SSTI Digest

Incumbent governors in Colorado and Montana released their budget proposals this month, with both of the proposed budgets including provisions that prioritize infrastructure spending, workforce development programs, and education. Infrastructure and capital projects in particular were popular among the proposed budgets, with Colorado’s budget allocating $281.6 million to improve technology infrastructure and Montana allocating $300 million for infrastructure, including $45 million to Eastern Montana communities impacted by oil and gas development. Notable provisions within the proposed budgets that are related to economic development are detailed below. Colorado Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper unveiled his proposed FY2015-16 budget prior to this month’s election with an emphasis on education, transportation funding, capital construction projects, and technology infrastructure. The budget reflects requests of $26.8 billion in total funds with $10.3 billion requested from the General Fund. Under the proposal, Health and Human Services, K-12 Education, and Higher Education receive approximately 75 percent of all funds requested. Proposals within the…

In case you missed it, the midterm elections were on Tuesday, resulting in Republicans taking control of Congress, several new governors, and five states endorsing minimum wage increases. Although the 146 state ballot measures up for vote were a quarter-century low, several proposals were relevant to the TBED community, as highlighted in a Digest article last week. Voters ultimately approved many of these proposals, although initiatives related to higher-education in North Dakota and Oregon both failed.  Issue Three in Arkansas was approved by voters, officially banning lobbyist gifts to state officials, prohibiting direct corporate and union contributions to candidates, and doubling the time needed before former politicians can become lobbyists. It appeared that the measure was headed to defeat, largely because in addition to these provisions, Issue Three also increases term limits to 16 years per office.  Colorado voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 105, an initiative to label genetically engineered foods, with more than 68 percent of voters saying no to the labeling. About $900,000 was contributed in support for the initiative, mainly from…

On November 4, 42 states will vote on 146 ballot issues across a wide array of issues. In addition to initiatives on gun control, bear baiting, and the minimum wage, several initiatives relevant to the TBED community are also up for decision. SSTI has gathered information on many of these and will discuss their results after next week’s elections. Arkansas voters will decide on Issue Three, an initiative that seeks to establish an independent citizens’ commission to evaluate salaries for public officials, eliminate free meals and gifts to state politicians, prohibit politicians from receiving donations from corporations, and restructure term limits for state senators and house representatives. Currently, Arkansas’ state representatives can serve six years in office, while senators can serve eight. Issue Three will allow politicians to serve 16 years in either chamber, rather than forcing them to switch chambers after serving at the current limits. The bill will also force legislators to wait two years before they can become a lobbyist. In Colorado, residents will vote on Proposition 105, which would require any prepackaged, processed food or raw…

This article is part of SSTI's series on trends in state technology-based economic development legislation in 2014. Read our other entries covering legislative action on patent reform, research capacity, capital & tax credits, workforce & STEM and manufacturing & clusters. State legislators in many parts of the country took action this year to fund the construction of research infrastructure and provide financial support for commercialization. In Kansas, New York, Georgia, Maine and Wyoming, legislators funded the construction of laboratories and other innovative spaces at public universities to boost the high-tech economy. In Colorado, Maryland and a number of universities, new initiatives were rolled out to support public-private research collaborations and the commercialization of cutting-edge technology. Building the infrastructure for researchKansas’ Wichita State University received $2 million in funding for the Innovation Campus at Wichita State earlier this year. The launch of the campus is the first step in the university’s long-term plan to construct a five-building campus dedicated to the commercialization of university…

This article is part of SSTI's series on trends in state technology-based economic development legislation in 2014. Read our other entries covering legislative action on patent reform, research capacity, capital & tax credits, technology commercialization & infrastructure and  workforce & STEM. The recent uptick in U.S. manufacturing activity, along with the attention generated by additive manufacturing and the Makers movement, has led to an increase in state initiatives to help cash in on this growth. In recent months, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, and Arizona have all taken steps to build stronger manufacturing sectors through research collaborations, grants and tax credits. Leaders in Colorado and New Jersey have pursued their own cluster-specific efforts to build stronger high-tech industries. Among New York’s many TBED-focused efforts in the past year, the state has established a 20 percent property tax credit and eliminated the income tax for manufacturers. The FY15 budget also provides $680 million for the Buffalo Billion initiative. The funding fulfills Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2012 commitment to provide $1 billion to the…

