National Governors Association Centennial

1990-1999
1990		First African-American governor—Doug Wilder of Virginia—is elected. 1990 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 25-27) 1990 Annual Meeting: Mobile, AL (July 29-31) Chair: Terry Branstad, IA At the Annual Meeting, governors discuss global climate change as well as strategies for achieving the goals set at the 1989 National Education Summit. Governors adopt a policy position urging states-with respect to alternative sentencing recommendations-to consider an accountability method of sentencing through which judges could impose a variety of sanctions ranging from unsupervised custody to confinement to secure correctional facilities. Nelson Mandela is released from prison in South Africa. Breakup of the Soviet Union takes place. Boris Yeltsin is elected President of the Russian Federation, which declares itself a sovereign state. Reunification of East and West Germany takes place. Under a new Haitian constitution, Jean-Bertrand Aristide is elected President. The first gene therapy on a human is performed. The Immigration Act of 1990 increases total immigration and establishes a 'lottery' for those seeking to immigrate from nations where there are no longer family ties in the U.S. that would qualify them for permanent admission to the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Act is signed into law. As a follow-up to the 1989 National Education Summit, President George H. W. Bush announces in his State of the Union address the establishment of six national education goals, to which the National Governors Association adds 21 specific objectives at its 1990 Winter Meeting (Goals 2000). In mid-1990, the White House and the National Governors Association agree to create a 14-member bipartisan National Education Goals Panel to monitor progress in reaching the goals and objectives. Joan Finney of Kansas becomes the first woman to defeat an incumbent governor. California institutes strict new car emission standards and clean fuel requirements (CAA) that serve as a model for other states. Governors object to an increase in the federal gasoline tax and the diversion of Highway Trust Fund money to help reduce the federal deficit.
1991		1991 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 3-5) At the Winter Meeting, governors are addressed concerning the high cost of health care and health care financing as well as President George H.W. Bush's proposal for $15 billion in block grants to the states. 1991 Annual Meeting: Seattle, WA (August 18-24) Chair: Booth Gardner, WA At the Annual Meeting, governors discuss achieving an affordable and comprehensive national health care system within the next decade. Rules of Procedure are amended to require sunsetting of policies not revised or reaffirmed for four years. The legal framework for South African Apartheid is dismantled. Jean-Bertrand Aristide is overthrown as President of Haiti and exiled from the country. A U.S.-led coalition begins an air offensive (Operation Desert Storm) to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) creates a $24 billion Surface Transportation Block Grant, providing state and local governments flexibility to transfer funds from one program to another. Minnesota is the first state to enact a Charter School law, under which schools are given contracts-or charters-by school boards to explore new educational approaches. Former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander is appointed Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
1992		1992 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 2-4) At the Winter Meeting, governors focused on the need for improvement in the U.S. educational system. 1992 Annual Meeting: Princeton, NJ (August 2-4) Chair: John Ashcroft, MO At the Annual Meeting, governors discuss the findings and recommendations of three action teams that had been appointed to address school readiness, school years, and life-long learning. The 27th Amendment to the Constitution (restricting self-voted compensation of Members of Congress from taking effect until after an intervening election year) is adopted. The Supreme Court rules in Quill v. North Dakota that with a company's insufficient presence in a state, its mail-order products cannot be subject to the state's sale tax, under the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution.
