A Time to Make Government More Effective, Not Just Efficient As the incoming presidential administration contemplates ways to enact reform, it’s important to consider successful innovations, and move carefully to preserve government services that work. READ MORE
Accelerating Digital
Transformation with iPaaS Integration
platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) lets agencies integrate systems and automate
workflows using drag-and-drop tools. This guide explains how iPaaS accelerates
digital transformation to improve government efficiency and service delivery. DOWNLOAD
After a
Retirement, Longtime Exec Named to Top N.C. GIS Role Matthew
McLamb will step in as geographic information officer for the state. Formerly
assistant director of the North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and
Analysis, he will now also serve as its executive director. READ MORE
After Tech Leader’s Exit, Las
Vegas Elevates from Within Michael Sherwood, Las Vegas’ longtime
chief innovation and technology officer, left the position late last year. The
city’s deputy information technology director has been elevated to acting IT
director. READ MORE
AI and Cloud Strategies for State and Local Agencies This
guide explores how AI-powered tools and cloud infrastructure can help
government agencies overcome the challenges of tight budgets and aging
infrastructure. Case studies from California and Utah demonstrate the
transformative impact of these strategies, saving dollars and accelerating
service delivery. DOWNLOAD
AI in
State and Local Government: Everything You Need to Know Artificial
intelligence (AI) often dominates technology discussions. But with so many
implementation and policy considerations around the technology, many government
leaders can feel overwhelmed at the idea of getting started with AI. This go-to
guide shares everything you need to know to quickly begin implementing AI and
developing the appropriate policy for the technology. DOWNLOAD
Alaska Retirement Division Hack Impacts Contributions
State residents who work in the public sector, including in
local government and education, have had employer contributions to their
retirement accounts impacted by suspicious activity on servers. READ MORE
Better Customer Service Part of Colorado’s 2025 Tech
Plan The state’s governor is going into the new year with an
updated commitment to improving government technology and digital services. The
push relies heavily on making contact centers more efficient. READ MORE
Biden Cybersecurity Executive Order Nears Publication During its final days in office, the outgoing administration is
hurrying to complete an executive order by President Joe Biden intended to
bolster U.S. cybersecurity. The order incorporates takeaways from recent hacks. READ MORE
Biden Executive Order on AI Activates
Feds on Data Centers The executive order calls on the federal departments of
Defense and Energy to each identify at least three locations for private-sector
data centers. It seeks to balance construction, consumer cost and environmental
impact. READ MORE
Biden Executive Order to Tighten Federal Cybersecurity The order is designed to make it more difficult and expensive for bad actors to target American institutions and organizations online. It is intended to make sanctions against them more effective. READ MORE
Biden
White House Legacy: Broadband as Public Infrastructure The outgoing
administration may have notched a win with its elevation of broadband as a
societal necessity, but observers were critical of other aspects of its plan to
expand the technology nationwide. READ MORE
Boston Mayor Has Created Hundreds of
New Positions Mayor Michelle Wu has hired more than 300 new
City Hall staffers, helping fuel budget growth of 8 percent over the past year.
Many of the new positions are in middle and upper management. READ MORE
Calif. Governor’s Budget Creates Two Agencies, Tech
Spend Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal for a balanced state budget
would spend $168 million to “standardize and streamline data collection” across
state community colleges. It would also create two new entities. READ MORE
Calif. Open Source Portal Aims to
De-Silo Digital Resources The site, updated with a user-centric
design inspired by the state’s Design System, is available to agencies,
developers and the public alike. It is intended to serve as a place to share
knowledge and solutions. READ MORE
California Backs Out of Clean Truck
Regulations Ahead of Trump Administration The state
withdrew its pioneering clean air regulations for diesel trucks and trains,
acknowledging they wouldn’t win federal approval. The state intended to end
sales of trucks powered by fossil fuels by 2036. READ MORE
California Lawmakers Consider Expediting Insurance Claims
After L.A. Fires The state’s troubled home insurance market is
certain to command legislative attention this year. The fires in Los Angeles
may end up being one of the nation’s most expensive disasters. READ MORE
CivicPlus Sticks Its Hands into a Beehive With Latest
Deal The company, which sells software to local governments, has
bought asset management and utility billing company Beehive Industries. The
move promises to boost capabilities on the CivicPlus platform. READ MORE
Colorado Expands Access to State Tax Services With
TAX2GO The state has been working diligently in recent years to
make its services more accessible to constituents. The latest development is
TAX2GO, which makes taxpaying services mobile; others are in the works. READ MORE
Congress Can Be Slow to Approve
Disaster Funds California will ultimately get lots of help
from Washington but some GOP lawmakers want to tie wildfire assistance to
policy strings. Hawaii had to wait more than a year for aid to be approved
after the Maui fires. READ MORE
Connected Vehicle Tech Helps Tampa Tackle
Traffic Congestion The Florida city is expanding its connected vehicle program
on the Selmon Expressway to push more messaging to drivers, change behavior,
and possibly reward better driving with cheaper toll rates. READ MORE
Crime Is Falling. Why Don’t Americans
Believe It? Between brazen minor offenses like
organized shoplifting and a few heavily publicized acts of random violence,
it’s little wonder that people are on edge. READ MORE
Delaware
CIO Gregory Lane to Continue in New Administration The chief
information officer for the Diamond State has been in place since 2023 and was
previously its chief technology officer. Lane has been with Delaware for eight
years, following a 35-year private-sector career. READ MORE
DHS Releases Playbook for Public-Sector AI Deployment
A new resource from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
offers actionable steps government officials can take to responsibly and
effectively deploy artificial intelligence technologies. 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
Empowering Local
Governments to Accelerate Economic Mobility A national partnership aims to help local governments deliver
better results for their residents. Learn
More
Florida Sheriffs Prepare for Their
Role in Mass Deportation Effort Gov. Ron DeSantis says
sheriffs will have to help the Trump administration carry out its immigration
policies or he’ll remove them from office. READ MORE
GenAI in Courts: How Artificial
Intelligence Improves Efficiency and Accuracy in Court Systems State and local court systems are strained. Even
routine legal processes can overburden staff and delay crucial judicial
processes. The right AI assistant can transform the way courts are run, letting
legal staff focus on helping more people get justice quickly and reliably.