Between FY2007-12, research and development (R&D) spending at U.S. universities grew 27.5 percent, from about $51.6 billion to $65.8 billion, according to the latest edition of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey. The survey provides a look at R&D spending at U.S. universities, with data broken down by state, institution, research area and funding sources. California remained the leader in university R&D spending, but spending in the state grew at a slightly lower rate than the national average. Most of the other top 20 states experienced gains that exceeded the national average. University research spending in Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington grew at rates far outpacing other major R&D states. Expenditures in Colorado, which ranked 16th in spending, nearly doubled during the FY2007-12 period. Colorado’s gains were attributable to increased research activity at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins and, in particular, the University of Colorado, Denver, and Anschutz Medical Campus. Expenditures at the medical campus grew by 63…

Several bills aimed at supporting startups, advancing research and improving the workforce have been introduced with the start of the 2014 sessions. Some of the proposed legislation offers a glimpse into the investment priorities of governors and lawmakers in the wake of economic recovery. Providing innovative companies with access to startup funds is a continued theme from previous years. Some states are seeking to expand tax credits for angel investors or offer new tax credits to encourage emerging industries. Other bills focus on generating more skilled workers quickly and positioning universities to enhance regional economic competitiveness. Two More States Introduce Crowdfunding Bills Lawmakers in Alabama and Maine hope to make it easier for startup companies to raise money through crowdfunding platforms with legislation to amend state securities laws. In Alabama, the Senate unanimously approved SB 44, allowing individuals to invest up to $5,000 in a venture. Small businesses are limited to raising $1 million through crowdfunding websites. Legislators in Maine will consider LD 1512, An Act to Increase Funding for Startups. Similar to the Alabama bill,…

Patrick Gallagher has been named the 18th chancellor and chief executive officer of the University of Pittsburgh. Gallagher currently serves as acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ben Walker has joined the Innovation Center of the Rockies team as the program manager working directly with CSU Ventures. Bryan Toney has been named The University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s associate vice chancellor for Economic Development. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh announced the appointment of John Barros as chief of his Economic Development Cabinet.

Several common themes surrounding higher education have emerged as governors across the country unveil investment priorities for the upcoming fiscal year or biennium. In many states, governors have proposed more funding to increase affordability by freezing tuition or creating new scholarship funds. Support for expanding research capacity, technology-related infrastructure and job training in high-demand industries are some of the proposed measures aimed at competitiveness.   College Affordability Governors in several states are requesting additional funds for higher education in exchange for holding tuition steady. The FY15 budget outlined by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal proposes new funding streams to encourage more students to attend technical schools. For example, $5 million in new lottery funds would provide additional financial assistance above what is covered by the state’s HOPE scholarship for students pursuing in-demand certificates or training programs. A new Zell Miller grant also would be established to provide full tuition for students in technical schools who maintain a 3.5 grade point average, and the state’s traditional HOPE…

Innosphere and the Colorado Enterprise Fund are joining forces to launch the Colorado Catalyst Fund, a $20 million community development venture capital fund. The model for the fund was drawn from existing community development venture funds established predominately on the East and West Coast, and will be the first of its kind in the state. The fund will be managed by the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, which has formed or advised more than 40 of the 70 existing funds across the country. Read more...

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin announced that Jonna Kirschner, executive director of the Oklahoma Commerce Department, will serve on a transition team to establish a new workers’ compensation system. Vaughn Clark , the Commerce Department’s director of community development, was named as interim executive director. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper named Mark Sirangelo, who is head of Sierra Nevada Corp., as chair of the Colorado Innovation Network and the state's new chief innovation officer. John Rhodes has been appointed as president and CEO of NYSERDA. Brian Cummings is leaving as vice president for technology commercialization at Ohio State University to seek other professional opportunities. Ray Atilano, the executive director of technology commercialization, also has left his position. Christy Wyskiel has been named senior adviser to the president for enterprise development at Johns Hopkins University. Wyskiel will fill the role beginning Jan. 1, succeeding Aris Melissaratos who accepted a new position as executive-in-residence and senior adviser to Dean Bernard T. Ferrari at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Michael…

Typically, marketing efforts for cities and states encompass the promotion of a variety of desirable qualities to attract businesses and creative talent. Lately, it seems the title of Chief Innovation Officer has picked up steam in localities and across states as leaders seek to brand their region as “the” place for innovation. Take Colorado, for example, where last week Gov. John Hickenlooper rolled out a new logo and slogan for the state and, at the same time, appointed a new Chief Innovation Officer charged with leading the state’s efforts to increase competitiveness. Chief Innovation Officers have been around for at least the last decade in some Fortune 500 companies and more recently, the position has been adapted in smaller businesses, higher education and government. A recent CNN Money article reported that municipalities have added the position in hopes of infusing a startup attitude and making the city more cutting-edge by employing someone to find and implement new technologies. Some of those cities include Kansas City, Mo., San Francisco, Philadelphia, Louisville, and Austin. State-level positions also seem to be growing, though perhaps at…