Contact:  Exec. Director Julia Hurst,

National Lt. Governors Association

T:  (859) 283-1400

Date:  July 23, 2006

LT. GOVERNORS BRING HOME

TRADE, HEALTH, & CREATIVE INDUSTRY IDEAS

Twenty-two NLGA members attended the Annual Meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) in Seattle, Washington, which ended July 20, 2006. 

The U.S. Foreign and Commercial Service explained how lieutenant governors can work with companies in their states to plan trade missions that yield contracts which support jobs in their states. 

Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith noted that intellectual property law in the states will need to keep pace with technological advances in order to ensure that the United States remains the hotbed of creativity.  He noted that the commitment of time in research and development must be recouped in sales costs and protection of products’ value.  This issue would affect many industries including technology, pharmacy, energy, the arts and more.  Upon questioning, he said Microsoft had been slow to roll out products in the health care and education sectors.   

Dr. David Brailer, President Bush’s first Information Technology health designee, encouraged states to move forward with their own plans and commissions for promoting electronic medical records and use of technology in all-hazards planning.  He said the federal government is working on technology standards, but are trying to remain flexible.  He noted that forward action by states should help this effort come to fruition. 

Speakers from every career field, including manufacturing, retail, aerospace, and technology, noted that improvements must be made in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the schools.  The Chairperson of the Iowa STEM Commission addressed the body on how to develop and support a STEM commission in each state. 

NLGA passed three policy resolutions, as follows: 

1. In Support of ‘Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime,’
2. In Support of the Arts and
3. In Support of Physical Fitness.

In a pilot project, ten NLGA members will distribute more than 82,000 brochures and bead kits directly to constituents to educate them on the largely preventable and often curable nature of cervical cancer.  The campaign aims to encourage women to get an annual Pap test. 

NLGA also selected its new officers for 2006 – 2007, as follows: 

Chair:                         Lt. Governor John Cherry, Michigan (D)

Vice-Chair:    Lt. Governor Jack Dalrymple, North Dakota (R)

Treasurer:      Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, Wisconsin (D)  

Executive Committee

Regional Chairs:

East:               Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll (D), Pennsylvania
West:               Sec. of State Jan Brewer (R), Arizona
South:              Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu (D), Louisiana
Midwest:         Lt. Governor Carol Molnau (R), Minnesota 

Region-at-Large:
East:  Lt. Governor Brian Dubie, Vermont and Lt. Governor Vargrave Richards, USVI

West:  Lt. Governor Gary Herbert, Utah and Lt. Governor Brad Owen, Washington

South:  Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, Virginia and Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue, North Carolina

Midwest:  Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy, Nebraska and Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn, Illinois  

Ex-Officio:   Lt. Governor Mary Fallin, Oklahoma; Lt. Governor Charles J. Fogarty, Rhode Island; Lt. Governor John C. Carney, Delaware; Lt. Governor Jane Norton, Colorado

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