Tech Talkin' Govs IV: State of the State and Budget Addresses

Editor's Note: This is the fourth installment of excerpts from recent speeches and budget proposals demonstrating the priority governors are placing on tech-based economic development and math & science education.

Maine

Governor Angus King, FY 02-03 Budget Request, January 5, 2001

http://www.state.me.us/governor/news/index.html

• A $2.3 million increase during the second year of the biennium for applied research and development through the Maine Economic Improvement Fund at the University of Maine System. ( $5,740,000 in fiscal year 2001-02 and $7,883,500 in fiscal year 2002-03)
• Increased funding of the Maine Biomedical Research Fund of $2,000,000 in the second year of the biennium.
• Level funding for the Maine Technology Institute ($6.4 million) and the Maine Science & Technology Foundation ($1.79 million)

New Jersey

Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Budget Address, January 22, 2001

http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/p10123c.html

• New $10 million Higher Ed/Business and Industry Partnership Fund to encourage cooperative partnerships between public colleges and universities and industry for research in science and technology.
• $6 million to help build two new biotech research centers at Rutgers: the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials and the Department of Genetics. The $6 million will leverage $46 million in private donations and university resources.
• New $15 million New Jersey Fund for Technology Innovation to help New Jersey’s six research universities conduct cutting edge research.
• $5 million for additional business incubators, continues last year’s $5 million level of commitment.
• $20 million continuation of the Excellence in High-Tech Workforce Initiative, a $5 million increase over last year’s budget. Competitive grants will be administered by the Commission on Higher Education in four areas: Computer Science and Information Technology; Physical, Life, and Health Sciences; Engineering and Engineering Technology; and Science and Mathematics Teacher Education.
• $10 million grant and no-interest loan program to help high-tech businesses relocate to now-abandoned buildings in urban areas; this is a companion program to the Cyberdistrict grants which received $2 million in last year’s budget.
• $5 million in matching funds to challenge universities to compete for federal research grants, a decrease from last year’s $10 million level.

Ohio

Governor Bob Taft, State of the State Address, January 24, 2001

http://www.state.oh.us/gov/stateofstate2.html

• Increase funding for science and technology programs $34 million (21.9%) in Fiscal Year '02 and $29.5 million (15.6%) in FY '03 (specific programs were not identified).
• Provide $40 million to the Ohio Board of Regents for recruiting university research teams in three promising areas: biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology.
• Create a new $12 million biomedical facilities fund, a state partnership with biomedical research institutions
• Exempt new high-tech businesses from the net worth calculation of the corporate franchise tax for the first three years of the firm's operations.
• Fund the Appalachian New Economy Partnership to increase information technology skills and to provide assistance for start-up companies in the region.
  Maine