1993		Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is inaugurated President. 1993 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Jan. 31-Feb. 2) At the Winter Meeting, former governor and newly-elected President Bill Clinton addresses the governors concerning welfare reform. Governors adopt a policy position calling for a basic federal framework for state-organized purchasing cooperatives for affordable health insurance. 1993 Annual Meeting: Tulsa, OK (August 15-17) Chair: Roy Romer, CO Provision is made for the adoption of permanent policies, as well as for sunsetting after two years if non-permanent policies not revised or reaffirmed. Clinton addresses governors at the Annual Meeting regarding his proposal for health care reform. Vice President Al Gore talks with governors about the Administration's plan for reinventing government. Governors adopt a new "Permanent Policy" on federalism, calling for a new partnership based on federal forbearance and the avoidance of federal preemption of traditional state roles, and for program flexibility for states in administering federal initiatives. The European Union is established. South Africa adopts a new constitution with majority rule. During civil war in Somalia, U.S. troops engage in the Battle of Mogadishu against militia forces loyal to a warlord. The action is portrayed in the book (1999) and later movie (2001) "Blackhawk Down." A bomb explodes in the parking garage of the World Trade Center. A 51-day standoff in Waco, Texas between officials of the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian religious sect's compound, ends in the deaths of more than 80 people. Film maker Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List is released. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is dedicated. Legislation is enacted to regulate the sale of firearms through background checks. The legislation is known as the Brady Bill, named in honor of James Brady, President Reagan's Press Secretary who had been critically injured in a 1981 attempt on the President's life. The Family and Medical Leave Act mandates that employers give covered employees up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for certain family and medical problems. President Bill Clinton orders the federal government to facilitate state use of Medicaid funds to introduce new health care programs for low-income families, and the federal Health Care Financing Administration streamlines its waiver application process to enable more states to implement Medicaid managed care reforms under which states would contract with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) at 95 percent of the current cost to run their Medicaid programs. Mississippi River flooding affects nine states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, resulting in 50 deaths and $10 billion in damage. North Carolina's Smart Start program to improve school readiness begins, serving as a national model. Former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt becomes Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Former South Carolina Governor Richard Riley becomes Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
1994		1994 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Jan. 29-Feb. 1) At the Winter Meeting, governors discuss the Goals 2000 Educate America Act pending in Congress, about school violence, and about prospects for integrating Medicaid patients into managed care. 1994 Annual Meeting: Boston, MA (July 17-19) Chair: Carroll Campbell, SC At the Annual Meeting, Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg, director of the movie Schindler's List, speaks at the Annual Meeting about using film as a tool to teach tolerance. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) takes effect. Hundreds of thousands of Tutsis are killed by Hutus in the Rwandan civil war. Negotiations facilitated by U.S. officials enable the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Haiti. Federal legislation bans the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons. In the mid-term elections, the Republican Party wins control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act provides federal funding to states and to local partnerships of business, labor, government, education, and community organizations to develop school-to-work systems.
1995		1995 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Jan. 28-31) At the Winter Meeting, governors discuss childhood development as well as legislation pending in Congress for relief from unfunded federal mandates. 1995 Annual Meeting: Burlington, VT (July 30-Aug. 1) Chair: Howard Dean, VT At the Annual Meeting, Governors focus on the importance of early childhood development. The World Trade Organization (successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade-GATT) comes into existence. African-American men gather on the National Mall in Washington for the Million Man March. The explosion of a truck bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City kills 168 people and injures hundreds more. The bombing is perpetrated by anti-government militia sympathizers. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland. The MP3 player-a digital audio player-is introduced. Media entrepreneur Chris Whittle founds the Edison Project to implement the philosophy that public schools should be run by the private sector. The federal Unfunded Mandate Reform Act cuts mandate enactments. Congress repeals sanctions against states for failing to set highway speed limits.
1996		The name "Center for Policy Research" is changed to "Center for Best Practices." 1996 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 3-6) At the Winter Meeting, governors reach bipartisan agreement on an outline for federal welfare reform, designed to consolidate federal welfare programs into block grants to the states. This historic agreement plays a major role in influencing federal legislation giving the states primary responsibility for moving people from welfare to work. 1996 Annual Meeting: Fajardo, PR (July 13-16) Chair: Tommy Thompson, WI Governors participate in second national education summit. President Clinton signs into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, returning control of most welfare to the states. Atlanta hosts the Summer Olympics. Authorities capture former professor Theodore Kaczynski, known as the "Unabomber" for having sent bombs through the mail. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act provides border control measures and restricts benefits to immigrants. The Interstate Commerce Commission is abolished and its remaining functions assigned to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Western governors create the Western Governors University, a nonprofit institution established to provide quality distance (e.g., online) education in order to increase access to higher education and employment opportunities for Americans.
