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Bredesen Plan to Bring New Jobs

Tennessee – Under a gray sky accompanied by blustery winds, Gov. Phil Bredesen was greeted by a crowd of more than 100 who came to hear of an opportunity that could bring jobs into Cumberland, Roane and Morgan counties. It could mean companies building or relocating in the area. The program is designed to acquaint veteran site selectors with development opportunities in Tennessee’s rural communities and to give those communities the opportunity to gather feedback from veteran business consultants. “Each of these communities has demonstrated a willingness to collaborate and work together on a regional basis. At the end of this process, these communities will see how they are perceived by highly regarded site selection experts and how to use that knowledge to make themselves more competitive,” Bredesen said.
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HEALTH CARE NEWS

OH – Strickland Extends Coverage to Children with Special Needs. Gov. Ted Strickland signed an order giving middle-class children with special needs access to health insurance. The new program is thought to be the first in the nation that is entirely state-funded and is aimed at children with conditions that make it expensive or even impossible to obtain insurance. “The Children’s Buy-In Program lessens the burden and worry for parents who have had difficulty obtaining coverage for their children due to a special condition,” he said. “Affordable access to health-care coverage is crucial to ensuring that families can lay a solid foundation for their children to enjoy future success.”
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OR – Kulongoski Signs Order for Computerized Health Record Study. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has created a committee to develop a strategy for keeping electronic medical records. Kulongoski says that would make health care more efficient, improve the quality of care, reduce medical errors and save patients money by eliminating unnecessary medical procedures. The governor says different computer systems and lack of electronic records in some areas mean that medical histories for patients are too often unavailable when needed.
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PA – Rendell Joins Health Information Exchange Movement. Pennsylvania has become the latest state to join the rush toward Health Information Exchanges, through an executive order signed by Gov. Ed Rendell. An HIE provides a framework for sharing medical records among doctors and hospitals.
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GENERAL NEWS

IA – Culver Upgrades State Voting System. Gov. Chet Culver signed into law a nearly $5 million measure that creates a uniform statewide voting system and provides a paper trail to help if recounts are needed. “Election administration is a top priority,” said Culver, who as secretary of state was Iowa’s top election official until elected governor in 2006. The measure contributes $4.9 million in state money to carry out a requirement that all of Iowa’s 99 counties use optical scanning voting machines. “The law is projected to increase voter turnout by 5 percent,” said Culver. “Greater access to the polls must coincide with complete confidence in election day practices and procedures.”
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MD – O’Malley Foreclosure Reforms Near Final Passage. A wide-ranging package of mortgage foreclosure and financing reform bills is likely to make its way to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s desk. The House and Senate are each adjusting new requirements related to the net worth that mortgage lenders and brokers must have to meet tougher state licensing guidelines, which are proposed in a foreclosure package that was a key part of O’Malley’s legislative agenda. The bills would lengthen the foreclosure process to 45 days from the first foreclosure filing or 90 days from a default, whichever is longer. They also add a requirement that banks try twice to notify homeowners personally when they are in foreclosure, create a more specific law to prosecute mortgage fraud, and increase the state’s ability to track people who originate mortgage loans.
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MI – Granholm to Aid Homeowners. Many homeowners facing higher house payments and even foreclosure because of dramatic increases in their adjustable rate mortgages could qualify for state-backed, fixed-rate loans under legislation Gov. Jennifer Granholm is to sign. The bills allow the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to refinance existing mortgages at competitive rates. Qualified homeowners could convert adjustable mortgages to 30-year fixed-rate ones through private lenders, which would sell the mortgages to MSHDA.
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WA – Gregoire Signs Toy Safety Measure. “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire before signing the bill. The Children’s Safe Product Act bans products with high levels of lead, cadmium and phthalates. A high concentration of some chemicals and substances used in toys can lead to diseases and brain damage. This could also cause cancer and birth defects. The new bill places the most severe restrictions in the United States on the amount of lead and cadmium in children products. The bill reduces the allowable level of lead in toys to 90 parts per million, far bellow the current federal standard of 600 parts per million.
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WV – Manchin Welcomes New Jobs. CSX Transportation plans to hire about 80 people to work at a new $4.5 million dispatching center in Huntington. CSX Chairman Michael J. Ward was joined by Gov. Joe Manchin at the announcement. Ward said most of the new employees will be dispatchers responsible for the movement of trains and the maintenance and inspection of equipment. The state is offering Economic Opportunity Tax Credits for each job created and is providing up to $2,000 per employee for training.
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WI – Doyle Launches Program to Focus on Renewable Fuels, Energy Research. Wisconsin is in an ideal position to lead the way to an energy independence policy that can save money, grow clean jobs and cut reliance on foreign oil, Gov. Jim Doyle says. “We’re looking to build a common vision,” Doyle said. “There are specific action steps in which Wisconsin can become a leader in clean energy.” The renewable energy industry is estimated to become a multi-billion dollar industry, and Wisconsin has the resources to be a leader in this market, he said. Capturing 10 percent of this market would generate billions each year for Wisconsin and create nearly 20,000 new jobs.
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WY – Freudenthal to Visit China. Gov. Dave Freudenthal will travel to China next week on a visit that will allow him to tour a General Electric plant where researchers are studying coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The governor’s office says that the 10-day trip will allow him to visit the GE China Technology Center in Shanghai. The University of Wyoming and GE announced earlier this year that they plan to develop a coal gasification research plant in Wyoming. Freudenthal says that the Wyoming plant can learn from similar research facilities operating around the world.
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