In Your Backyard - Regional Business News

Maine
Coalition to Try Again on Health Care Funding
Voters last week resoundingly rejected a law passed by the Legislature in April that taxes beer, wine, soda and other drinks to help fund the state's five-year-old universal health care program. Maine Medical Association Executive Vice President Gordon Smith, who led a group called Health Coverage for Maine, said he hopes to go back to lawmakers next year with a renewed effort to fund the program. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce played a key role in the repeal effort.
Source: Kennebec Journal

 

Michigan
Governor to Approve Additional Funds for Business Loans
Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) said she'll release $150 million from the state treasury for banks and credit unions to loan to businesses and consumers who've been squeezed by the nation's credit crunch. The state will purchase $150 million in certificates of deposits (CDs) from state banks and credit unions and get competitive interest on the CDs. The banks and credit unions, in turn, will use the state money to provide loans, 80% to Michigan businesses, Granholm said. How the remaining 20% is loaned has yet to be determined, said state Department of Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton.
Source: Detroit Free Press

 

Mississippi
Business Leaders, Schools Target Dropout Rates
Educators and business leaders may start using public service announcements to communicate the importance of dropout prevention to parents in the region. Officials from 15 area school districts and local business leaders met last week to discuss ways to tackle the state's 15.9% dropout rate. The group identified a lack of parental understanding and involvement as one of the biggest challenges. The group also discussed the need to bridge information between high school and community-based and junior college-based GED programs.
Source: Hattiesburg American

 

New Jersey
Liberal Group Questions State Tax Incentives
Several business tax changes being considered as part of the state's economic stimulus package may actually do more harm than good, according to a report released by a liberal policy research group. The business-friendly tax proposals could deprive New Jersey of about $400 million in tax revenue annually, according to the New Jersey Policy Perspective. The group objects to two bills in particular--one that would base New Jersey manufacturers' business taxes only on in-state sales, not property or payroll, and another that would prohibit the state from taxing New Jersey companies for income they make in other states that don't tax such income.
Source: Gannett News Service

 

Oregon
County Passes Anti-Immigration Measure
While Oregon voters were deciding the fate of bilingual education on last week's crowded ballot, an unnoticed immigration measure passed quietly in Columbia County that may thrust it into the national forefront. According to the measure, which was approved by 57% of voters, any employer caught hiring illegal immigrants would be fined or shut down. Similar laws in a few communities around the country have been swiftly challenged in court, leading to lengthy and expensive legal battles. Columbia County's legal counsel Sarah Hanson warned voters that the measure was flawed and "unlikely to survive a legal challenge."
Source: The Oregonian