The U.S. Department of Treasury has announced its approval of $801.4 million in SSBCI funding for eleven U.S. states and territories: Arkansas, Delaware, Guam, Kentucky, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has announced approval of $635.6 million in State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funding for Texas and Washington. The addition of these two states means 48 states and three territories have had their SSBCI programs approved.

Texas

After a busy election season that saw gubernatorial elections in 36 states, newly elected and re-elected governors delivered their annual State of the State addresses, kicking off new programs and reviewing the conditions of their states. SSTI reviews the speeches every year and covers news of new developments and initiatives the governors have highlighted as they relate to the innovation economy. New programs are laid out here in the governors own words as excerpts from their State of the State or budget addresses.

The last of the governors have delivered their State of the State addresses. With 36 gubernatorial elections this fall, many governors appeared to be more conservative in their addresses this year, speaking more about past accomplishments rather than rolling out new programs. This week features comments from California, Louisiana, Nevada and Ohio’s governors as their addresses related to the innovation economy.

The Wisconsin Center of Manufacturing & Productivity (WCMP) recently released its fourth annual Wisconsin Manufacturing Report, a comprehensive overview of the state's manufacturing sector.

Imagine tapping into a talent pool already familiar with your region's culture, values, and challenges. This scenario is the core idea behind affinity recruiting, a strategy where communities and businesses actively target former residents, alums, and individuals with a genuine connection to the area. These initiatives aim to entice them for job opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, leadership roles, or investment.

In this week’s continuing coverage of gubernatorial addresses as they discuss the innovation economy, the following highlights have been selected from five of the eight State of the States or budget addresses given between Jan. 17 and Jan. 28, 2025, by the governors from Maine, Missouri, New Mexico, Utah, and Wisconsin.