SSTI Digest

Joseph Magno, the executive director of the New York State Science and Technology Foundation, has resigned his position. He has accepted a position with the State University of New York Research Foundation.

New York Governor George Pataki amended his proposed FY 1997-98 budget to restore funding for the state's technology programs. Pataki's revised budget calls for more than $20 million for technology programs, almost twice what was originally submitted to the legislature in January. The new request calls for more than $16 million for university-industry projects, including Centers for Advanced Technology (CATs). Funding was also restored for the Industrial Technology Extension Service (ITES) and the Technology Development Organizations (TDOs) which operate New York's Manufacturing Extension Program (MEP). ITES and the TDOs had been eliminated from the Governor's Executive Budget. Under New York law, the governor submits his proposed state budget at the start of the legislative session, but has an additional 30 days to amend the budget before its consideration by the legislature. Even if the legislature accepts the governor's amendments, the $20.4 million proposal would be a 10 percent decrease from FY 1996-97 funding for similar programs. In recent years, however, the New York legislature…