1997		1997 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 1-4) At the Winter Meeting, it is announced that pursuant to the 1996 Education Summit, an organization ("Achieve") has been formed to establish a national clearinghouse of information on state educational standards and assessments. Film actor and director Rob Reiner speaks to governors about the TV show he is producing on early childhood development. 1997 Annual Meeting: Las Vegas, NV (July 27-30) Chair: Bob Miller, NV Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates speaks at the Annual Meeting about the importance of technology to the American educational system. Governors discuss effective strategies for achieving positive results in early childhood development. A United Nations Conference on Climate Control is held in Kyoto, Japan, and industrialized nations pledge to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in an effort to slow global warming. The Discovery is made that an influenza virus-which becomes known as avian flu-can be transmitted from birds to humans. Driver and passenger-side air bags are required to be installed in all new automobiles. The Women's National Basketball Association is formed, launching women's professional basketball into the spotlight. The State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) is created to provide health care coverage for low-income children. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaces Aid to Families with Dependent Children, providing grants to states to administer their own programs. Gary Locke of Washington becomes the first Asian-American in the 'lower 48 states' to serve as a Governor.
1998		1998 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 21-24) 1998 Annual Meeting: Milwaukee, WI (August 1-4) Chair: George Voinovich, OH At both the Winter and Annual Meetings, governors discuss the effect on states of policies regarding taxation of electronic commerce. Bombs explode at U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing more than 240 people and injuring thousands more. Nations prepare for possible computer problems at the dawn of the new millennium (Y2K). Tara Lipinski wins the gold medal in figure skating at the Winter Olympics. The U.S. House of Representatives passes two articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice associated with his statements regarding adulterous relationships with several women. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) sufficiently increases the authorization level for both the highway and mass transit trust funds to effectively end all diversion of Highway Trust Fund money for federal deficit reduction. The Internet Tax Freedom Act bans federal, state, and local governments from taxing Internet access and establishes an Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce to study issues related to Internet taxation. The Workforce Investment Act authorizes Governors to initiate broad structural reforms in their workforce development systems. 46 states, 2 commonwealths, 3 territories, and the District of Columbia sign an agreement with the tobacco industry for reimbursement over 25 years of $206 billion in Medicaid costs linked to tobacco usage. Bill Richardson, who will become Governor of New Mexico, is appointed Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy.
1999		1999 Winter Meeting Washington, DC (Feb. 20-23) At the Winter Meeting, governors discuss ways in which states educational and technological improvements can help make states more competitive economically. Governors adopt a policy position outlining challenges for states with respect to the development of a national domestic terrorism strategy, including handling information needs, managing consequences, clarifying the role of the National Guard, and supporting public-private cooperation, and suggesting that the federal government work with state and local governments to develop capabilities for handling terrorist incidents. 1999 Annual Meeting: St. Louis, MO August 7-10 Chair: Tom Carper, DE President Bill Clinton updates governors at the Annual Meeting on progress with welfare reform. Governors adopt a policy position proposing "Enlibra," a new shared doctrine for environmental management, acknowledging the role of national standards while emphasizing the need for locally focused strategies to achieve them. NATO troops engage in battle in Kosovo, where (along with Bosnia), Serbian officials have engaged in ethnic cleansing against Muslims and where Albanian guerrillas seek secession from Serbia following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the U.S. Senate of impeachment charges brought against him in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives. At Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, two students shoot and kill 12 fellow students and a teacher and wound more than 20 others before committing suicide. President Clinton signs the Education Flexibility Partnership Act (Ed-Flex), which gives states greater flexibility in the use of federal education dollars.