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AeA 2008 Massachusetts Legislative Session
End-of-Session Report
The two year 2007-2008 Massachusetts legislative session concluded in the
wee hours of August 1, 2008, with members working frantically until their
midnight deadline and then beyond it to finally conclude at 1:30 AM. When
the formal session ended, the legislature approved several major
proposals, including overriding nearly half of Governor Deval Patrick's
$122.5 million in budget vetoes, and approving major legislation to curb
soaring healthcare costs. The Legislature passed over 250 bills of some
6,000 filed for consideration. The State Budget for FY 2009 was passed at
$27.93 billion, or about $1.4 billion more than the previous fiscal year.
The new budget includes $1 billion over the next ten years to a life
sciences initiative, $17.5 million to promote green and clean energy in
the state and $25 million to create a Broadband Institute to promote
broadband deployment in underserved areas throughout the state and
additional funds to modernize the state’s IT infrastructure.
More.
AeA Report Shows Boston Ranks 4th
Nationwide by Tech Employment at 191,700 |
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New!
Cybercities 2008
examines the high-tech industry in the nation’s 60 largest
metro areas focusing on tech employment, wages, establishments,
payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential. The
report compares different U.S. regions and delves into the 16 sectors
that comprise the high-tech industry for these 60 cities. Learn more about high-tech employment in
Boston. |
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Investing in Innovative Clean Tech Solutions
A panel discussion on Alternative Energy at this year's Micro Cap included
New England's Douglas Lawson, BTU International
AeA New England member BTU
International, Inc. was among the participants on a panel
discussion at this year's Micro Cap Conference on the topic of
Investing in Innovative Clean Tech Solutions. Speakers on the
panel included Douglas Lawson, VP of Marketing and Business Development,
Alternative Energy, BTU International, Jeffrey Ciachurski, Chief Executive
Officer, Western Wind Energy and Reuben Richards, Jr., Executive Chairman,
Chairman of the Board, Emcore Corporation and was moderated by Ted Kundtz,
Sr. Research Analyst, Clean Tech and Industrial Growth, Needham & Company.
Doug joined BTU in December 2007 and is responsible for the growth of the
company's alternative energy business with a focus on the solar energy
market. View a
recap of
the AeA Micro Cap, including an interview with Chris Hansen, AeA
President and CEO.
Celebrating its 10th year, the AeA Micro Cap Financial Conference provided
public technology companies with an environment in which to showcase their
companies to key technology investors.
View a list of all
New England presenting companies.
Increasing Visibility & Shareholder
Value
Register now for the AeA Financial Classic to be held November 2-5, 2008
in San Diego, our hallmark financial conference for public tech companies
with revenues or market cap over $100 million. This highly regarded
conference has helped hundreds of tech companies to gain investor interest and build
positive relationships in the financial
community. New this year is the inclusion of clean and green tech
companies and those traded on foreign exchanges. Contact Anne
Doherty Johnson for testimonials from tech leaders who have successfully leveraged this event to grow investor
interest.
In May, AeA New England hosted our
annual seminar on
International Environmental Compliance, covering the latest global
environmental compliance requirements facing high tech companies.
Holly Evans, President, Strategic Counsel LLC
(View
event recap and more event photos.)
The event
included updates on RoHS, WEEE, REACH and EuP regulations and highlighted
company best practices in these areas as well as in Design for Environment
and Sustainability. Special thanks to event sponsor, AeA member
Botsford EcoTech Partners
and event host AeA member
Philips Healthcare for
another extremely well received sold out event. View
event
recap.
AeA strongly supports passage of the Massachusetts IT investments
called for in the Governor's bond bill. View
press release and testimony. Read more about this bill in our
Op Ed in Mass High Tech. Learn more about our
State Government Affairs Legislative Tracking service and lobbying efforts
by calling our local office.
Growth:
At AeA, we're working every day
to help our member companies grow and to advance the business of
technology. Learn what AeA
can do for you.
