 From Site Selection magazine, November 2004 
U.S. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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Colorado
Brian Vogt took over the state's ED directorship after its former director, Bob Lee, was appointed as Gov. Bill Owens' chief of staff. An interim committee on stimulating economic development through business personal property tax exemptions and other methods is meeting six times until its dissolution on January 1, 2005, and will report its findings to the general assembly. The state board for community colleges and occupational education was authorized to transfer all moneys available for the Colorado customized training program to the Colorado existing industry training program.
Connecticut
Tax credit refunds for research and development tax credits, which prior law allowed only for 2003 and 2004, are now permanent. The refunds are available to companies that (1) pay the alternative capital base corporation tax for a year when they report no income and (2) grossed less than $ 70 million in the prior year without counting transactions with a related business. The refunds equal 65 percent of the value of the credits they could not use. A new measure requiring annual reporting of greenhouse gas emissions will require certain electricity generators, commercial and industrial sites to report their direct smokestack greenhouse gas emissions. Effective October 1, 2004. A temporary increase in the basic municipal real estate conveyance tax rate from 0.11 percent to 0.25 percent was extended until June 30, 2005, and 18 towns were granted the permanent option to add another 0.25 percent to their rates.
Delaware
In the state budget signed in July 2004, the Delaware Economic Development Office received nearly $41 million in appropriations, including $20 million for its New Economy initiative, $9 million for its Riverfront Development Corp. and $10 million for its strategic fund. Of these monies, $12.5 million has been allocated to the Delaware Competitiveness Fund, targeted at aiding manufacturers or R&D operations with expansion or re-use projects and with training at existing plant sites. The department has been further authorized to create a Clean Energy Performance Grant program (in conjunction with the University of Delaware's Clean Energy Center), and to create an Emerging Technology Center and seed fund. The budget also allocated $15 million to the Port of Delaware for improvements deemed necessary to retain or expand revenue-producing business, specifically to aid in warehouse and other improvements connected to the fresh produce and automotive industries. And it made available more than $393 million from the state transportation trust fund for an array of projects. A new amendment to the state's workers' compensation program allows employers the ability to be assigned industry sub-classifications that better recognize the unique qualities of specified types of businesses, and which may therefore lower their rates.
Florida
Economic development allocations through June 2005 include: $11 million for Enterprise Florida, $35 million for transportation projects, $10 million for a Quick Action Closing Fund and $22.3 million for "Economic Development Tools." The Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund program was re-enacted. Overall transportation funding of $5.5 billion includes $100 million for the state's Strategic Intermodal System, $14 million for seaport infrastructure and security and $9 million for high-speed rail. Provisions of the federal Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Act of 2003 were piggybacked onto the Florida Income Tax Code, effectively raising the bonus depreciation amount from 30 percent to 50 percent for investments made after May 5, 2003, and extending the cutoff date to December 31, 2004. Among clarifications to the brownfield loan guarantee program was that the rehab of such a site must create at least 10 new permanent jobs at the new operation. A water resources bill requires local governments to consider water supply sources and projected demand in their comprehensive plans. Water districts are authorized to require use of reclaimed water if "environmentally, technically and economically feasible." Permit applicants that use alternative water sources are eligible for 20-year permits. Overall education funding was increased by $1.5 billion, or seven percent. A bill was passed calling for 2004 reports on results of high-school-level career education programs jointly operated by school districts and community colleges.
Georgia
A law was passed pre-empting any local government initiatives regarding minimum wage rates. While counties may belong to more than one joint development authority (JDA), businesses realizing job tax credits in a given JDA shall not qualify for further credits if the county they are located in belongs to other JDAs. Among the FY 2004 appropriations was a reduction in the marketing budget for economic development while increasing marketing of tourism and science and technology assets. In addition, funding for the state's lauded Dept. of Technical and Adult Education and its Quick Start program was reduced. Parameters were widened in the designation of "less developed" areas for the purposes of income tax credits for locating or expanding companies. In addition, areas with poverty of 20 percent or greater shall offer a job tax credit of $3,500 per new full-time job for a period of five years. Finally, the allowable amount of tax credits claimed in any one tax year was revised from 50 percent to 100 percent of the claimant's tax liability.
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