Amazon – Sandy Rosenberg

Even after a bill passes, the work continues.

We took the final legislative action today on my bill modifying the law authorizing state funding of internships for college students with high-tech companies.

Governor Hogan funded the internships this year, after I suggested that this could demonstrate to Amazon the state’s commitment to creating a well trained high-tech workforce.

I emailed the people at UMBC that I worked with on the bill.

House just concurred in the Senate amendment. Two dates need to be scheduled:

1. Bill signing [by the Governor]

2. Luncheon for the first High Tech Interns. [UMBC administers two public service internship programs that I sponsored. I get to speak to the group every year.]

Excellent work all around.

The response:

We are delighted to hear this!

We are already giving thought to a fall event where we can hear about the experiences of the first cohort and their employers.

At that event, I’ll learn if the program needs to be improved – with a bill or otherwise.

Amazon guarantees two-day delivery.

It’s decision where to locate HQ2 will have an impact on the chosen city/region/state for decades.

This bidding war will also affect the losing applicants.

Here’s my minor role in this process.

I introduced a bill that created an internship program in high tech start-ups for Maryland college students. The state would pay half the cost.

I did so after reading UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski’s op-ed about such a program in Massachusetts.

House Bill 1317 passed in 2014. It has not been funded.

Amazon would welcome this pipeline of future skilled employees. Funding for this program could be part of the package that is presented to the company.

However, the law would have to be amended. Only small businesses are now eligible.

Removing that requirement would make Amazon or any other high tech business eligible for this benefit.

And there will be many companies – big and small, considering our HQ2 proposal and how it would affect their location or expansion decisions.