No Health Help for NGA Dues Shirkers

The National Governors Association is a bit of a misnomer these days.

Sure, it still represents the interests of governors from all 50 states, but it no longer provides “technical assistance” to four states that have failed to pay their annual dues. Those states — all of which have Republican governors — are Florida, Texas, Idaho and Ohio, according to an NGA source.

As a result, these states don’t get any help implementing the federal health law. Of course, these states are among the 26 who have filed a lawsuit to overturn the health law.

An NGA spokeswoman refused to confirm the names of the states who had not paid dues.

But an NGA source who works with states on health issues said the organization no longer follows the states who failed to pay dues.

According to the NGA Web site, state dues pay for the association’s advocacy activities. The NGA Center for Best Practices, which provides assistance to states on various public policy issues, is funded through federal grants and private and corporate donations.

NGA collected a total of $5.5 million in dues from states, according to a 2010 financial summary. Some cash-strapped states declined to pay NGA dues earlier this year, CNN reported.