National Conference of State Legislatures
COMMITTEE REPORT
Economic Development, Trade, & Cultural Affairs Standing
Committee
Volume 2, Issue #1
February 18, 2004
Previous
Issue
|
|
The Committee Report is a periodic publication of the National
Conference of State Legislatures' Economic Development,
Trade & Cultural Affairs Standing Committee. |
|
USTR CONCEDES TO U.S. STATE DEMANDS REGARDING U.S.-AUSTRALIA
FTA
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) conceded to the
demands of U.S. state and local officials and the Australian negotiators
that the newly finalized U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) not
include a provision on investor-state dispute resolution. NCSL believes
that this is the first trade agreement negotiated since North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with an investment chapter that excludes an
investor-state dispute resolution mechanism. NCSL sought this exclusion
because prior FTAs have produced flawed chapters allowing foreign
investors greater substantive rights than those enjoyed by domestic
investors. This has resulted in weakened protection of state sovereignty,
state laws and federalism. This victory sets the stage for reforms in the
investor-state language in future FTAs. The U.S.-Australia FTA will now be
presented to Congress, which must pass implementing legislation for the
President's signature to operationalize this agreement.
Prior to the completion of the U.S.-Australia FTA, Representative Peter
Lewiss of Rhode Island, Chair of NCSL's Economic Development, Trade &
Cultural Affairs Committee, sent a letter to USTR Ambassador Robert
Zoellick commenting on the proposed investor-state dispute resolution
mechanism. The letter is online at http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/scecon/USTR2004Feb02.pdf.
Also, NCSL coordinated a letter from the Executive Directors of several
state and local organizations to thank Ambassador Zoellick for excluding
the investor-state provision and offering to help craft agreeable
language. The letter is online at http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/scecon/ustr2004feb12.htm.
For questions or more information, please contact Jeremy Meadows (jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org;
202-624-8664) or Nick Steidel (nick.steidel@ncsl.org;
202-624-8673).
U.S. LAUNCHES FTA NEGOTIATIONS WITH
THAILAND
In a press release dated Feb. 12, 2004, the U.S. Trade Representative
announced that Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Thailand will begin
in 90 days. This is a follow-up to President Bush's statement of intention
in October 2003, and in compliance with the Trade Promotion Authority bill
passed by Congress in August 2002. The USTR statement outlined potential
benefits to the U.S. agriculture sector, as well as industrial goods and
services, information technology and financial services. It also outlined
concerns about U.S. intellectual property rights and bringing Thailand's
regulations up to U.S. standards. Letters to Congress about the
U.S.-Thailand FTA can be accessed at www.ustr.gov.
PRESIDENT
BUSH PROPOSES INCREASED FUNDING FOR CULTURAL AGENCIES
President Bush's budget released the first week in February proposed
increased funding for the three federal cultural agencies, adding $18
million to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); $27 million to the
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH); and $10 million to the Office
of Museum Services (OMS). Of the three cultural agencies, the Office of
Museum Services fared the best, receiving a 37 percent increase in the
administration's budget to take funding from $27 million in 2004 to $37
million requested for 2005. The proposed 2005 amount for the NEA is $139.4
million, a 15 percent increase over the current year's budget of $121
million. The NEH's budget request represents a 20 percent increase, from
$135.3 million in FY04 to $162 million in FY05. The above article was
posted to NCSL's website on February 13, 2004 and can be found at http://www.ncsl.org/programs/arts/culturalincrease.htm.
SPRING
FORUM 2004 APPROACHES
The NCSL Standing Committee on Economic Development, Trade &
Cultural Affairs will next meet at the Spring Forum in Washington D.C.,
April 29 - May 1, 2004. It is anticipated that the Committee will hold
joint sessions on trade and energy policy, economic development strategies
and accountability, agriculture and cultural tourism, and Trade Adjustment
Assistance. Registration materials are online at http://www.ncsl.org/forum/.
|
2003-2004 Officers
Chair
Representative Peter L.
Lewiss
Rhode Island
Vice Chairs
Representative Sheryl Allen
Utah
Representative Terri
Austin
Indiana
Representative Michael Jackson
Rhode
Island
Representative RAndy Johnson
Florida
Staff
Chair
Hanna Shostack
New Jersey
Staff Vice
Chairs
Nelson Fox
Ohio
Committee Staff
Jeremy Meadows
Committee Director
202-624-8664
jeremy.meadows@ncsl.org
Mandy Rafool
Program Principal
303-856-1506
mandy.rafool@ncsl.org
Trina Palmer
Research Analyst
202-624-8695
trina.palmer@ncsl.org
Offices
Headquarters
7700 East First Place
Denver, Colorado 80230
State-Federal Relations
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite
515
Washington, DC 20001 |
