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Data Sharing: A One-Way Pipeline?
by Maureen Sirhal
Several state legislators on Wednesday expressed concern that they and other state officials are not receiving vital assessments of terrorist threats and other security data from federal officials even as their states serve as sources of intelligence to aid federal counter-terrorism efforts.
Kentucky Rep. John Weaver told members of the Task Force on Protecting Democracy convened by the National Conference of State Legislatures that there should be a better method of sharing sensitive security information among state and federal leaders. "I believe we are being asked to gather information to send to the [White House] Office of Homeland Security," Weaver said, "but the Office of Homeland Security may not be willing to send back information that might affect the state. ... There's a hell of a problem there."
White House Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge met with the committee and assured members that he is exploring ways to communicate more information to state leaders, reiterating the need for a strong security partnership with state and local groups.
"We've got to begin the process of identifying state officials who should be cleared for some of the intelligence information we receive," Ridge told reporters after the meeting. As new state officials assume leadership in January, Ridge said his office stands ready to educate homeland security advisers on the Bush administration's efforts.
He also briefed the committee on the process for combining 22 federal agencies into the new Homeland Security Department. It will have four basic units focused on various aspects of security: information gathering and analysis; weapons of mass destruction and technology issues; borders; and emergency response.
Ridge's office also is hoping to develop a place where state and local officials and private-sector groups can access the new department, whether for information or for security grants. "There is no organized plan set in concrete, but we are thinking about how to make this as user-friendly as possible," he said.
Additionally, the office is working with the National Governors Association to begin two-way information sharing on pre-existing law enforcement networks.
Virginia Seeks To Protect Networks
In other homeland security news, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner this week said he plans to ask state lawmakers in January to enact homeland security policies and procedures. The appeal is part of a broader effort to enhance the security of the state's critical infrastructure and other resources.
Warner said he plans to request that the legislature amend state Freedom of Information Act rules to exempt from public disclosure information related to the protection of critical infrastructures, such as electrical power grids and telecommunications networks. To secure those systems, he said state officials and private-sector leaders need the ability to freely share information about vulnerabilities without fear that data on the systems could be accessed by the general public.
"The economic well-being and the stability of our society depend on how we adjust to the threats of the 21st century," Warner said in a statement. "Few responsibilities of government are more important than ensuring public safety, and we are moving forward on a number of fronts to put common-sense reforms in place."
He also plans to call on lawmakers to authorize a statewide database for medical professionals to support the distribution of emergency medical information and bolster the liability protections for healthcare providers in the event of a terrorist attack.
Democratic Governors Pick Leaders
The Democratic Governors' Association (DGA) this week introduced its 2003 leadership team at a meeting in Washington, where the group met with federal officials.
Washington Gov. Gary Locke succeeds Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening as the 2003 DGA chairman, a position where he will play a key role in helping develop a national agenda for Democratic governors.
Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack became the organization's vice chair, while Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove was chosen vice chair for policy. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner was appointed as recruitment chair and Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Edward Rendell as finance chair.
New Mexico Gov.-elect Bill Richardson was appointed to the new position of federal liaison. He told reporters on Monday that the group hopes to "have more influence on message and policy" at the national level.
Gov. Locke Aims To Bolster Washington's Economy
Separately, Locke told National Journal's Technology Daily that he is readying proposals to help spur growth in Washington and to create new jobs. "We'll be announcing our budget proposals next week in which we'll unveil some ... economic development proposals [to change rules] that the investment community and businesses have long talked about as being too restrictive," he said.
He said Washington's constitution hampers the government from providing fiscal bonuses to companies that, for example, decide to locate in the state. "We are looking at some alternatives and different ways of providing economic incentives to help pay for projects that create jobs," he said, although he declined to provide details.
He also said education and job training are key to spurring economic recovery. "Extension of unemployment insurance benefits is critically important," he added. "People are worried about how they are going to continue to pay the rent and buy ... while they're in school, in job-training and retraining programs," Locke said.
He said Bush administration ideas for boosting economic growth "should be measured against which ones will most directly put people to work."
New York Lands More Tech Research Work
Efforts in New York to attract more high-tech research continue to pay off as Republican Gov. George Pataki announced last month that the global chip-tool manufacturer Tokyo Electron plans to build a $300 million plant in Albany, the state capital.
With a $100 million investment in infrastructure from the state, Japan-based Tokyo Electron will locate an arm of its semiconductor research division near the State University of New York at Albany, creating hundreds of new high-tech jobs, Pataki said. The facility will perform advanced tool design and prototyping for future generations of computer chips.
Over the past several years, Pataki and other state leaders have been crafting incentives for semiconductor and other tech firms to locate research facilities in upstate New York. International Sematech, a consortium of global chipmakers, recently unveiled plans to locate in the region.
Tech Institute Included In Restructuring Plan
New Jersey, meanwhile, is pushing ahead with plans to restructure higher education that would impact the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Gov. James McGreevey on Tuesday signed an order to create a committee tasked with implementing recommendations for restructuring the institute, as well as Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
In October the state's Commission of Health Science, Education and Training recommended that the institutions be reorganized into one research system with three distinct and autonomous campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway and Camden.
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