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

This is the fifth installment in the "Tech-talkin' Govs" series which provides highlights of programs, policies, and issues included in the Governors' addresses related to tech-based economic development.



Connecticut

John G. Rowland, Budget Address, February 6, 2002

http://www.state.ct.us/governor/news/budget2002.htm

• Announced "21st Century UCONN," a second ten-year $1 billion bond schedule of rebuilding and revitalizing the University of Connecticut.

Ohio

Bob Taft, State of the State Address, February 5, 2002

http://www.state.oh.us/gov/MajorSpeeches/sos2002.htm

• To address the brain drain, provide workforce investment money to help create 10 new graduate retention programs throughout Ohio by the end of the year.
• Third Frontier Project — invest $1.6 billion over the next ten years to provide better research facilities and create new centers of innovation. The Project includes:

• $500 million over the next 10 years for the Technology Action Fund and the Biomedical Research Fund. Derived from the state's tobacco settlement funds and approved by the legislature earlier, these dollars will support early stage capital and the development of leading-edge products.
• As part of this year's Capital Budget, the first installment of a $500 million effort to finance facilities and equipment for globally competitive centers of research. Named after the Wright brothers, this capital program will provide break-through research capabilities for today's inventors.
• Voter approval will be sought next year for a $500 million bond program to recruit top academic researchers, endow chairs and bring state-of-the-art products to market.
• A new $100 million Innovation Ohio Fund will help finance targeted industries with high-growth potential based on regional priorities. This fund will support advanced manufacturing techniques to help existing companies become more productive and profitable.

Pennsylvania

Mark Schweiker, Budget Address, February 5, 2002

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/budgetadd.html

• Proposed reinvesting Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority dollars to ready today's workforce for tomorrow's workplaces through endowment of workforce leadership grants. This will help stakeholders build faster and more flexible training programs. Called for legislation to fundamentally reform the state's workforce-development system.

Tennessee

Don Sundquist, State of the State Address, February 4, 2002

http://www.state.tn.us/governor/sos2002/sos2002.htm

• Proposed a New Economy Strategy to turn the ideas coming out of the state's high-tech institutions into more Tennessee companies and more Tennessee jobs, keep the best and brightest in the state and entice those who have already left to come home. (see related article in this issue of the Digest)

Wyoming

Jim Geringer, State of the State, February 11, 2002

http://www.state.wy.us/governor/sos2002.html

• Recommends authority of the Wyoming Business Council be extended by eliminating the sunset date of 2003. 
• Supports adding an unspecified amount of money to the Workforce Training Account fund to continue training employees
• Proposes matching funds through bond authority to establish a Technology Incubator on the University of Wyoming campus.
  Connecticut