America's nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees are on the frontlines of the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. As the country emerges from the pandemic and grapples with the toll it has taken on our citizens, counties are responding and rebuilding. At the same time, many counties are still confronting significant workforce shortage pressures at a time with growing, critical resident needs.

With American Rescue Plan funds, counties are strengthening America's workforce, addressing the nation's behavioral health crisis, expanding broadband access, improving housing affordability and building prosperous communities for the next generation.

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Advocacy

Congress votes to end longest federal government shutdown in history

On November 12, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a Continuing Resolution and funding package (CR) to end the shutdown of the federal government that began October 1. 

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Advocacy

Congress advances resolutions to overturn three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans

On October 8 and 9, the U.S. Congress passed resolutions under Congressional Review Act authority expressing disapproval of three Bureau of Land Management resource management plans covering public lands in Montana, Alaska and North Dakota. The resolutions repeal recently finalized resource management plans and revert the areas to prior land use plans.

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Advocacy

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces it will not develop a recovery plan for the gray wolf

On November 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would not develop a national recovery plan for the gray wolf, which is currently considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act in much of the contiguous United States. The Service’s assessment, which determines that a nationwide recovery plan is no longer necessary for gray wolves, is consistent with previous federal agency findings that the species no longer warrant endangered or threatened species protection.

Panelists discuss small opioid settlement allocation best practices at NACo on Nov. 6. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

Counties pivot as federal substance use funding shifts

Looming reforms include H.R. 1 cuts to Medicaid and restrictions to Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grants and an executive order’s restrictions on harm reduction initiatives and replacement of the “Housing First” approach to substance use disorder and homelessness with a treatment-first model.

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Advocacy

NACo and local intergovernmental organizations send letter urging an end to the shutdown

 NACo sent a letter to congressional leadership calling for an end of the government shutdown