Governors want to develop innovative health information technology initiatives, modernize and streamline health and social service programs, and improve interoperable communications, according to an analysis of state-of-the-state speeches this year.

Input, a market research firm, released a white paper today summarizing technology-related initiatives from 44 governors who delivered state-of-the-state speeches in the first three months of the year. Six governors did not give such speeches or they were unavailable at the time of the analysis, according to the paper.

As state governments' fiscal health continues to improve, governors are proposing new initiatives in education, homeland security, public safety and health care.

Nine governors mentioned health IT in the context of improving service by digitizing health records or providing greater access to health care information. The governors of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming mentioned telemedicine.

In the area of homeland security, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano proposed improving border security through the use of technology to help intercept stolen vehicles headed to Mexico. Colorado Gov. Bill Owens wants to establish a statewide information security initiative.

Other proposals include enhancing emergency operations centers in Florida, modernizing tsunami warning systems in Washington state and improving communications systems in Louisiana.

In the justice and public safety arena, the governors of Alabama, California, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa and New Hampshire have proposed expanding prison capacity, which will require a technology infrastructure to provide Internet access and help manage the prisons, the white paper states.

Several states are investing heavily in education opportunities. For example, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour proposed expanding online education and distance learning, while Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell announced a $200 million investment so that every desk in every classroom in his state will have an Internet-connected laptop computer and every teacher will have a multimedia machine by 2009.

Economic development, such as investing in various research and development activities, is another major area for governors, according to Input's report.