CNCounty News

2025 NACo Legislative Conference Coverage

Upcoming Events

Conference

2025 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition

Related News

County News

NACo kicks off 2025 Legislative Conference

County News

Bob Dixon - Meet the candidates - 2025

US Capitol side

Follow along with County News during NACo’s Legislative Conference: policy steering committees, General Session speakers, educational workshops and more.

Tagged In:

County News: 2025 NACo Legislative Conference

NACo President James Gore (left), a Sonoma County, Calif. supervisor, greets Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) March 4 at the NACo Legislative Conference General Session at the Washington Hilton. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Padilla calls for common sense bipartisanship to tackle disasters, mental health crisis

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) started learning about wildfire damage firsthand as a Senate staffer in the 1990s, which gave him experience and perspective seeing how counties responded after disasters.

Veterans Affairs Sec. Doug Collins speaks to a General Session audience March 3 at NACo’s 2025 Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Helping veterans, with an assist from counties, is ‘priority number one,’ VA secretary says

County officials can “touch more lives than any member of Congress or any governor,” because they see their constituents every day, said Doug Collins, the new VA secretary.

Fred Humphries (right), corporate vice president of U.S. Government Affairs for Microsoft, describes how a novice county should approach its introduction to artificial intelligence during the March 3 General Session at NACo’s Legislative Conference. Travis County, Texas Judge Andy is to the left. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Risk mitigation, education top counties’ AI prep goals

Members of NACo’s Artificial Intelligence Exploratory Committee spent a year considering the capabilities, opportunities, threats and best practices that the rapidly developing technology sector poses for county governments.

Los Angeles County, Calif. Supervisor Kathryn Barger discusses the coordination necessary to help rebuild her community after deadly wildfires displaced 150,000 residents. Photo by Leon Lawrence III
County News

LUCC members hear challenges, solutions to disasters

Disasters require coordinated, multi-level responses that support the long-term resilience of urban counties.

Jonathan Harwitz, director of policy for the Housing Assistance Council, speaks to NACo’s Rural Action Caucus March 2. Photo by Lana Farfan
County News

Rural housing affordability approaches crisis

Policy solutions mentioned in the national discussion on housing affordability often pose a mismatch with the conditions on the ground in rural counties.

Guilford County, N.C. Commissioner Carly Cooke, vice-chair of the Midsize County Caucus Exploratory Committee, makes a point March 2 before a crowded room. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

NACo members explore adding a midsize county caucus

If the NACo Board approves it, a midsize county caucus would join LUCC and RAC.

 Stephen McCall, the director of research for PHI, discusses the role of Medicaid in home and community-based services March 1 before the Health Policy Steering Committee. Blaire Bryant, legislative director for Health Policy, sits to his right. Photo by Leon Lawrence III
County News

Medicaid cuts threaten home and community-based care

Roughly 40% of home care workers live in low-income households and the majority rely on some form of public assistance, with about one-third relying on Medicaid.

Emily Brock (right), director of the Government Finance Officers Association Federal Liaison Center, explains why tax-exempt municipal bonds are best suited to serve counties’ infrastructure financing needs. Brian Egan, chief policy officer for the National Association of Bond Lawyers, looks on. Photo by Lana Farfan
County News

Stakes rise for counties in municipal bond fight

Bond experts see alternatives pale in comparison to tax-free finance tools.

Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) addresses NACo's Public Lands Steering Committee March 1. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

History fuels optimism for county veteran Maloy

The second-term member of Congress from Southern Utah sees parallels to the 1930s government transformation.

 Lake County, Ill. Board Member Jennifer Clark makes a point during a panel discussion Saturday, March 1 on ‘digital skilling.’ Looking on are fellow panelists Kyla Williams-Tate, Cook County, Ill. Digital Equity director and Wake County, N.C. CIO Jonathan Feldman. Photo by Denny Henry
County News

Panel touts bridging digital skills gap

Digital literacy skills are becoming increasingly crucial not just for county officials, but their constituents, too. 

capitol22725
County News

NACo kicks off 2025 Legislative Conference

County officials are addressing workforce gaps, land use, intergovernmental partnerships, disaster response and preparedness, federal regulations and the future of artificial intelligence at NACo’s 2025 Legislative Conference.

Top Stories

Explore the recent top stories from County News.

Andrews County Health Department director Gordon Mattimoe looks over the supply of refrigerated measles vaccines at the old City Hall building in Andrews, Texas. Photo by Mark Rogers for The Texas Tribune
County News

Measles outbreak underscores rural healthcare challenges

Texas and New Mexico counties are working to boost vaccination rates in response to the recent measles outbreak, which has included deaths in both states.

US Capitol side
County News

2025 NACo Legislative Conference Coverage

Follow along with County News during NACo’s Legislative Conference: policy steering committees, General Session speakers, educational workshops and more.

Durham County, N.C. Commissioner Wendy Jacobs listens to a speaker during NACo's Intergovernmental Roundtable on Local Behavioral Health Crisis Response. Photo by Nicole Weissman
County News

Panel: People in crisis need support, not handcuffs

Counties can better serve people experiencing a behavioral health crisis by engaging behavioral health specialists instead of law enforcement, experts told county officials at a recent meeting held at NACo headquarters.