Laws and Regulations Increasingly Impacting
Technology Products, Practices and Profitability
Our industry increasingly is challenged by legislative
proposals that threaten to slow the adoption of new technology, add
burdensome costs or otherwise impede industry growth. AeA
efforts are making sure our industry is heard. (See
2008 Public Policy Priorities
below.)
To stay fully informed, we regularly provide
AeA issue papers and reports, widely praised by
members, lawmakers and the press for taking the mystery out of complex
issues. These reports cover topics ranging from data privacy and RFID to environmental end of life and
business taxation.
Trouble logging in to AeAnet? Visit
AeAnet
Password Help. Members can also request printed copies by
calling the AeA New England office.
AeA 2008 Public Policy
Priorities
AeA’s Board of Directors have identified these as the top issues for
the year ahead.
Competitiveness
- H-1B Visa and Green Card Reform - increase the numbers available to
the high-tech industry
- STEM Education - promote Science Technology Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) education from K-12 and in university programs
- Workforce Compensation and Incentives – strengthen the ability of
U.S. employers to recruit and retain a skilled workforce
E-commerce
- Data Breach – ensure that government policies to protect data and
privacy do not harm the industry’s push for federal preemption of state
data breach laws
- Privacy – ensure that any privacy legislation protects consumers
while continuing to encourage e-commerce; push for federal preemption of
state privacy laws
- Child Online Safety – ensure that any legislation regulates online
behavior consistent with technological capabilities
Health Care Reform
- Health IT – reduce health care costs through deployment of
Information Technology
International
- Export Controls – reform U.S. encryption and deemed export
regulations
- Customs – maintain coverage for products under Information
Technology Agreement
China – stop Congressional legislation against
- China that could hurt member interests while engaging China on its
restrictive policies related to indigenous innovation, IPR, standards,
and government procurement
- Free Trade Agreements – get Congressional approval of agreements
with Korea, Colombia, and Panama
- Environment – seek favorable outcomes in China RoHS catalogue and
certification regulations; seek EU policies supporting development of
energy efficiency technologies
Tax & Finance
- R&D Tax Credit – renew and seek a permanent extension of a
strengthened credit
- Tax Reform – ensure that any tax reform legislation is positive for
the high-tech industry and protects the industry’s ability to operate
globally
- Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 – reduce the onerous and disproportionate
business tax levied on small- and medium-sized companies by SOX 404
compliance
Contact Anne Doherty
Johnson to learn more about AeA efforts to advance
these issues.
Looking for Health Insurance for your employees? Our
AeAHealth! Program offers richer insurance plans, access to a strong
provider network and enhanced services for you and your employees. In New England, AeA has partnered with
21st Century Benefit Advisors,
Inc. to provide quality insurance services, packaged specifically for the
unique needs of technology companies. And as an Exclusive Benefits
for AeA Members, they offer AeA members a complimentary high level
employee benefit audit. This audit reviews current program, design and
cost.
View more details.
Looking
to save on conferencing services? Leverage your AeA membership to
obtain a wide range of audio,
video, and web-based conferencing services at significantly reduced rates.
Learn more
Planning a Meeting in DC or Silicon Valley?
AeA members have access to
two AeA Conference Centers, in Washington, DC and Silicon Valley, CA, for
board of directors, company meetings, product launches, press conferences
or receptions.
Washington, DC
-- AeA’s David
Packard Conference Center
- Located on
Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the nation’s Capitol, this newly
redesigned conference center has a meeting capacity for up to 80, state of
the art audio/visual equipment and a catering staging area. Details:
202.682-9110, ext 447.
View photos, room
specifications and more.
View video.
Santa Clara, CA – AeA’s Concourse Conference Center,
Silicon Valley
- Located at
the Tech Mart in the heart of Silicon Valley and convenient to San Jose
airport, this center has a meeting capacity for up to 100, audio/visual
equipment and convenient parking. Details: 800.284.4232.
