U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn) scheduled meetings in the communities of Moorhead, Hibbings and Rochester today (Monday, Jan. 24) to promote legislation he said will make his state and the entire country more competitive in the global marketplace.

Known for short by the acronym 'COMPETE,' the full title of the proposed legislation is the Collaborative Opportunities to Mobilize and Promote Education, Technology and Enterprise Act. 

Coleman arranged for panel discussions to be held today at Minnesota State University at Moorhead, Hibbings Community College and the Rochester University Center. 

According to Coleman, if enacted COMPETE would:

•Improve the ability of American companies to stay on the forefront of the technological revolution  by expanding the R&D tax credit and improving the patent and trademark process; 

•Establish partnerships between institutions of higher education and those in the private sector 
that have expertise in math, science and technology. These partnerships will provide training, 
technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and disseminate math and science 
education materials to teachers and students in the surrounding region; 

•Provide a tax credit to help businesses and individuals upgrade their information technology and 
communication skills; 

•Create a $3,500 tax credit for graduate students who study engineering, science, or mathematics, which will help to ensure that America continues to produce the best engineers and scientists in the world; 

•Establish a bonus grant of $500,000 to the top five elementary and secondary schools in each state that  improve the most in their math and science state assessment test scores. 

    —Donald H. Harrison