ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE [AI] IS NOT USED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN PREPARING NYPPL SUMMARIES OF JUDICIAL AND QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS

January 04, 2025

Links to selected items focusing on govenmental operations posted on the Internet during the week ending January 3, 2025.

Click on the text highlighted in color to access the material posted on the Internet.

A Comprehensive Approach to Election Cybersecurity As voters cast their ballots, cybersecurity teams need to detect any cyber intrusions, respond to them without delay and recover quickly, a daunting challenge for government officials working with limited funds and time. Download the full paper for more information about enhancing cybersecurity throughout the entire election process. DOWNLOAD

A few recent articles posted in Sui Generis-a New York Law Blog:

America’s Newest Interstate Nears Completion in Indiana  Indiana is finishing its portion of Interstate 69, a highway planned to run from Canada to Mexico. It’s been in the works for decades.  READ MORE

Attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas Raise Security Fears   Both suspects appear to have military backgrounds and both used the same app to rent vehicles.  READ MORE

Bill Kehoe to Remain as Wash. State CIO Under New Governor  Bob Ferguson, the state’s incoming governor, will keep Bill Kehoe, its CIO and director of Washington Technology Solutions for more than four years, in place. Kehoe was previously CIO for Los Angeles County. READ MORE

CIOs Play an Evolving Role Within New Climate Reality  As the frequency of climate-related natural disasters increases, CIOs are uniquely positioned to build resiliency within state government and across internal agencies. READ MORE

Cities at a Crossroads: Leaders Reimagine Urban Futures  Confronting post-pandemic challenges, leaders and planners in local government and philanthropy reshape their landscapes through partnerships and innovation. Mayors serve as critical connectors.  READ MORE

Cities Have a Chance to Reinvent Themselves  Our first print magazine of 2025 concentrates on this moment of change and challenges for cities.  READ MORE

Data Storage Is Key to Unlocking AI Benefits for State, Local Govt  As artificial intelligence continues to transform how organizations handle data, government stands to benefit immensely, provided it is able to store and manage data in secure and cost-effective ways. READ MORE 

Digital Done Right: A Real-World Modernization Success Story  Discover how one state agency tackled record backlogs, streamlined access to documents, and fortified security by digitizing decades of data. DOWNLOAD

Feds Tighten Payments for Poultry Operators Amidst Bird Flu  Farmers must destroy their flocks when bird flu is detected. With payments already exceeding $1 billion, the government will now require biosecurity audits.  READ MORE

Foundation Money Is Changing the Economic Course of Cities  Local foundations have gone beyond funding charities to changing economic activity and strategies in several major cities.  READ MORE

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down in Nation’s Most Populous State  California saw some of its steepest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, which has long been the single largest source of climate-warming pollution. Meanwhile, its economy grew. READ MORE

Hoboken Has Gone Years Without a Traffic Death  It's been seven years since the New Jersey city has seen a traffic fatality, with injuries down significantly as well. Many of its improvements could be replicated elsewhere.  READ MORE

How New York Made Big Diversity Gains in Transportation Contracts  New York City’s Department of Transportation awarded a third of its contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses last year, a priority of Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.  READ MORE

How Rural Schools Can Better Prepare for Natural Disasters  They face more challenges than urban schools. But there are strategies they can use to prepare and cope.  READ MORE

How States Are Addressing the High Cost of Housing  Housing used to be primarily a local concern. With millions of units needed, state policymakers are looking for ways to boost supply.  READ MORE

How Tacoma Boosted Loans to Black-owned Businesses by 333%  Using the Equity Index, the City of Tacoma leverages data to identify and invest in underserved neighborhoods.  Learn more

How Understanding Data Sovereignty Mitigates Risks for Governments  This essential guide equips policymakers with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of data sovereignty while leveraging innovative tools to protect the public's information. Download the full paper to explore how your organization can improve compliance, reduce risks, and ensure the long-term security of its data.  DOWNLOAD

How Vermont Uses Incentives to Treat Substance Use and Reduce Crime  Chittenden County was seeing a rise in homelessness, property crime and substance use. A new diversion program provides an alternative to the status quo.  Learn more

How Versaterm Aims to Boost Legal Communications in 2025  The public safety technology vendor says that its new text and email communication system could help crime victims and prosecutors. The product comes amid other tech improvements for courts. READ MORE 

Indiana’s Top Data Official to Step Down This Month  Joshua Martin, who oversaw the development of Indiana’s first statewide data strategy and data literacy training, will be leaving his role in January. READ MORE

Lawmakers Want More Government Workers Back in the Office Most government employees at the state and local level have returned to their respective offices at least part time, but some legislators and other officials want to make in-person work mandatory. READ MORE

Municipal Utilities and the Persistent Push to Privatize Given tax-exempt financing and other advantages, continued municipal ownership would seem the way to go. But other pressing public needs can make cashing out these valuable assets seem attractive. A new wave of privatization efforts will give localities a lot to think about. READ MORE

