Tech-talkin' Governors: State of the State and Budget Addresses

This week, the SSTI Weekly Digest continues its series on governors' State of the State addresses, highlighting those portions concerning programs, policies and issues immediately affecting the tech-based economic development community.

Delaware

Ruth Ann Minner, State of the State, January 17, 2002

http://www.state.de.us/governor/speeches/2002/011702StOfState.htm

• Requested the Economic Development Office to make biotechnology a prime focus of the state's Strategic Fund investments.

Iowa

Thomas J. Vilsack, Condition of the State, January 15, 2002

http://www.state.ia.us/governor/agenda/Condition_of_the_State_2002.htm

• Proposed a tax credit against college graduates' income that will help offset all or part of their college tuition.
• Proposed creating a set of incentives to help fuel national venture capital investment in Iowa, encourage Iowa's angel investors to make substantial investments in Iowa startups, and enable those who can invest only a small amount to do so.

Kansas

Bill Graves, State of the State, January 14, 2002

http://www.accesskansas.org/governor/state/stotst02.html

• Recommended a $1 million enhancement, bringing the total to $15 million for student financial aid provided by the Board of Regents. This will enable an additional 750 students to benefit.
• Recommended $750,000 for a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of a tax credit incentive for value-added agriculture.
• Recommended $500,000 to enhance the partnership between educational
  
  institutions/businesses and Kansans that exists through the Training Equipment Grant program.

Massachusetts

Jane Swift, State of the State, January 15, 2002

http://www.state.ma.us/gov/speech/sp011502stateofstate.htm

• Proposed extending the $10 million Workforce Training Fund program for the next three years.

South Carolina

Jim Hodges, State of the State Address, January 16, 2002

http://www.state.sc.us/governor/

• Called for the legislature to create a new fund to support research at universities with $40 million in lottery proceeds. The fund will support new centers of excellence, including an Automotive Center at Clemson.
• Urged legislation that authorizes certified capital companies to create a venture capital pool of $100 million for new technology companies.
• Urged passage of the people's lottery plan enabling college scholarships for high school students, free graduate education for classroom teachers, and lifetime learning scholarships so that any adult at any age can attend a technical college. This would benefit more than 100,000 students.