Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's $5 million proposal to speed commercialization of university research into commercial products that boost Idaho's economy won a House committee's blessing. The Commerce Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to send the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission, or IGEM, for a full House vote. Department of Commerce director Jeff Sayer says IGEM may not immediately produce tangible results, but he's optimistic about its prospects. According to the plan, Idaho would direct $1 million toward grants for startup businesses or technologies, as well as $2 million each for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and Idaho's other three four-year universities. The measure, modeled after a Utah program, still must survive legislative skeptics who worry it dabbles in picking winners and losers, something they feel is best left to private industry. All the testimony today was in favor of the bill, however, except for one dissenting lobbyist from the Idaho Freedom Foundation who called the proposal government overreach.