SSTI Digest

Senate Bill 1134, the reauthorization bill for the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), only awaits the President's signature following Thursday's passage by the U.S. House of Representatives. SB 1134 was passed by the U.S. Senate just a day earlier.

Highlights of the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2003, as passed by Congress, include:

Earlier this week, 22 states and Puerto Rico were named recipients of more than $2.2 million in combined fiscal year 2004 Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) and Rural Outreach Program (ROP) awards. All but one of the 21 FAST awards distributed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) were worth $95,000 -- they totaled nearly $1.98 million. Five ROP awards of $49,470 also were made by SBA.

FAST, included in December 2000 legislation reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, provides matching funds to enable states to augment or expand their tech business assistance and SBIR outreach efforts. FAST winners include:

Ongoing economic struggles, along with rising health care and pension costs, have contributed to the bleak conditions of city budgets around the nation. The majority of America’s cities are still suffering from the recession and city financial officers are pessimistic on the financial outlook for the near future, according to an annual survey from the National League of Cities.

The survey, which consists of 18 factors affecting city budgets, was presented to city finance officers for the report, City Fiscal Conditions in 2004. Respondents were asked whether each of the factors had increased or decreased between 2003-2004 and whether the change had a positive or negative influence on the overall financial picture. For the first time in 10 years, more than half of the respondents reported their cities would be less able to meet their financial needs in 2005 than in the current year.

New data released by the Center for Public Integrity affirm the notion state representatives are often uniquely positioned to influence their personal financial fortunes or those of their employers while in office.

Our Private Legislatures, a study aimed at providing the public with detailed information on the private financial interests of more than 7,400 lawmakers, finds more than 28 percent of reporting state legislators sat on a committee with authority over at least one of their personal interests in 2001. Another 18 percent disclosed ties to organizations registered to lobby state government, and 10 percent were employed by other government agencies, including public schools and universities.

Southern states may have a justifiable reason to be proud of their progress in technology and innovation, but their leaders should be concerned with the lack of investment in venture capital and industrial research and development (R&D), suggests a report released last month by Southern Growth Policies Board and the Southern Technology Council (STC).

Measuring the progress of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-based economic progress in the South, Not Invested Here: The 2004 Southern Innovation Index provides data on 50 benchmarks and offers 10-year targets for each of the Southern Growth member states. As the fourth in a series of reports on innovation in the South and an update to the previous index released in 2002, the report includes updated indicators and analysis of the differences between the updated indicators and their 2002 report counterparts.

Prompted by confusion over the dual rulings in the University of Michigan affirmative action cases last year, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering have released a new report to clarify the legalities and offer options for implementing and sustaining diversity programs within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Peter Bianco has been named executive director of University Enterprise Laboratories, a nonprofit entity created by the University of Minnesota that provides incubator laboratory space for bioscience start-up companies.

Former Massachusetts House Majority Leader Salvatore DiMasi has replaced Thomas Finneran as Speaker of the House. Finneran recently resigned to run the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

Eugene Huang will replace Virginia Secretary of Technology George Newstrom, who is resigning after two years in the position.

Peter Bianco has been named executive director of University Enterprise Laboratories, a nonprofit entity created by the University of Minnesota that provides incubator laboratory space for bioscience start-up companies.

Former Massachusetts House Majority Leader Salvatore DiMasi has replaced Thomas Finneran as Speaker of the House. Finneran recently resigned to run the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

Eugene Huang will replace Virginia Secretary of Technology George Newstrom, who is resigning after two years in the position.

Jesse Jones is the new CEO of Ohio's IT Alliance. Jones formerly was chief technology officer of the City of Columbus.

Fred Kocher has been elected president of the New Hampshire High Technology Council, which advocates technology-based businesses in New Hampshire.