen again and promised "pencil sharpening" that cuts costs in the future. What's next: Colorado is expected to join a handful of other states in a pilot program to rethink how student achievement is measured by developing new benchmarks beyond standardized testing. "We plan to lead the way … [in] making sure we can take our schools to the next level and the results for students to the next level," Polis said. The bottom line: The report builds on Polis' other education initiatives — including state-funded, part-time preschool and full-day kindergarten — and affirms his legacy as the education governor.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Democratic governors search for a balance between fighting and working with Trump
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Linda McMahon and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have largely been skewered by Democrats for the way they have run President Donald Trump's Education and Health departments. But over the weekend at a bipartisan summit of governors in Colorado Springs, they received a distinctly warm welcome — including from the Democrats on hand. Instead of pressing McMahon on her plans to eliminate the Education Department, a move that will substantially affect state budgets, Democrats who attended the National Governors Association meeting in the mountain foothills of Colorado offered praise to McMahon during a Friday session over the Trump administration's decision to release billions in education funding it had withheld. And they peppered her with questions about students' mental health, early childhood education and artificial intelligence — areas where they might be able to find common ground. On Saturday, Kennedy, whose stances on vaccines have drawn fierce criticism, held court with a group of Democratic governors, assuring them that he did not want to see budget cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services. These conciliatory moments, which occurred throughout the NGA's summer meeting, underscored the bind Democrats have found themselves in during Trump's second term: weighing when to fight back against the administration, as the base is pushing for, and when to work with it to benefit their constituents. It's a balancing act that's particularly acute at the state level. While Democrats are out of power in Washington, the party's governors have much more authority. And governors in particular have prided themselves on searching for common ground, even in a heated political environment — a core purpose of the NGA. Still, a growing number of Democrats argue that calls for bipartisanship do not meet the current moment. Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Laura Kelly of Kansas were among several Democrats who did not attend the summit. All told, seven Democratic governors and 11 Republican governors came for at least part of the weekend, the NGA said, while three governors attended virtually. Walz and Kelly, as The Atlantic first reported, declined to renew their NGA membership dues for the upcoming fiscal year, due to broader frustrations with how the group has approached the Trump administration. A source familiar with the governors' thinking said that Walz's and Kelly's feelings were 'a view held by more than just these two governors' and were a product of 'frustration' that the NGA 'had tied its own hands' by not taking a more active role in advocating for states and governors amid Trump's attacks. 'If we can't agree on standing up for states' rights, we're passively endorsing what the president is doing,' the source said. During his second term, Trump has defied or threatened many Democratic-led states. Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest over his immigration policies, despite objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump also froze federal funds for a child nutrition program in Maine after he clashed with Gov. Janet Mills over an issue related to transgender athletes. (The Trump administration later halted the freeze.) Newsom and Mills also did not attend the summit. 'We can't just walk away' Several Democratic governors who attended the weekend meeting expressed sympathy for Walz's and Kelly's decision. They also highlighted the importance of finding common ground with their political adversaries, suggesting that it remained a better option to try to win influence with them instead of not showing up. 'The promise that I made to the people of Maryland when the Trump administration came on board was that I will work with anyone, but I will bow down to no one,' Maryland's Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said during a session with reporters at the summit in response to a question from NBC News. 'But there's a clear understanding and a clear desire to be able to work with anybody to make sure that the people of my state and the people for all of our states are getting the support that they need. And I think one of the benefits of this weekend was, you know, we got a chance to sit down with Secretary Kennedy, that we got a chance to actually sit down with Secretary McMahon,' added Moore, who was elected vice char of the NGA over the weekend. He noted that previously he had not had the chance to do so in the first seven months of Trump's second term. 'I actually think it was a real benefit,' Moore said. Moore is no stranger to fighting with the administration: Most recently, he has accused Trump of denying his state federal disaster assistance for flooding in Maryland in May. Moore said he'd spoken with Walz and Kelly, calling their frustrations 'justified.' But he added that the NGA 'is never going to be either the cheerleader nor the heckler of a federal administration.' Hawaii's Democratic Gov. Josh Green, a physician who has blamed Kennedy for measles outbreaks, said he had a 'valuable' private meeting with the health secretary that lasted an hour. 'I have some deep ideological differences with Secretary Kennedy,' Green said in an interview with NBC News. But he added that creating a collaborative environment with Kennedy and McMahon helped him explain to them why he felt 'things have to happen to protect vulnerable people.' Green said that he and Kennedy discussed how governors could most effectively access the $50 billion rural hospital fund that was included in the massive tax cut and spending bill Trump recently signed into law. 'We can't just walk away, in my opinion,' Green said. 'Even though I'll keep pushing back on any changes to the vaccine schedule … I will also be able to take some advantage of the relationships.' Green also said he had 'deep disagreements' with McMahon, but that he felt it remained important to maintain a dialogue. 