Harman honored for high-tech support

AeA, the nation’s largest high-tech trade association, has awarded Sen. Tom Harman its Orange County High Tech Legislator of the Year Award for 2007. This award recognizes Harman’s contributions to support the recovery of the high-tech industry in California during the 2007 legislative session.

“Sen. Harman emerged this past year as a leading voice against technology bans,” said Roxanne Gould, AeA’s senior vice president of California Legislative Affairs. “Sen. Harman understood that banning a specific technology would not benefit anyone in the long run. He understood that California needs to ban inappropriate uses of technology, not the technology itself.”

Harman worked to defeat a number of bills he considered “hostile” to the high-tech industry, and over the past year he formed and met on a regular basis with a high-tech advisory committee composed of various tech-driven business entities within the Orange County region, according to Harman spokesman Damon Conklin.

“I am truly honored to be recognized and bestowed such an award by one of our nation’s largest pro-business trade associations,” Harman stated. “Orange County represents the backbone of our state’s economy and AeA has helped to reduce regulatory burdens and ensure that California’s businesses continue to flourish. We must continue to develop and advance technology in order for our state to remain competitive with the world market.”

Founded in 1943, AeA, formerly known as the American Electronics Assn., is a nationwide nonprofit trade association that represents all segments of the technology industry. AeA has been recognizing state legislators for their contributions to the success of high tech since 1991.

For more information about AeA, visit www.aeanet.org