One Last Play: A Former All Star Helped Kill Stadium Financing for His Old Team Frank White was a Hall of Fame second baseman for the Royals. As county executive, he persuaded voters that sales taxes for a new stadium were a bad idea.  READ MORE

Opportunity Zones Are a Big Success. Let’s Make Them a Lot Bigger.  They’ve generated over $100 billion in investments in thousands of struggling communities. We have the opportunity to extend and expand the program — and to make it permanent. READ MORE

Plummeting Enrollment Leads More Colleges to Close  College enrollment levels were already projected to decline due to lower birthrates. Recent difficulties with federal financial aid and teens’ growing concerns about cost haven’t helped.  READ MORE

Roanoke's Reinvention: How a Small City Shifted Its Economy Roanoke lost the headquarters of two Fortune 500 companies. It created a promising future by retooling itself for biotech. READ MORE

Skills Training: How Governments Can Build an AI-Ready Workforce  Download this paper for exclusive survey research in AI skills development, as well as strategies and best practices for upskilling employees in your organization to unlock the full potential of AI.  DOWNLOAD

Small Alabama Town Tries to Bring Its Hospital Back to Life  Thomasville Regional Medical Center opened its doors at the start of the pandemic. It didn’t survive, but unlike most shuttered rural hospitals, it’s practically brand new.  READ MORE

Some States Are Looking to Abolish Property Taxes Entirely As property values surge and tax bills go up, some state lawmakers are hoping to end the property tax. Doing so would not be cheap or easy. READ MORE

Some States Are Rejecting Federal Money for Hungry Kids  Fifteen states are not participating in a program to provide meals to school-age children over the summer, due to administrative costs or ideological opposition.  READ MORE

States, Locals Fail to Meet Recommended Cybersecurity Goals  Forty-eight states took part in a review, but only 22 reached or surpassed recommended minimum system security levels. Results for local governments showed they, too, have room for improvement. READ MORE

The Nation’s Largest County Is Changing Its Form of Government  Los Angeles County voters have approved changes that include an expansion of the county Board of Supervisors and creation of a separate executive leader. Reform advocates had pushed for such changes for decades and an atmosphere of scandal helped them succeed.  READ MORE

The Top 25 Security Predictions for 2025 (Part 1)  As we end the first quarter of the 21st century, cybersecurity threats seem more daunting than ever. So what cyber trends, forecasts, themes, insights and predictions are on offer for the new year? Here’s your annual security industry prediction roundup for 2025. READ MORE

Universal Basic Income Is Not a Solution for What Ails Society Providing guaranteed cash with no spending restrictions is massively expensive, and the public doesn’t support the idea. Policymakers should focus on reforms that maximize labor-force participation and make work more worthwhile. READ MORE

What’s New in Digital Equity: Fiber Map in Bloomington, Ind.  Plus, a Florida city is expanding public Wi-Fi in parks, Connecticut released its biannual broadband report, libraries around the country will offer digital literacy training, and more. READ MORE

Why It’s Confusing to Know Whether Crime’s Really Up or Down  Is crime out of control? The homicide rate went down 12 percent last year. Still, there’s more than one kind of crime, more than one data set and more than one way to spin things.  READ MORE

Why It's So Hard to Recruit Police Officers Many big-city departments are short of officers. It's not a new problem, but young people seem to be shying away from the field. READ MORE



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CAUTION

Subsequent court and administrative rulings, or changes to laws, rules and regulations may have modified or clarified or vacated or reversed the information and, or, decisions summarized in NYPPL. For example, New York State Department of Civil Service's Advisory Memorandum 24-08 reflects changes required as the result of certain amendments to §72 of the New York State Civil Service Law to take effect January 1, 2025 [See Chapter 306 of the Laws of 2024]. Advisory Memorandum 24-08 in PDF format is posted on the Internet at https://www.cs.ny.gov/ssd/pdf/AM24-08Combined.pdf. Accordingly, the information and case summaries should be Shepardized® or otherwise checked to make certain that the most recent information is being considered by the reader.
THE MATERIAL ON THIS WEBSITE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. AGAIN, CHANGES IN LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS AND NEW COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS MAY AFFECT THE ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS LAWBLOG. THE MATERIAL PRESENTED IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND THE USE OF ANY MATERIAL POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE, OR CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING SUCH MATERIAL, DOES NOT CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP.
NYPPL Blogger Harvey Randall served as Principal Attorney, New York State Department of Civil Service; Director of Personnel, SUNY Central Administration; Director of Research, Governor’s Office of Employee Relations; and Staff Judge Advocate General, New York Guard. Consistent with the Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations, the material posted to this blog is presented with the understanding that neither the publisher nor NYPPL and, or, its staff and contributors are providing legal advice to the reader and in the event legal or other expert assistance is needed, the reader is urged to seek such advice from a knowledgeable professional.
New York Public Personnel Law. Email: publications@nycap.rr.com