Hubspot.com recently released its June 2009 State of the Twittersphere. Pretty interesting stuff. Here are the highlights:

• 9% of Twitter users are inactive (meaning 91% are active)
• The average user Tweets .97 times per day
• 55.5% are not following anyone
• 54.8% have never Tweeted
• 52.71% have no followers
• 1.44% of all Tweets are Retweets
• The average user has a following-to-follower ratio of .7738

Wow. I can tell you from our perspective, it’s difficult to cultivate hard metrics on the benefits of Twitter use. Sure, we’re nearing 1,100 followers, but how many of those folks are actively listening to us? And how many were just searching for a follow-back?

One thing I do look at is Retweets. That’s clear evidence that people are finding value in our message, and those have jumped, especially during the special legislative session when the policy enthusiasts and businesses were captivated by what was going on.

The ultimate question is: Has Twitter enhanced our ability to get our message out? I’d say for us, the answer is certainly "yes," based on the feedback and communication its fostered with some of our followers. One problem we’ve run into in the past is that people think we are an arm of the government. Yet the truth is we’re a private, non-profit that often fights against the encroachment of government in the private sector. Thus far, I think Twitter has helped us remedy that to a degree among the general population, and it’s allowed us to show our current and potential members what we’re doing to combat and promote certain business-related legislation. It’s also allowed us to notify them about the myriad other services we offer to members and the business community.

While some social media initiatives are falling rather flat in my opinion — at least in terms of being useful from a business perspective (e.g. Facebook, although this could be due to user error, but it’s just difficult to engage people) – I’d say Twitter is quite valuable. And I’m not knocking Facebook, as I find it helpful and enjoyable as a personal tool. (Also, I love being asked how many questions I can answer about people I had one class with in high school, or to name my top 5 favorite 1980s cartoon villains… as these are all great uses of time.)

In an average week, several thousand unique visitors find their way to the Indiana Chamber web site. They are Chamber members and customers, as well as business represenatives from around the country and various parts of the world.

In an average week, I and my communications colleagues receive numerous press releases. We are, after all, also in the magazine business with BizVoice. Some releases spark future story ideas or provide expert resources. We simply don’t have the room in BizVoice, however, to publish all the information we receive.

But, in the latest of several new member benefits introduced this year, member companies can submit their press releases to the Chamber web site where they will be posted for 90 days. Fill out a simple form and attach your release. We’ll verify your company is a member and that the content is valid — and your message will be available to those thousands of web site visitors.

It’s part of our Member Spotlight for those nearly 5,000 companies that invest in the Chamber. Check it out and share your news.

Great, we have a state budget for the next two years, but what’s to make of it?

Foremost, the budget sticks to Gov. Daniels’ request to maintain a $1 billion surplus in the state’s reserve funds.   According to Indiana Chamber tax lobbyist Bill Waltz, this prudent amount is significant and important for the state to stay on track financially.

“With the revenue stream being so incredibly uncertain in the coming months and the federal stimulus dollars that are built into the two-year budget going away in 2012, it is critical that we not just cross our fingers and simply hope for the revenue stream to return.  Because if the economy fails to rebound or falters only slightly longer than the revenue projections, we will be in a hole at the end of the budget cycle.

“And then the only way to avoid a tax increase of some kind would be to utilize the surplus balance as that final bridge out of the troubled economy. In other words, it is at that time – not now or next year – that we (the state of Indiana) may want to use those funds,” he explains.

Waltz also believes the budget strikes a good balance between “spending desires and reasonable fiscal constraint on many issues (not just in the education area).”

A number of positive provisions that fell by the wayside via the regular session budget collapse had better fortune this time around.  Among them, the bulk of what was House Bill 1447, an all-inclusive piece of tax legislation, and a multi-million-dollar financial rescue for Indianapolis’ Capital Improvement Board (CIB).

The CIB situation simply had to be dealt with, Waltz says.

“Many from outside the Central Indiana area are reluctant to acknowledge the economic contribution that the CIB facilities (the convention center, Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse and Victory Field) make to the state’s economic vitality and coffers. Indiana, not Indianapolis, could not afford to see these operations and the tax revenue that their attractions bring be put in jeopardy,” he asserts.

Indiana Chamber education lobbyist Derek Redelman believes the budget bill also produced one of the best sets of education reform in the state’s history.

Heading that list of accomplishments is the new K-12 school funding formula that gives greater focus to students, rather than school districts, than any previous budget of the last couple decades. 

“The bill also included a scholarship tax credit that will generate private donations to help low- and moderate-income families to attend the schools of their choice – while also saving money for the state.  It also eliminated a longstanding statute that had prohibited schools from using the results of state tests to evaluate teachers,” Redelman notes.