Add Your Voice to AeA's
H-1B Grassroots Efforts to Reform High-Skilled Visa Cap
The
time is now to tell
Members of Congress why they need to support
high
skilled visa reform by raising the H-1B cap. If this issue is
important to you, please get involved today by calling
Anne Doherty Johnson at 781.938.1925...read
more.
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Check out local service
providers that support
AeA's New England Council. We invite you to tap
into our Signature Service Providers, a useful
directory of AeA business partners offering services
to technology companies. All companies and
contacts listed are AeA members in good standing
and are among the highest quality firms in their
field.
Contact AeA for a copy. |
Stay in the Know.
Sign up for any of our newsletters
to stay in the know on key trends and developments.
Member resources: Our continued growth in New England is a testament to the strong base of
high-tech companies here and
AeA's extensive resource portfolio.
Register for
upcoming
AeA New England events.
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| National
News |
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Sen. Obama's Top Aides at AeA
As part of AeA’s continuing outreach to the campaigns of presidential candidates, senior staff to Sen. Barack Obama met with over 70 executives from the high-tech industry, U.S. universities, and technology professional societies to discuss Sen. Obama’s positions on innovation and competitiveness...read more. Read AeA's Monthly News for August 2008
 The issue highlights business development opportunities for members, U.S. encryption export control regulations, AeA's presence at NCSL, upcoming events, and more...read more. AeA Report Shows, 51 of the Nation's Top 60 Metropolitan Areas Add High-Tech Jobs
 AeA's Cybercities 2008: An Overview of the High-Technology Industry in the Nation’s Top 60 Cities examines the high-tech industry in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas focusing on high-tech employment, wages, establishments, payroll, employment concentration, and wage differential...read more.
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Events |
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9/11/2008: AeA Salary Survey Tutorial Webinar (Via Online, Webinar)
New Page 1
AeA's Salary Survey o...More
9/22/2008: AeA New England Council Government Affairs Committee Meeting (Via Telephone Conference, MA) The New England Council of AeA holds its monthly Government Affairs Committee Meeting by telephone conference call. All AeA members are welcome to attend. Meeting will be held from 12-1 PM EST; 9-10AM PST. For call-in information contact Anne Doherty Johnson Executive Director.
9/25/2008: ITAR: What You Need to Know (Via Online, Webinar) Is your company subject to ITAR -- International Traffic in Arms Regulations? You may be surprised! With the U.S. government’s focus on homeland security and its increasing reliance on local companies for the development and production of defense-related products and services new government regulati...More
Additional AeA National Events
8/10/2008 - 8/21/2008: 2008 AeA/Stanford Executive Institute (Palo Alto, CA) August 10-21, 2008
Stanford, CA
10 day executive education program for senior leaders in technology companies which takes place at Stanford University.
9/24/2008: Quarterly Government Industry Executive Interchange (Washington, DC) DC's premier executive networking event that brings Federal CIO's Program Managers and Procurement Officials together with the leaders of the high tech industry. This forum is held for Government and Industry executives to discuss their similar experiences share insights and exchange best practices....More
10/14/2008 - 10/16/2008: AeA Board of Directors Fall Meeting (San Jose, CA) Board of Directors October meeting. Location at The Fairmont San Jose, CA. Reserve your room by September 18, 2008 to receive discounted rate.
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Bookmark our events calendar
to stay up to date on the
latest industry trends and to network with leaders in New England's high-tech community.
View
photos and summaries of past events. Share your ideas for
program topics and speakers.
Increase your
company's visibility in the high-tech industry. Contact AeA to learn
more about high visibility opportunities for your
company.
Join the list of
leading companies that support AeA New England through
event
sponsorship opportunities.
 Local Council Events - AeA
Events Calendar
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Submit your press releases to
NECouncil @aeanet.org to
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Contact Information |
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Anne
Doherty Johnson, Executive Director, x105 AeA New England
Council
444 Washington Street, Suite 405
Woburn, MA 01801-1072
Phone: 781.938.1925
Fax: 781.938.0091
Directions
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08/01/08.
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