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Nixon Proposes Tuition-Free College

Missouri – Gubernatorial candidate Jay Nixon says his plan to provide a debt-free college education is intended to include middle-class families. Unlike the Missouri State University Promise Scholarship program that addresses the needs of students at the poverty level, Nixon’s plan—called the Missouri Promise—would give families of four with an income of less than $80,000 a chance to avoid paying college tuition. “I firmly believe a college education is key to achieving a dream,” he said. “Tuition at state colleges is skyrocketing and middle-class families are getting squeezed by outrageous tuition fees.”
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ENERGY NEWS

IA – Culver Announces Creation of Wind Energy Alliance. Gov. Chet Culver announced the creation of an alliance to train Iowans for high-paying jobs in the growing wind energy industry. Culver said the newly formed Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development will combine research, public policy, training and education. “It is the key to producing a skilled, productive work force by developing a constant stream of new, well-trained workers that can hit the ground running their first day on the job,” Culver said.
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MD – O’Malley Urges Support for Nuclear Energy Expansion. Gov. Martin O’Malley voiced his support for the expansion of nuclear energy within the state at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, where construction of a new reactor could begin by the end of the year. O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown toured the generating facility, where the plant’s owner wants to add a third reactor. The governor said the new reactor would help slow rate increases for electricity customers amid rising global demand for energy. “It is a huge moral challenge and it is a moral imperative given what massive new burning of coal will do to the planet if we don’t develop better and cleaner technology, including safer and cleaner nuclear, which is what is planned and talked about in terms of the third reactor,” O’Malley said.
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MA – Patrick: State Could Clean Up as Energy Leader. By becoming a leader in the clean energy industry, Massachusetts can reinvigorate its economy while making the state a better place to live and work, Gov. Deval Patrick told business leaders. “If Massachusetts gets clean energy right, the world would be our customer,” Patrick said. “We can become a world leader in the new economy that aims to heat buildings and electrify homes and businesses without using the world’s dwindling supply of fossil fuels. Massachusetts has what it takes to lead a clean energy economy, because in the age of clean energy, power will come not from fossil fuels but from technology, innovation and skill.”
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OH – Strickland Signs Sweeping Energy Bill. Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a long-debated bill that brings sweeping changes to Ohio’s electric power industry. Strickland capped seven months of legislative work on the bill, which quickly cleared the Senate but became bogged down in the House after questions arose about how competition in the sale of power would affect rates. The Legislature settled on a hybrid approach of looking at both regulated plans and prices on the open market and giving consumers the lower rate. The bill also calls for the development of wind and solar power systems.
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GENERAL NEWS

NY – Paterson Calls for Action in Mortgage Crisis. Gov. David Paterson called on both the Federal Government and the New York State Legislature to take additional steps to protect New Yorker’s against losing their homes. The Governor called on leaders in the state to adopt the Executive legislation that would assist New Yorker’s currently facing foreclosure, and also help to prevent another crisis from occurring in the future. The proposed legislation advanced by the Executive branch would mandate communication and negotiation between lender and borrower, in efforts to promote foreclosure mitigation. Gov. Paterson’s promotion of the bill is a critical step towards its passage. “We have delivered a package of reforms to the Legislature and I am urging them to give these proposals serious consideration,” said Paterson. “To the credit of the leaders in both the Senate and Assembly, negotiations on this bill will begin this week. But we need to act swiftly to address this crisis and bring relief to thousands of New York States residents who are facing the possibility of losing their homes.”
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PA – Rendell Urges Support to Help Uninsured. Gov. Ed Rendell came to Sacred Heart Hospital in Allentown seeking support for two bills that would extend coverage for the uninsured and force insurers to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions. Gov. Ed Rendell said the bill would create a comprehensive health and dental plan with state and federal subsidies for $130 a month. The plan would cover 350,000 Pennsylvania adults, or about half of those without benefits. ‘’We have to do something about the crisis in the country and in Pennsylvania,’’ Rendell said. ‘’Every American should have the right to health-care coverage.’’
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TN – Bredesen Accepts Economic Competitiveness Award. Gov. Phil Bredesen accepted the 2007 Competitiveness Award from Site Selection magazine. The announcement marks the second time the state of Tennessee has placed first among the annual ranking of states by one of America’s leading economic development publications. “Through strong business cycles and down periods, Tennessee has focused on building the infrastructure and the workforce to attract higher skilled, better paying jobs,” said Bredesen. “The investments we’ve made have been prudent and positioned our state for the next generation of new jobs.”
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VA – Kaine Welcomes New Jobs. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced that Canon Virginia Inc. will invest a total of more than $600 million in its Newport News operations and its Industrial Resource Technologies Inc. subsidiary’s facilities in Gloucester County, the first of several expansions planned as part of Canon Virginia’s “Vision for the Future” program. The investment will be used to expand its operations in Newport News, including the construction of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and repair and refurbishing operations for select Canon products, which involve the planned creation of more than 1,000 new jobs.
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