* From Diana Popa at WalletHub…

Hi Rich, With President Donald Trump proposing the deepest budget cuts to federal research and development in history for FY 2018, the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2017’s Most & Least Innovative States. In order to give credit to the states that have contributed the most to America’s innovative success, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from share of STEM professionals to R&D spending per capita to average Internet speed. Innovation in Illinois (1=Most Innovative, 25=Avg.): 26th – Share of STEM Professionals

27th – Projected STEM-Job Demand by 2020

36th – Eighth-Grade Math & Science Performance

31st – Share of Science & Engineering Graduates Aged 25+

13th – Share of Technology Companies

19th – R&D Spending per Capita

22nd – Avg. Internet Speed

13th – Venture-Capital Funding per Capita

We can most easily do something about that internet speed issue. Some of the other problems, like science and engineering graduates, are more long-term issues, but they can and should be addressed as well. Also, the state’s R&D tax credit ought to be made permanent. But, you know, we’re gonna need a real budget first.

The full report is here.