North Dakota Gov. Hoeven’s Centers of Excellence initiative questioned

Some lawmakers are questioning how Gov. John Hoeven proposes to fund his Centers of Excellence initiative, which includes borrowing money from the Bank of North Dakota.

The Centers of Excellence initiative combines higher education and economic development to create higher paying jobs and new business opportunities.

Hoeven is proposing to use $50 million of state money that would be matched on a 2-1 basis with federal and private funding, bringing the total available for the initiative to $150 million.

"It’s a big concept, it’s about moving forward in an aggressive way," Hoeven said.

By TOM RAFFERTY, Bismarck Tribune

Full Story: http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2004/12/22/news/local/nws01.txt