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McNealy Takes Tech Industry's Case South
by Liza Porteus
Georgia may have found a bosom buddy in Sun Microsystems, whose CEO, Scott McNealy, met last week with Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes and state Chief Information Officer (CIO) Larry Singer.
Singer told National Journal's Technology Daily that the Georgia officials met with McNealy while he was on a tour of Southeastern states. They discussed government's role in improving the state of the IT industry and the impact the industry can have on governments. Barnes cited the specific concern of many governors that states are suffering from loss of sales-tax revenue because of a drop in capital spending, Singer said.
"When you have a massive reduction on IT spending, it really takes a toll on state coffers," Singer said.
McNealy also talked about lack of support for research and development and capital expenditures in tax policy at the federal level, and how it is often difficult to make lawmakers understand the needs of the IT industry, Singer said. "The rate of innovation and rate of change is so much greater [in technology] than other industries," he said.
McNealy lauded Georgia's move to outsource various communication projects as a good way for the state to compete in the global marketplace, Singer said.
Barnes has an acute interest in tech issues. The state currently is debating whether to invest pension funds in venture activities that support industry. There is also talk of database-protection legislation, Singer said, and Barnes is developing policy in that area. Barnes also is examining privacy policies and disclosure issues.
This year, meanwhile, Barnes signed into law a handful of tech-related bills. They include:
- S.B. 205, which prohibits the disclosure of personal information such as Social Security and credit-card numbers and medical information on all records unless for a specified purpose.
- S.B. 213, which requires every county in the state to have the same voting equipment by the July 2004 primary election. The law also: authorizes a pilot project for electronic voting; creates a voting commission; and calls for increased voter education and poll-worker training.
- S.B. 24, which gives legal weight to the use of electronic records and signatures in the state.
- S.B. 50, which requires court clerks to collect and transmit certain data electronically by Jan. 1 and allows them to maintain court records in digital format.
- H.B. 521, which allows the collection of civil damages for the theft of telecommunications and cable services.
- H.B. 725, which allows state employees to buy personal computers and related equipment for their own use and have the costs of those purchases deducted from their paychecks.
A North Dakota executive for Basin Electric Power Cooperative has been hired as Montana's first chief information officer, reports the Billings Gazette. Brian Wolf of Bismarck, N.D., was chosen from a field of about 40 applicants.
Wolf begins work Oct. 1 and will be paid $98,000 a year. He will advise the governor on the state's information technology systems and also will advise the Administration Department, which oversees the state's mainframe computer and computer hardware and software selections.
Legislative Council Crafts 'Fast Track' Model
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is asking states to back its model resolution on presidential trade-negotiating authority. The resolution allows state legislators to have their names added to a letter ALEC will send to President Bush, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle, D-S.D., in support of the "fast track" authority.
ALEC also is offering a state-by-state fact sheet on the affect of trade-negotiating authority on various industries.
Cities Submit Comments On FTAA Draft
The National League of Cities (NLC) has submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on the parts of the draft text of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement, according to Nation's Cities Weekly.
The nine chapters of FTAA range from intellectual property rights to agriculture and will serve as a template for future deliberations. Negotiators are scheduled to complete the agreement by 2005. NLC members are concerned that the scope of trade agreements like FTAA may adversely impact local decision-making.
Candidates Answer To Silicon Alley
The New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA) has posted on its Web site the responses to questionnaires sent from technology companies and executives in New York's Silicon Alley community to prospective candidates for New York City offices.
NYSIA recently submitted seven questions to all of the major-party candidates for the offices of mayor, comptroller and public advocate in this year's election. It received responses from the four major Democratic candidates in the mayoral race and from several candidates in the comptroller and public advocate races.
Questions focused on issues important to Silicon Alley, including: training, affordable commercial real estate, telecom infrastructure, taxes and economic development strategies. The group also asked a specific question about NYSIA's proposal for a guaranteed loan fund for tech companies in New York.
California Lawmakers Target Computer Snooping
A California bill awaiting the signature of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis would make it illegal for employers to read their workers' e-mail or track Internet activity unless they make it known that it is company policy to do so.
The state Assembly passed the bill, S.B. 147, last week on a 44-28 vote; the state Senate had passed it in June. Davis has until Oct. 14 to sign the measure. "People should know that just because they have a computer password, they don't automatically have electronic privacy," state Sen. Debra Bowen, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement.
The California Public Utilities Commission requires employers to inform employees if their phone conversations are monitored. S.B. 147 would create a similar "right to know" law that covers new technologies in the workplace.
Davis vetoed similar measures in 1999 and 2000.
Reid Talks Tech In Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., met with University of Nevada at Reno (UNR) officials and northern Nevada technology leaders Aug. 22 during the second annual High-Tech Town Hall Meeting. The event allowed Nevada's tech and education leaders to discuss ways to help the Silver State's technology industry to prosper.
The main issue was how to convince tech talent, mostly potential workers graduating from UNR, to stay in the state. UNR President John Lilley said finding a solution to the "brain drain" is a major priority.
Georgia's Got The Web Goods
The Council of State Governments (CSG) has named the Georgia Secretary of State's Web site the best executive-branch site in the nation and will formally present the Eagle E-Government Award at its annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, next month. The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Network, eMaryland Marketplace and Virginia's VATaxOnline received honorable mentions in the category.
Minnesota won honors for the best legislative site, and the North Dakota Supreme Court's Internet home was named the best judicial site. North Carolina's NC@Your Service was dubbed the best state portal.
The National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) also praised seven state agencies for leadership and innovation. Programs selected as winners in various categories such as procurement and human resource management included: Illinois' e-Batch license-renewal program; Pennsylvania's program to recruit and retain tech employees; Arizona's Leased to Own Project; Maryland's eMaryland Marketplace; Maryland's Roof Assessment, Training and Engineering Unit; Kansas' IT Project Management Methodology Program; and Kansas' Benefits Open Enrollment Through the Employee Portal.
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