From Site Selection magazine, November 2000
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Kansas
Taking a look toward the future, Gov. Bill Graves appointed a My Vision 21st Century Task Force to study the following state issues and then make recommendations for action: agriculture's future and the role of the state; early childhood care, education and health; economic development strategy for the next decade; financing of K-12 public education; health care for special-needs Kansans; preservation and protection of the state's water resources; and work-force development.
The governor named 100 Kansans to this blue-ribbon panel. The seven study groups have a Dec. 1 deadline for making recommendations to the governor's office. "The Vision 21st Century Task Force will serve as a catalyst to stimulate discussion, promote research and suggest answers to a number of public policy concerns," said Graves. "I believe this process will provide us with the guidance and support necessary to lead our state well into the 21st century."
In other pro-business action, the state streamlined the property tax appeals process and created the Center for Excellence for Sustainable Agriculture Crops.
Governor: Bill Graves (R) 785-296-3232
Bills promoting tourism development, technology education, water resources and enterprise zones topped the list of Gov. Paul Patton this year. The very first bill he signed in 2000 -- House Bill 43 -- amends Kentucky's tourism tax credit law to allow historical hotels to qualify. The landmark legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, also provides a sales tax incentive program for tourism development projects. The incentive for developers of approved new or expansion tourism projects is the ability to recover 25 percent of the cost of the projects.
The governor also pushed through a $14 billion state budget plan that included $92 million for new school construction, $227 million for postsecondary education, $210 million for community development and $163 million for construction of new corrections facilities.
In addition, Kentucky reduced property taxes for goods in transit and made tax credits available for businesses to assist employees in obtaining their GED. Other bills passed by the 2000 session of the Kentucky General Assembly included measures to provide area technology center support, a knowledge-based economy program, water resources development, economic opportunity zones, and incentives for agriculture and the coal industry.
Governor: Paul F. Patton (D) 502-564-2611
The Quality Jobs Program within the Louisiana Dept. of Economic Development was extended by the Legislature through Jan. 1, 2003 with the following changes: Employers are now required to pay 75 percent or more of basic health care insurance for full-time employees and 50 percent for part-time workers who choose to participate; employers can no longer receive credit for non-cash compensation; businesses in certain high-technology clusters may also qualify for Quality Job assistance; and qualifying businesses must pay an average wage that is equal to or at least 1.5 times the minimum federal wage. In 1999, this program generated 3,215 new permanent jobs and 132 temporary construction jobs with a total investment of $32.3 million.
In addition, the Louisiana Dept. of Labor launched a $50 million incumbent worker training program. The purpose of the program is to train workers who already have jobs to acquire the skills they need to get better jobs.
Also adopted was Senate Bill 85, establishing an Enterprise Zone program that provides a $5,000 tax credit per new hire for the motor vehicle parts manufacturing industry.
Governor: Mike Foster (R) 225-342-7015
Tax cuts and land preservation were themes this year of the administration of Gov. Angus King. On April 25, the governor signed into law a bill providing more than $100 million in tax cuts. A bill reducing the state sales tax took effect July 1, lowering Maine's sales tax from 5.5 percent to 5 percent and saving taxpayers some $60 million a year. That brings to $400 million the total tax reductions King has signed into law since 1995.
Other major provisions of the state budget include $11.1 million for rail improvements, $21.2 million for highway and bridge improvements, $17.25 million for capital improvements in the University of Maine system and $5.8 million for the Maine Technical College System.
King also approved an historic plan to conserve more than 500,000 acres (202,500 hectares) of Maine's North Woods west of Baxter State Park through a public-private venture, including the receipt of $4 million in federal funds toward the first phase of this conservation/forestry project.
Governor: Angus S. King Jr. (I) 207-287-3531
Continuing on a theme taking hold nationwide, Maryland adopted smart growth and e-business initiatives this year. On May 11, Gov. Parris Glendening signed into law sweeping growth management legislation designed to stop urban sprawl and protect environmental resources. Four of those bills create model "Smart Codes" around the state for local communities and establish the Dept. of Planning, which will be headed by Harriet Tregoning, a nationally recognized smart growth leader. The Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code and Model Codes for In-fill Development provide state incentives for developers and jurisdictions to develop in existing communities and redevelop existing buildings.
The governor also announced the creation of three new Rural Legacy Areas, one straddling the Baltimore County-Harford County line and one each in Queen Anne's and Wicomico counties. Launched in 1998, the Rural Legacy Program is an effort by state and local governments, working in conjunction with private landowners and land trusts, to strategically preserve large, contiguous blocks of land across the state. Some $37 million in state funds will go this year to preserve land from development.
In addition, Glendening announced the Board of Public Works approval of a three-year contract to provide a full-scale interactive procurement system for state agencies and local governments. A new Web site, www.emarylandmarketplace.com, will help companies of all sizes supply products and services to the state by providing them with a convenient e-commerce on-ramp.
Governor: Parris D. Glendening (D) 410-974-3901
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