'Do I have concerns about working with the secretary of education?' Green said. 'Of course I do, but I would have deeper concerns if there was no one that could speak up for what I feel is about half of the country.' Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat whose term as NGA chair ended this weekend, said he invited Kennedy and McMahon in particular because governors had expressed to him that health care and education were two of the top issues they wanted to address during the event. 'I think these times call for the kind of bipartisan work of the NGA more than ever before. The American people want progress,' Polis said. 'And that only comes when the politicians stop fighting over their party labels and work together to achieve real outcomes that actually matter in people's lives.' Disagreements remain Democratic governors still made their disagreements with Republicans clear at the summit. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was among several Democratic governors to lambast the 'big, beautiful bill' and its cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. And a cadre of Democratic governors slammed Texas Republicans' plans to redraw its congressional maps ahead of schedule in an effort to help the GOP protect its narrow House majority in next year's midterm elections. In an emailed statement in response to questions from NBC News, NGA spokesperson Eric Wohlschlegel said that 'the record participation and support of NGA isn't because governors avoid tough topics; it's because NGA is one of the few places where they can cut through the noise and collectively focus on what works.' 'It's critical in a political climate where so many issues become zero-sum fights, NGA provides something increasingly rare: a forum for real, results-driven, bipartisan problem-solving. That's why governors keep showing up,' Wohlschlegel added. Green, Hawaii's governor, said that approach paid off — even though 'sometimes it gives me heartburn.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt assumes lead role in National Governors Association
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, entering his final 17 months in that office, is the new chair of the National Governors Association. Stitt, who served as vice chair during the past year, became the chair on Saturday, July 26, at the organization's summer meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He said his major initiative for the next calendar year will be called, 'Reigniting the American Dream,' which will focus on unlocking economic opportunity, empowering every learner and energizing the future with ideas such as artificial intelligence and energy independence. Stitt, a Republican, will lead the organization alongside its incoming vice chair, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. Founded in 1908, the National Governors Association includes the leaders of 55 states, territories and commonwealths in the United States. The goal of the organization is for governors to identify priority issues and deal with matters of public policy and governance at the state, national and global levels. 'We're demonstrating to America that there's so much more that we agree on than we disagree,' Stitt said. Moore said he's looking forward to working alongside Stitt. 'We look forward to being able to present an example to the rest of the country that as governors, what we focus on is getting things done,' Moore said. 'What we focus on is making sure we're serving the people of our individual jurisdictions. What we focus on is making sure that we can identify best practices and put them into action and put them into work and bring them to scale. 'That's what governors do, and it's an honor to uh to work alongside our governors of both political parties to make sure that the people of our individual jurisdictions don't forget that we're not here to play games and we're not here to be performative. No, we're here to bring real results to their lives.' During his year as chair, Stitt and other governors are planning to convene in Switzerland for an 'international learning journey,' as well as in Austin, Texas, for a 'regional economic opportunity summit' and in Philadelphia to discuss 'energy and infrastructure innovation.' The 2026 National Governors Association's summer meeting will be held in Oklahoma City. Stitt succeeds Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat, as the organization's chair. 'The beautiful thing about the American Dream is that there are as many dreams as there are people,' Stitt said. 'In a time where all we hear is about how divided we are, let's remind them that we agree on this: the American Dream doesn't need to be reimagined, it needs to be reignited. Governors are in a unique position to lead this charge. I'm grateful for the trust of my fellow Governors as we start this journey together.' Stitt's speech on Saturday included a shout-out to a unique Oklahoma school, as he touted the Oklahoma Aviation Academy, run by Norman Public Schools, as an innovative education model. The academy is essentially a public immersion school for high school students wishing to pursue a career in any number of aviation-related fields. Only a handful of similar schools exist anywhere in the U.S. 'Here's the deal — students need heroes and role models,' Stitt told his fellow governors. 'I want us to look at how we can expand apprenticeships and internships, so students get real-world training earlier in their academic career. We can give students meaningful experiences that lead to real jobs without saddling them with debt.' Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, issued a statement Saturday about Stitt, noting the governor had been 'chosen by his peers' to lead the National Governors Association. 'The most meaningful and effective policies in our nation originate at the state level, and this selection gives Governor Stitt a unique platform to help shape America's future as our country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in the coming year,' Hilbert said. 'I look forward to working with him in his new role." This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt now the chair of National Governors Association Solve the daily Crossword
Epoch Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Some Democrats Absent as National Governors Association Wrestles With Partisanship
COLORADO SPRINGS—In the shadow of the Rockies at a resort hotel, state leaders assembled on July 25 and 26—some of them, anyway. They came to the Broadmoor for the National Governors Association's summer meeting, where Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, handed over the leadership gavel to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican.
