Tech Talkin’ Govs 2020: NH offers help for students, CA for homeless

Two more governors have delivered their state of the state addresses over the past two weeks, with help for students taking the stage in New Hampshire while California’s governor enumerated the state’s growth and strengths, but devoted most of his remarks to the ongoing problem of homelessness. There are just a few remaining addresses, and SSTI will continue to cover the governor’s remarks and bring you excerpts of their speeches as they relate to their innovation initiatives.

New Hampshire

In Feb. 13 address, Gov. Chris Sununu lauded the state’s population growth, credited the state’s workforce initiatives and said the state is now ranked as the third most popular destination in the Northeast for millennials.

“Last year we announced the creation of the New Hampshire Career Academy — an innovative program that allows for students in New Hampshire schools to receive a high school diploma, associate's degree, and a guaranteed job interview — all at no extra cost to the student or taxpayer. And just last week, we officially opened enrollment in the program at our community colleges. Students can start signing up now. …”

“… Last year, I budgeted for a $160 million, 10-year investment in student debt relief that would have cost the taxpayers nothing. Unfortunately the Legislature killed that proposal, but I am hopeful we can find compromise and finally deliver this opportunity to provide student debt-relief and direct scholarships — again, at NO expense to the taxpayer. This opportunity for graduating students, along with our workforce housing legislation, which are moving through the House now, can help ensure we retain our students to be the workforce of tomorrow. …”

California

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s led his address on Feb. 19 by recapping the growth the state has experienced and reiterating metrics that reinforce that story, including 118 consecutive months of net job growth, 3.4 million jobs created since the Great Recession, nearly four million small businesses in the state, half of all U.S. venture capital flowing to companies within the state and an average of 3.8 percent GDP growth over five years, compared to 2.5 percent national growth. Newsom went on to dedicate the bulk of his remarks to what he called “the most pernicious crisis in our midst,” — homelessness.

“In the budget I just submitted, I proposed a new California Access to Housing Fund, and, with it, a whole new way of investing in homeless solutions. We have a clear purpose for this Fund: paying for what works. … With this first-in-the-nation statewide housing fund, we can braid together state and philanthropic dollars, as well as health care, mental health, and social services — paying for housing, not overhead, by capping all administrative costs at 10 percent. Nimble and flexible to evolve from best practices to next practices.”

“To get us started with urgency, I am calling on this Legislature to invest an essential and unprecedented $750 million into this fund.”