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Corzine: State Exports on the Rise

New Jersey – The amount of goods New Jersey exported last year rose to $30.5 billion-that’s $3.5 billion more than the previous year, Gov. Jon Corzine said. The 12.8 percent increase exceeds the national growth of 12.1 percent, the governor said. Exports alone support more than 366,000 jobs in the state, he added. “These jobs and the economic activity they generate are critical to New Jersey, especially in these times of financial uncertainty,” Corzine said. “We must continue our efforts to keep trade strong in the Garden State and to lead the nation in export growth.”
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CO – Editorial: Ritter Sets Right Tone for Education Reform. Gov. Bill Ritter unveiled his road map for education reform. In announcing his initiative, called the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids, the governor set the right tone in calling for an end to business as usual in the schools. Gov. Ritter said he’s working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to draft legislation this session that will begin to change the focus of secondary education. Importantly, Gov. Ritter stressed that local schools will receive the flexibility to craft their own reform initiatives.
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KS – Sebelius Signs Bill Honoring Veterans. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has signed a bill honoring our veterans by memorializing seven highways in Kansas. “Our state and nation have been shaped by those who were willing to risk their lives for our country,” Sebelius said. “These designations will remind all those who visit our state of the courage and sacrifice of our veterans.”
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MD – O’Malley: Transit-Oriented Development a Solution to Growth Challenges. Gov. Martin O’Malley promoted transit-oriented development as the answer to Maryland’s growth challenges this week, as he touted an administration bill that would better integrate transportation and land-use planning. O’Malley said smart-growth policies that encourage transit-oriented development should determine where future building will occur. ‘’We know the challenges our state faces in regards to sustainability, with our population expected to grow by 1.1 million and 725,000 jobs expected in the next 20 years,” he said. ‘’With thousands of acres of undeveloped and underdeveloped land within a half-mile of Maryland’s 112 transit stations, theoretically a network of transit communities could absorb all 1.1 million new residents. It gives you an idea of the existing potential for smart growth.”
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NH – Senate Approves Lynch’s Small Business Health Insurance Plan. A plan to cut the cost of health insurance for small businesses advanced in the state Senate. Gov. John Lynch has made passage of the HealthFirst plan in Senate Bill 540 a priority this year. The plan emphasizes wellness and disease prevention, chronic disease management and the use of proven best medical practices to reduce the costs of health coverage. The bill would require any health insurer that covers 1,000 members now to offer the plan. It would be designed by a committee that includes the commissioner of insurance, small-business representatives, lawmakers and consumers. “This bill is about helping small businesses better afford health insurance for their workers,” Lynch said.
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OH – Strickland Promotes Jobs Program. Gov. Ted Strickland, touting his $1.7 billion jobs package, toured two Southwest Ohio job-creating projects he believes should be a model for the rest of the state. Strickland first went to Linden Pointe which is under construction on a 15-acre former brownfield site that is being turned into an office-retail complex. Developers say the complex will ultimately create about 2,500 jobs. Brownfields are former industrial sites that often need considerable environmental clean-up before they can be used again. Strickland called Linden Pointe a good example of how private investors and state and local governments can team up. “They’ve taken a brownfield, cleaned up the mess and turned it into something that will create jobs,” he said.
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OR – Kulongoski Predicts Economic Growth for State. While the rest of the country wrings its hands over the stumbling economy, Gov. Ted Kulongoski cracks a “What, me worry?” grin. Oregon, he says, will be spared the brunt of the downturn and should be back on pace for modest growth within a year. “This is not a manufacturing recession,” which has laid Oregon low in the past, Kulongoski says. By this time next year, Kulongoski expects the state to be pumping more money into schools, highways, health care and even savings.
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WA – Gregoire Approves Bill to Control Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Gov. Chris Gregoire approved a climate change bill last week that will reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to half of its 1990 emission levels by 2050. The bill also includes interim steps: returning to 1990 emission levels by 2020 and reducing emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035. The new initiative aims to expand the green economy sector to 25,000 jobs by 2020 through targeted financial incentives and comprehensive strategies to attract and expand industries and small businesses serving this sector. The state has estimated that several of the recommended strategies for responding to climate change will have a net benefit to the state’s economy of nearly $1 billion by 2020.
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