This article takes a first look at the major issues and trends that are currently being seen in 2019 emerging in the region's legislatures related to higher education and workforce development. Topics include: affordability, student loan debt, and college closures/mergers/acquisitions/collaborations. Other bills touch on emerging issues: incentives for employers who provide and/or pay for employee training, and decreasing the cost of course materials and textbooks through the use of open educational resources.