For Immediate Release: May 3, 2004
Silicon Valley Lawmakers Rank Among Worst OffendersSAN FRANCISCO – California’s legislators are harming the high-tech industry with anti-business voting, and Silicon Valley lawmakers are among the worst offenders, according to a new Pacific Research Institute (PRI) report Punishing Innovation: A Report on California Legislators’ Anti-Tech Voting. Just when California’s technology industry was reeling in the aftermath of the dotcom bust, state legislators saddled it with increased regulatory burdens and billions of dollars of new costs. The report examines the 10 most damaging bills for the technology industry that were introduced in the 2001-2002 legislative session. Based on the analysis of these bills and public voting records, California legislators are rated on their level of tech-friendliness. One of the most surprising findings of the study was that Silicon Valley legislators have a worse record than legislators overall. “You’d think that Silicon Valley representatives would be more careful when considering bills affecting small businesses and start-ups, but instead the opposite happened,” said Sonia Arrison, co-author and director of technology studies at PRI. “Part of the reason may be explained by following the money.” Technology companies contributed just under $700,000 to political parties in 2000, compared to the $1.6 million contributed by the unions. And while unions, lawyers, and tribal governments all make the top 10 list of campaign contributors overall, the tech industry did not. ### | Contact: | To receive a copy of Punishing Innovation: A Report on California Legislators’ Anti-Tech Voting, visit PRI’s website at www.pacificresearch.org. To arrange an interview with author Sonia Arrison, please contact Susan Martin at 415/955-6120 or smartin@pacificresearch.org. |
About the Project Director
Dr. Lawrence J. McQuillan oversaw the development of the “U.S. Economic Freedom Index.” He is director of Business and Economic Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. Specializing in tax, budget and regulation issues, his work has appeared in many leading publications – including the LA Times, USA Today and the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is a regular contributor to National Review Online and frequently appears on television and radio. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. About PRI
For more than two decades, the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (PRI) has championed individual liberty through free markets. PRI is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of limited government, individual freedom, and personal responsibility. | 
