National Governors Association

James L. Martin, 76, who spent more than three decades as chief Washington lobbyist for the National Governors Association, died July 17 at his home in Silver Spring. He had complications from a fall in May. Mr. Martin was regarded as the association's top behind-the-scenes operative from 1967 until his retirement in 1998. He then had a private consulting firm until his death. "Most of my lobbying is directed toward my members — governors — getting them to be lobbyists on particular issues," Mr....

The nation's governors had a message Saturday for Americans frustrated that Washington's persistent partisan gridlock appears likely to trigger an across-the-board budget cut March 1 that could delay airline travel and result in hundreds of thousands of layoffs: They're frustrated too. Meeting in Washington for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association , state chief executives from both parties expressed deepening concern...

Regarding the July 16 news article " Timing of defense cuts has governors worried ": Under current law, certain large defense contractors would be required to issue notices of potential layoffs in the event that the federal government doesn't reach a deal in time to stop automatic spending cuts scheduled for January. These notices would be delivered just before the November elections, and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), the incoming chairman of the National Governors Association, stated that the timing of such a move could prove...

Regarding the July 16 news article " Timing of defense cuts has governors worried ": Under current law, certain large defense contractors would be required to issue notices of potential layoffs in the event that the federal government doesn't reach a deal in time to stop automatic spending cuts scheduled for January. These notices would be delivered just before the November elections, and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), the incoming chairman of the National Governors Association, stated that the timing of such a move could prove...

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), whose handling of immigration issues brought her accolades from fellow governors, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to serve as secretary of homeland security, Democratic sources said late Wednesday. Napolitano, 50, was an early supporter of Obama and was the only elected official tapped to serve on his transition team. She was reelected in 2006 to a second term as governor of Arizona, the home state of Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in the race...

"We're not going to agree on every single issue," President Obama told governors at a black-tie dinner Sunday night, but "I'm confident that we're going to be able to find more and more common ground going forward. " The members of the National Governors Association returned to the White House on Monday morning for a working session with Obama. "The thing that connects all of us," the president reminded them, "is that we know what it means to govern . . . and hopefully to forge some common ground.

Minnesota's Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, carefully prepared his plan for controlling greenhouse gas emissions to present it at the annual winter meeting of governors in Washington. That effort coincided with Pawlenty's fast-rising prospects to become Sen. John McCain's choice for vice president. But behind closed doors, governors from energy-producing states complained so vigorously that Pawlenty's proposal was buried. Pawlenty's position as chairman of the National Governors Association may prove to be his undoing.

CORRECTION: This article on the meeting of the National Governors Association misspelled the given name of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. PHILADELPHIA, July 12 -- Former president Bill Clinton kicked off the centennial gathering of the National Governors Association here Saturday with a challenge to the states to reassert themselves to help the country combat what he called the profound challenges of globalization and interdependency. Returning to an organization that helped launch him to the...

The nation's governors are emerging as a formidable lobbying force as health-care reform moves through Congress and states overburdened by the recession brace for the daunting prospect of providing coverage to millions of low-income residents. The legislation the Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve this week calls for the biggest expansion of Medicaid since its creation in 1965. Under the Senate bill and a similar House proposal, a patchwork state-federal insurance program targeted mainly at children, pregnant women and...

SALT LAKE CITY —Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, calling the 2012 Republican presidential race a wide-open contest that lacks a clear front-runner, said Friday he is almost certain not to make an endorsement during the primaries and caucuses and will focus most of his energy on trying to defeat President Obama in the general election. Until now, Barbour had said only that he was in no rush to endorse anyone, but he went farther during an interview at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association.

WILLIAMSBURG — The annual meeting of the National Governors Association kicked off here on Friday inside the Old Virginia Capitol, a towering brick building constructed in 1705. But when it came to the substance of the two-day summit there was no mistaking that it was 2012. Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R), the outgoing chairman of the NGA; Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), the incoming chairman; and Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), the host-state governor launched the event talking about the need to find...

"We're not going to agree on every single issue," President Obama told governors at a black-tie dinner Sunday night, but "I'm confident that we're going to be able to find more and more common ground going forward. " The members of the National Governors Association returned to the White House on Monday morning for a working session with Obama. "The thing that connects all of us," the president reminded them, "is that we know what it means to govern . . . and hopefully to forge some common ground.

James L. Martin, 76, who spent more than three decades as chief Washington lobbyist for the National Governors Association, died July 17 at his home in Silver Spring. He had complications from a fall in May. Mr. Martin was regarded as the association's top behind-the-scenes operative from 1967 until his retirement in 1998. He then had a private consulting firm until his death. "Most of my lobbying is directed toward my members — governors — getting them to be lobbyists on particular...

SALT LAKE CITY —Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, calling the 2012 Republican presidential race a wide-open contest that lacks a clear front-runner, said Friday he is almost certain not to make an endorsement during the primaries and caucuses and will focus most of his energy on trying to defeat President Obama in the general election. Until now, Barbour had said only that he was in no rush to endorse anyone, but he went farther during an interview at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association.

Republicans who might want President Obama 's job flocked to Washington this weekend and repeatedly ripped into the Democrat, an early tryout of sorts for their party's nomination. "Barack Obama has created at least three jobs that I know of: Bob McDonnell , Chris Christie and Scott Brown," former House speaker Newt Gingrich told a fawning crowd Saturday, referring to the GOP candidates who prevailed recently in the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey and the U.S. Senate contest in...

As the nation's governors gather in Washington for their annual winter meeting , the states they lead are facing what one knowledgeable authority calls "a lost decade" of stagnant or declining revenue and budget crises. Ray Scheppach , the man who used that phrase, has the credentials to call the situation "almost unprecedented. " A veteran federal budgeteer, he has served as executive director of the National Governors Association for the past 27 years. In an interview just before the opening of this year's meeting, he...

Republicans who might want President Obama 's job flocked to Washington this weekend and repeatedly ripped into the Democrat, an early tryout of sorts for their party's nomination. "Barack Obama has created at least three jobs that I know of: Bob McDonnell , Chris Christie and Scott Brown," former House speaker Newt Gingrich told a fawning crowd Saturday, referring to the GOP candidates who prevailed recently in the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey and the U.S. Senate contest in Massachusetts.

As the nation's governors gather in Washington for their annual winter meeting , the states they lead are facing what one knowledgeable authority calls "a lost decade" of stagnant or declining revenue and budget crises. Ray Scheppach , the man who used that phrase, has the credentials to call the situation "almost unprecedented. " A veteran federal budgeteer, he has served as executive director of the National Governors Association for the past 27 years. In an interview just before the opening of this year's meeting, he...

First lady Michelle Obama appealed Saturday to the nation's governors to join in her initiative to reduce childhood obesity , saying years of handwringing over what has become a national crisis should give way to coordinated action by Washington and the states. Hers was a rare appearance by a first lady at the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association, adding luster and many additional cameras and attendees at the opening session of the group's three-day gathering in Washington.

The nation's governors are emerging as a formidable lobbying force as health-care reform moves through Congress and states overburdened by the recession brace for the daunting prospect of providing coverage to millions of low-income residents. The legislation the Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve this week calls for the biggest expansion of Medicaid since its creation in 1965. Under the Senate bill and a similar House proposal, a patchwork state-federal insurance program targeted mainly at children, pregnant women and...