“This budget avoided caps and other controls on charter schools, despite a session-long full-court press by Indianapolis Public Schools, House Democrats, teacher unions, school administrators and other charter school opponents.  Plus, it will allow virtual charter schools to finally get started, after a two-year moratorium created by the 2007 state budget.” 

Correction: The budget passed the Republican-controlled Senate 34-16.  A total of 30 of the 33 Republicans voted for the bill and were joined by four Democrats (Hume, Young, Arnold and Mrvan). Republican no votes were from Leising, Delph and Becker.

Late last week, the U.S. House voted 219-212 to pass climate change legislation. It is one of what will be a long series of contentious debates and votes during the current session. Although Democrats have a strong majority in the House, this was not a party-line vote. A few of the facts:

• Forty-four Democrats voted against the measure, with 211 voting for it. Thus, it took some of the eight Republican "yes" votes for the bill to pass
• Those numbers may be slightly misleading, however, as some of the Dems switched their votes when the total reached 220. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says some of those 44 would have been with her party’s majority to ensure the bill’s passage
• This topic has often been referred to as geographical rather than political. According to analysis from the National Journal, 30 of the 121 Democrats from states that generate at least 40% of their power from coal (think Indiana and its 95% coal use) voted against the bill. Only 14 of the 134 Democrats from states that are less reliant on coal joined in the opposition
• On the political side, Sen. John McCain carried 49 districts last year in which Democrats were elected to the House. Twenty-nine of those reps voted against the measure. In the 207 districts that voted for both Democratic reps and President Obama, only 15 voted against the bill

Political dynamics will continue to be at play — they always are. But each issue, each vote, will prove interesting with different legislators and regions coming to the forefront. Stay tuned for plenty more to come.

The 2009 special session is officially over — finally — with a two-year state budget passed by the General Assembly.

After a lengthy process that seemingly left few happy based on the floor speeches in both chambers, enough of a compromise was reached to send lawmakers home and avert a government shutdown. The Senate voted 34-16 in favor, with the House approving it 62-37.

All but one of the Republican senators (Jean Leising of Oldenburg voted no) were joined by Democrats Lindel Hume of Princeton and Richard Young of Milltown. The House support came from all 48 Republicans and 14 Democrats.

Governor Daniels’ statement: "Like any compromise, this budget has its defects, but it meets the fundamental condition I laid down in January and every day since: to limit total spending enough to preserve our surplus and thereby protect taxpayers against the tax increases happening in virtually every other state."

Update: The governor proceeded to sign the legislation.

Mercifully, we’re nearing the end (hopefully).

Members of the House are currently taking turns on the floor voicing their opinions on the budget bill, which is expected to be voted on (relatively) soon.

Regarding the contents of this budget, Rep. Craig Fry (D-Mishawaka) says he’s embarrassed by it.  Rep. Vernon Smith (D-Gary) stated that Democrats were getting only “a teaspoon while Republicans walk away with a truckload.”  Still, not all Republicans were pleased.  Representative Mike Murphy (R-Indianapolis) voiced his concern that the budget didn’t do enough to help homegrown Hoosier companies, many of which he feared would be forced out of business.

Leading up to and including today, much of the wrangling centered on K-12 education – be it funding (districts vs. students), charter schools, the scholarship tax credit program or virtual schools. 

Indeed, Rep. Smith spent most of his floor time on this subject and denounced the education policies contained in the budget.  Like the vast majority of Democrats, Smith had wanted the K-12 dollars to continue to be awarded on a school district basis, while Republicans were adamant the money follow the students.  The problem with Smith’s argument: Large urban districts like Indianapolis and Gary continue to see declining enrollment.  To Rep. Smith, however, Gary is being “treated like a stepchild.”

Smith and many other D’s also still haven’t warmed to the idea of charter schools and see them – as well as the tax credits to allow for school choice – as a threat to traditional public schools. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) pointed out that both the Gary and Indianapolis Public School (IPS) districts receive more funding per student than any other district in the state.  In fact, IPS gets nearly $2,300 more per student than the state average.

Later on, fiscal stalwart Rep. Jeff Espich (R-Uniondale) implored legislators to do the right thing and vote "yes" on the budget.  “We’ve all had our say; we’ve all had to compromise.  I think we’ve done the best we can do.  Anyone can find a reason to vote ‘no,’ but you can also find a reason to vote ‘yes’ … one reason being not having to raise taxes.”

Stay tuned for more …

Looking for ways to deal with greatly reduced tax collections, states are focusing on their unclaimed property statutes as a potential source of revenue. States are discovering that by changing their laws they can increase what escheats to the state coffers. Changes like expanding the definition of what constitutes "unclaimed property," shortening the period for owners to claim it and limiting recovery options result in more of the property going to the state (and less to the owners).

It is estimated that states collectively hold $33 billion in unclaimed property. Delaware expects to collect $380 million in 2009. So it is no wonder that struggling states are tempted to grab what they can in these disconcerting developments.