Reports - Mississippi Renewal

ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTIn this section are four committee reports grouped under business and economicdevelopment: Tourism; Small Business; Defense and GovernmentContracting; and Agriculture, Forestry, and Marine Resources.Obviously, there are many other areas of business and economic developmentto be nurtured, restored, and welcomed as newcomers to our state. Themost important things we can do to make that happen are:■ Tax incentives to encourage investment. Done. Thanks to recently enactedfederal legislation. See the full explanation in the Finance Committeereport.■ Business loan incentives. Done. Also thanks to the federal package enactedshortly before the end of December, 2005.■ Accelerated workforce training. This is a big challenge for businesses andour educational institutions throughout the country – but especially inMississippi. As new companies explore partnerships in our recoveringeconomy, one of the first things they’ll ask about is the quality of ourworkforce. See the Education Committee report.■ Affordable housing. Another national issue worth engaging enthusiasticallyin our state. As property values rise, especially in popular Coastalareas, the inventory of affordable housing shrinks. We must have 10,000new units underway or competed within one year. See the Land Use andHousing Sub-Committee reports.