April 10, 2014 — In May 2012, Gov. Paul LePage squandered a chance to show Maine is committed to investments in research and development that offer researchers and entrepreneurs the tools needed to hone ideas and develop them into marketable products.
That’s when he vetoed a bond that would have provided $20 million to the Maine Technology Institute to award competitively to private businesses, university researchers and research labs with project proposals that met strict criteria.
Maine was already behind most states at that point in terms of R&D investments. Maine ranked 45th nationally for per-capita, research and development spending in 2010, according to the Maine Development Foundation.
This spring, the Legislature’s budget writers are expected to assemble a borrowing package to send to voters for approval in the fall. It’s past time that a state borrowing package include a significant R&D investment.