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PAC Time For Virginia Tech Group
by Maureen Sirhal
Only a few weeks after the November election, one state technology association already is thinking about its strategy for the next election. The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is launching a political action committee (PAC) to support state-level initiatives.
"It is our intent to support state legislators in this next cycle ... who support issues of concern to the technology community, as well as quality of life issues," NVTC President Bobbie Greene Kilberg said. The group's PAC, dubbed TechPAC, will support candidates who focus on issues such as improving the transportation infrastructure and fostering education of skilled workers.
NVTC is aiming to make its PAC one of the largest in the state, with a goal of raising $100,000 for political campaigns. Already, the group has raised about $76,000, Kilberg said. "We think it's time that the technology community step up to the plate with a PAC," she said.
John Backus, the managing director of venture-capital firm Draper Atlantic, will head the venture. NVTC is hosting a networking fundraiser on Monday to officially launch TechPAC and help the committee reach its fundraising goal.
Most state tech councils have avoided creating PACs, said Maxine Ballen, president of the New Jersey Tech Council and chairwoman of the Council of Regional Information Technology Associations. "The tech councils represent a diversity of companies, and it's very difficult to get consensus from the groups about where the money should go," she said. "We as a group need to encourage our members to contribute to politicians but on an individual basis."
"We've considered it," she said of the New Jersey council, but PACs "can be problematic. They can create some situations that can be very difficult [if] you start giving money to politicians who may not be representing all of your members' interests."
The North Carolina Electronic and Information Technology Association does not have a PAC, but President Joan Myers said the organization may consider creating one. "Our approach at this point has been how to get our membership more active in the [political] process," she said, but added that participation comes one step at a time. "We really felt it was an evolutionary process. ... You've got to walk before you can run."
Governors' Group Aids Information Sharing
Governors who face the challenge of funding new information-sharing technologies should consider consolidating information technology spending under the management of a chief information officer, according to a new report from the National Governors Association (NGA).
The biggest problem in meeting new mandates to facilitate information sharing is funding the system, according to the NGA. Most states order their budgets on an agency-by-agency basis, creating a piecemeal mechanism for funding IT purchases, so the organization is helping states integrate their law enforcement systems and criminal and court-related information.
Since October 2000, NGA has been distributing grants provided by the federal Justice Department. So far, 42 states have participated in the effort. Collectively, more than $16 million has been allocated to help states bolster information sharing.
NGA plans to offer another round of grants in January, when new governors take office.
Rules On Healthcare Data Discussed
NGA hosted a roundtable last month on the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA), which includes technology-related mandates on health data.
Representatives from 20 states met with key officials from the Health and Human Services Department (HHS). Robert Burns, a healthcare policy analyst at NGA, said state representatives signaled that they probably will not be ready to meet an April 2003 deadline for protecting the privacy of citizen healthcare data that stemmed from the 1996 law.
Delays in meeting HIPAA rules on privacy and security of health data are due in part to the fact that HHS has altered the rules several times. Some members of Congress also are considering introducing measures that would repeal aspects of the rules. States "don't want to waste taxpayer dollars, and they don't want to waste the time of these state employees," in implementing HIPAA if the rules are going to change, Burns said.
HHS has not yet issued its guidelines on guaranteeing the security of health data. And Burns noted that the feeling among state officials is that you cannot take action on medical privacy without knowing what security measures will be required.
Burns said the state officials at the meeting generally seemed pleased to obtain clarification from HHS officials on aspects of the HIPAA rules. In particular, administration officials said that if there are reporting requirements for the health information of its employees or citizens that the states must meet, "they can rest assured that they are not going to have to get an exception from the federal government to continue that reporting," Burns said.
Michigan Stakes Claim To No. 4 Tech Ranking
A new study released last week by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation maintains that the Wolverine State ranks fourth in the nation for high-tech jobs. Conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the research shows that Michigan is home to more than 568,000 high-tech workers, an increase of more than 38,000 from two years ago.
The findings dispute the state's ranking in the tech group AeA's annual survey of the top "cyber states," which placed Michigan at 17 for high-tech employment. CAR relied on the definitions provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for high-technology industries in its calculation. According to the bureau, a high-tech firm is defined by the percentage of its workforce in both research and development and technology-oriented jobs that is twice the industry average.
The Michigan study rated California No. 1 in high-tech jobs, followed by Texas and New York. Illinois ranked fifth behind Michigan.
The study also found that Michigan ranks second among the 50 states in total private spending on research and development. With more than $17 billion spent in Michigan on such endeavors in 1999, only California can boast a greater investment, the study noted.
Georgia Funds Biometric Licensing System
Georgia plans to begin a new driver's license program that will have the capacity to incorporate the fingerprints or facial features of citizens on their licenses.
Under a six-year, $20 million contract, Viisage Technology will deploy its biometrics technology to create and store digital driver's licenses. The system will include features that, should Georgia policymakers decide to approve the idea, could store a person's biometric features in an effort to make the licenses more secure.
A central facility will produce the licenses and store the information, and to gain access to the facility, people will have to pass through a facial-recognition system.
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