 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
Bay State Bill Sealed With A Squabble
by Maureen Sirhal and Chloe Albanesius
A pending amendment to a Massachusetts budget bill has the U.S. Postal Service seeing red.
The amendment, adopted last week by the state Senate and now pending before a committee that will resolve differences over the bill between the state Senate and House, would require delivery services to verify the ages of customers when they deliver tobacco products purchased online.
"It's time to crack down" on sales to minors, said bill sponsor Bill Lees, a Republican in the state Senate. "The online vendors are not following guidelines." Lees said deliverymen should be just as accountable as convenience-store clerks for confirming that people who buy tobacco products are of the legal age to do so. The legal age in most states is 18 or older.
The Postal Service, however, does not agree. Spokesman Robert Cannon said the U.S. Constitution forbids state or local governments from interfering with federal agencies, so Massachusetts has no right to tell the Postal Service how to do its job.
Cannon also cited two other potential problems with the amendment. "First, how do we know what's in these packages?" he asked. "I know there's a provision calling for labels, but that puts restrictions on mailers and the U.S. Postal Service. Second, it would criminalize any violations [of the amendment]. They have no right to do that because it violates federal law."
Lees called the Postal Service policy "outrageous" and said the quasi-governmental agency "better write some guidelines to make their delivery service not illegal" in terms of delivering tobacco to minors.
Private delivery services like United Parcel Service are not as opposed to the amendment as the Postal Service. UPS spokesman David Bolger said the company already has a policy requiring proof of age when delivering such products as alcohol, computers or firearms. Bolger said the ID checks are simply "part of our service equation."
Lees said the delivery services would be responsible for monitoring themselves. "They've done it with alcohol; they can certainly do it with cigarettes," he said. The companies would, however, be required to submit their invoices monthly to the state's Revenue Department for inspection.
Michael Berman, manager of media relations for Tobacco Free Kids, is puzzled as to why the provision targets the delivery services as opposed to the online vendors. He acknowledged that it is "critical to have the delivery provision" but also advocated a system that would require Internet sellers to register with the state before their products could be delivered.
"We're pushing [language] that's fair to the delivery services," he said.
Other states have similar laws, though Massachusetts would be the first to specifically target delivery services. Laws in California and Washington require Internet vendors to verify the ages of their customers before shipping tobacco products, while New York has banned the shipping of tobacco products outright, except for smaller orders delivered by in-state retailers.
Florida Moves To Outsource Tech Jobs
Information technology industry leaders in Florida are aiming to downsize the number of state IT positions. The Tallahassee Democrat reports that in an effort to streamline and cut costs, the state Technology Office intends to outsource up to 150 jobs under a deal with the consulting firms Accenture and BearingPoint.
The firms will begin offering comparable positions, according to state Chief Information Officer Kim Bahrami. The alliance could result in a 30 percent savings for state IT costs, she said.
Accenture will assume management of state applications, including the MyFlorida.com Internet portal, and several e-government services, such as the online renewal of licenses. BearingPoint will run the state's data center and desktop management and also handle e-government services that will be determined by the contract.
Four States Get Homeland Security Grants
Homeland Security Department leaders have traveled around the nation over the last few days, unveiling grants to states to help them finance domestic preparedness against potential terrorism and other disasters.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Wednesday met with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to announce that the state has been awarded more than $31 million to enhance the capabilities of local "first responders" to emergencies. The grants can be used to purchase new equipment and technologies, as well as for training, planning and exercises for police, fire and other emergency workers. The grants also are intended to help the state recoup from the costs of providing increased security during the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
Michael Brown, the Homeland Security undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response and director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also announced that Kentucky will receive $23.8 million. And Asa Hutchinson, the department's undersecretary for border and transportation security, announced that Georgia will receive about $37.6 million.
Michael Byrne, director of the department's Office of National Capital Region Coordination, is expected to travel to Richmond, Va., on Thursday to unveil a $33.7 million grant for that state.
Selling The Plan To 'Energize Indiana'
Indiana leaders plan to host a series of forums over the next few months to educate the state's business leaders on how they can benefit from a series of new economic development initiatives.
Gov. Frank O'Bannon, Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan and representatives from five state agencies will convene how-to forums in 12 regions to explain the "Energize Indiana" plan and the opportunities that it will provide to business owners. The initiative seeks to boost the state's economy through job creation in four industry sectors: advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology and high-tech distribution. It will provide research dollars and incentives to launch businesses, conduct research and commercialize innovations.
"We plan to have very hands-on, informative presentations so that community leaders, business owners and innovators can learn what Energize Indiana can do for them -- how it can help them find research money or get assistance with building a technology park or the like," O'Bannon said in a statement. The forums will be June 11 in Madison, June 18 in Kokomo and June 26 in Evansville. Other forums will be held in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis, Lafayette/West Lafayette, Muncie, New Albany, South Bend and Terre Haute.
Ohio's Pursuit Of The 'Third Frontier'
Ohio Gov. Bob Taft has selected members to a new advisory board that will provide insight and guidance to the Third Frontier Commission, which was created to expand the state's high-tech research capabilities and spur high-wage job growth by allocating more than $1.5 billion to those efforts. The board will advise on strategic planning, general management and coordination of programs and funds administered by the commission.
Taft named Mark Collar, Cincinnati business leader, to serve as chairman of the Third Frontier Advisory Board, which also counts among its membership: Bruce Johnson, director of the Ohio Development Department; Roderick Chu, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents; and Frank Samuel, science and technology adviser to the governor.
New board appointees include: James Anderson, Thomas Brady, Robert Kirkbride, James Krimmel, Malte von Matthiessen, Willard Pardue, Luis Proenza, Sidney Ribeau, Fred Sanfilippo, Michael Thaman, Susan Tomasky, James Wagner and Thomas Waltermire.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
