WY, SD budgets fund innovation initiatives

State budget season shifts from the proposal stage to legislative approval. Over the coming months, the Digest will cover funding of relevant programs. Our first look includes $2.5 million in Wyoming for the Economically Needed Diversification Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) program and $4.6 million in South Dakota for the Office of Research Commerce.

Wyoming

Wyoming’s Economically Needed Diversification Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) program, which was announced in November 2016 by Gov. Matt Mead, approved by the state legislature in February 2017, and signed by the governor earlier this month, will receive $2.5 million from the state’s rainy day fund in FY2017-2018. Funding for ENDOW includes $1.0 million to create a strategy for growing and diversifying Wyoming's economy around technology, as well as  $1.5 million for the state’s community colleges to respond to key workforce training needs. In late February, the state revealed the official website for ENDOW, which includes a survey to solicit interest from the public.

South Dakota

Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed SB 17, South Dakota’s FY 2018 budget bill. While the legislature submitted a budget nearly $30 million less than the governor’s initial proposal, innovation initiatives nearly all passed with at least the proposed funding levels. The Office of Research Commerce, which provides matching funds for EPSCoR, a proof of concept program and research center funding, maintained a budget of $4.6 million for the fiscal year. The bill also continued level funding for a $1.0 million “research pool” for the state’s universities and increased the state’s funding for the agricultural experiment station for a total level of $37.1 million.