Panel, Conference Presentation
Building a 21st Century Economy: A Conversation With U.S. Governors
- Colorado aims to position itself as a pro-business state with frictionless expansion, clean air and water standards, and methane regulation while reducing teaching degree acquisition time from 18 months to two weeks.
- Colorado plans to focus on becoming the "Silicon Valley of agriculture" and attracting young entrepreneurs through inclusive policies and a high concentration of live music venues, targeting a $100 million marijuana tax revenue by next year to manage unintended consequences over a multi-year assessment period.
- Colorado anticipates a five-year transportation funding bill to address interstate disrepair, with 60% of future job growth expected in roles requiring less than a four-year degree, and expects the Affordable Care Act to reduce sick days and emergency room usage long-term.
- Virginia intends to diversify its economy away from defense spending cuts by expanding education and early childhood development, aiming to build a cybersecurity business in the Washington region and capitalize on bioscience and human genome sequencing opportunities.
- Virginia expects to resolve social issues to achieve a 90% Fortune 500 presence, secure a federal lease for off-shore wind turbines with two six-megawatt units in July, and provide teachers a 2% pay raise, the first since 2007.
- Virginia plans to receive EPA carbon emission standards in July, seeking credit for nuclear power, and anticipates Medicaid expansion could run $1.8 billion annually with 80% of new enrollees working, though political opposition may block the initiative.
- Virginia expects to lose 352 road projects and $1 billion in funding if transportation funding is not solved, while noting that NIH grant funding is at historic lows and the UK may leap ahead in DNA sequencing.
- North Carolina proposes a $2.8 billion bond referendum in November to fund infrastructure like roads, rail, and ports, anticipating manufacturing returns due to energy and logistics improvements and connecting rural towns to economic regions.
- North Carolina plans to fill skills gaps by offering in-state tuition to non-citizen veterans and emphasizing career training, targeting the needs of a workforce where the average mechanic is 57-58 and the average farmer is 58.
- North Carolina expects the heroin and opioid crisis to cost 28% of the $21 billion state budget, affecting all income levels, while aiming to pass legislation for THC oil for epileptic children and noting the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is unlikely to pass.
- North Carolina anticipates electric prices will rise due to federal regulations and expects the Supreme Court to rule on the National Health Care Act this summer, with a state exchange taking at least two years to develop under current plans.
- North Carolina expects the shift toward two-year degrees and certifications is necessary as 60% of job growth will require less than a four-year degree, while highlighting that children not reading by third grade face high dropout rates between ages 15 and 16.
- Nebraska plans to copy Michigan's Advanced Technical Training Program to create direct hiring pipelines and adopt a re-employment system to improve a 72% workforce participation rate by 2050.
- Nebraska aims to double its food supply by 2050 through trade and innovation targeting Asia and Europe, with trade missions scheduled for early June to reduce non-tariff barriers.
- Nebraska expects an energy pipeline to create 3,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs to support local tax bases, while pursuing community health clinics over Medicaid expansion due to concerns over federal matching fund sustainability.
- Nebraska cites the reduction of special education funding from 40% to 20% as evidence that the 90% federal Medicaid match may not last, and anticipates potential need for a COBRA-like solution if Supreme Court rulings affect subsidies.
- Nebraska expects federal rule changes on funding could occur at any time and notes that Head Start effects may wear off by third grade, requiring simple, measurable solutions.
- Multiple states anticipate federal regulatory impacts, including Virginia expecting EPA standards in July and North Carolina expecting rising energy prices, while North Carolina and Virginia are working on an internal pipeline for lower-cost electricity.