 From Site Selection magazine, November 2003 
U.S. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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Montana
A Dept. of Revenue calculation due to occur in October 2003 was to have determined whether wages and salaries had reached a statutory growth rate (2.85-percent or greater) that would trigger the phase-out of property taxes on business equipment beginning in 2005, with their complete elimination by 2008. This potential development would save existing businesses some $68 million. A new law raises taxes on cigarettes, other tobacco products and lodging, while lowering the state's income tax rate beginning in 2005. Taxes will go from 10 brackets ranging from 2 to 11 percent, to seven brackets ranging from 1 percent to 6.9 percent. The measure also provides a tax credit of 1 percent on capital gains, which increases to 2 percent in 2007. A new work force training fund has been established by diversion of employee income tax withholding.
Nebraska
The Employment Expansion and Investment Incentive Act, effective in January 2004, grants $2,750 of credits per $50,000 of qualifying capital investment and $3,000 of credits per full-time equivalent. The project must occur in either a county with population under 25,000, or within a state or federal enterprise zone, have a minimum investment of $250,000, a minimum employment level of five employees and a minimum wage of $8.25, indexed to the Nebraska average weekly wage, adjusted for rural counties. The operation must stay in business for three years, and is eligible for a refund of state income tax and state sales and use taxes. Like Kansas, the state signed on to the streamlined sales tax collection agreement. The state's 22 career centers, operated by Nebraska Workforce Development, are matched by its 22 detailed annual regional labor market reports. The agency was honored in 2002 by the U.S. Dept. of Labor Employment and Training Administration and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies for its internal staff development leadership.
Nevada
An $836-million increase in state taxes was enacted by a single vote in July 2003 in a special legislative session, which also authorized a new real estate transfer tax. Businesses suffering because of that new taxation should see some relief in their workers' compensation insurance rates, which the National Council on Compensation Insurance recommended be lowered by 16.4 percent beginning in January 2004. State insurance officials were due to act on the recommendation in the fall of 2003. Sponsored in part by the state legislature, the Community College of Southern Nevada will see a new 75,000-sq.-ft. (6,968-sq.-m.) telecommunications building on its campus by spring 2004. The college sports three campuses and four technical centers under its umbrella.
New Hampshire
The first bill new Governor Craig Benson signed, in April, established an efficiency commission to better run state government, and his subsequent acts have echoed that fiscal responsibility theme. In June, Benson vetoed a budget that would have instituted one of the highest spending increases in the nation, at 13 percent. He signed a budget in September that included no new taxes or tax increases. In July, a provision in state revenue dept. rules was repealed, eliminating more than $4 million in annual costs to New Hampshire businesses that had resulted from being required to carry net operating losses back to previous tax years. In September, Benson introduced his Taxpayer Bill of Rights, calling for a constitutional amendment to tie increased state spending to the rate of inflation plus population growth, and to prevent the increase of the tax rate without a super-majority vote by the legislature. In a move to integrate technology and traditional learning, Benson introduced a pilot program, "Technology Promoting Student Excellence," to bring laptop computers into classrooms in fall 2003.
New Jersey
Gov. James McGreevey's attempts to meld smart growth and economic development resulted in a retooling of the state's incentive program. Formerly, a company had to create 25 jobs in an urban area and 75 jobs in a non-urban area to qualify. Now the number is 25 for any site in New Jersey, and only 10 for companies in emerging tech and biotech sectors. His program also calls for higher potential incentives to companies in targeted clusters: biotech, emerging technology, pharmaceutical, financial services and logistics. A new brownfield redevelopment law provides $40 million for environmental investigation and cleanup. Gov. McGreevey's new School Renaissance Zone program is built around the idea that economic development can be built around revitalized educational facilities. An unrelated law makes technology education a mandatory part of the state's core curriculum. The state's three work force development departments have been consolidated into one Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development.
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