GenAI Transforms How Agencies
Use Data Generative AI enables
users to find, summarize and visualize information without requiring
specialized data skills. But agencies need an enterprise strategy to realize
GenAI's full potential. This paper offers advice on building an effective
strategy and using GenAI to address business, operational and IT needs. DOWNLOAD
GIS Is the Data Backbone for Agencies Battling L.A. Fires Geospatial
data serves as the foundational building block for crucial mapping and
communications tools used by state and local government agencies in responding
to fast-moving disasters like wildfires. READ MORE
Health-Care AI Requires a Lot of
Expensive Humans Artificial intelligence systems require
consistent monitoring and staffing to put in place and to keep them working
well. The need for people and more machines to make sure new tools don’t mess
up is leading to increased costs for hospitals. READ MORE
Helping Local
Governments Deliver Better Results for Their Residents A national partnership has the power to reach tens of
thousands of government leaders. Learn
More
How Alabama Made Tax
Services More Accessible The
Alabama Department of Revenue faced significant operational challenges with its
legacy systems, which were not meeting evolving needs for scalability, security
and efficiency. Learn how the agency decided to move to the cloud to address
these challenges, and more. DOWNLOAD
How Districts Can Face Fallout from
PowerSchool SIS Breach School districts across the nation are reacting to word from
K-12 software giant PowerSchool that its student information system has been
compromised, exposing data from teachers and students. READ MORE
How Las Vegas Became a Major League
City Before the Goodmans (Oscar and Carolyn) served
as mayor, the biggest game in town was college basketball. Thanks to the
personal relationships they built, the city now has the NFL and hockey, with
baseball soon to follow. READ MORE
How Minnesota
Created a Text Message System for Family Benefits The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) revolutionized
its outreach efforts by launching an innovative SMS text messaging system to
connect with constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This system enabled
real-time communication about critical benefits, ensuring that families
received timely and vital support. Download this paper to explore how Minnesota
DHS overcame challenges, achieved measurable success, and laid the groundwork
for scalable innovation. DOWNLOAD
How to Enhance the Fire Service using the Latest
Technology Discover how innovative technology can address
the growing firefighter shortage by enhancing safety, streamlining training,
and improving resource deployment. DOWNLOAD
Illinois
Supreme Court AI Policy Offers Caution With a Side of Clarity The use of generative artificial
intelligence (AI) by litigants hasn’t exactly been embraced by courts
nationwide even when the root cause of those mistakes was attorney competency
issues reports Sui Generis, a New York Law Blog.
Illinois Works to Put Digital IDs in
Apple Wallets This Year After legislation took effect Jan. 1, the Secretary of
State’s Office will work with the technology company to let users add their
driver’s license or state ID to the Wallet. A sign-up page for interested
Illinoisans has been set up. READ MORE
Indiana Taps Chief Operating Officer for Interim CIO
Role Indiana has turned to a familiar face to lead the state
Office of Technology in an interim capacity following the departure of former
CIO Tracy Barnes and the inauguration of a new governor. READ MORE
L.A. Courts Tried to Stay Open During
Fires. It Didn’t Go Well. Lots of prosecutors, judicial
staff and jurors lost their homes. Many others left court because they felt ill
from dangerous air. READ MORE
Legislative Staff in Washington State
Approve Contract in First Collective Bargaining A 2022 law
gave staff the ability to unionize. Their new contract will provide a raise of
3 percent in July and additional workplace protections. READ MORE
Maryland Submits AI Strategy, Guide
to General Assembly The state’s new AI Enablement Strategy and AI Study Roadmap
is intended to advance artificial intelligence through a five-part strategy
that includes directing further studies on the technology, in critical
domains. READ MORE
Minimum Wages Are Rising in Nearly
Half the States This Year Voters in several states,
including deeply red ones, chose to make significant boosts. While the federal
minimum remains stuck at $7.25, 10 states now have a wage of $15 or higher and
more are headed in that direction. READ MORE
Most Popular Cyber Blogs from 2024 What were
the top government technology and cybersecurity blog posts in 2024? The metrics
tell us what cybersecurity and technology infrastructure topics were most
popular. READ MORE
N.Y. State Bill Could Revive Dead
California AI Bill A New York state assembly bill could bring some of the ideas
in a failed AI safety bill from the Golden State. The Responsible AI Safety and
Education Act would, chiefly, require deployment safety plans from AI
companies. READ MORE
New
Pennsylvania State Website Offers a Singular Experience Completed in
less than a year, the new state website combines 64 separate state sites into a
unified digital destination with a smoothed search function. The Pennsylvania
Office of Digital Experience led the effort. READ MORE
New York to Unveil First-Ever Customer Experience
Report The state of New York’s inaugural Chief Customer Experience
Officer Tonya Webster was appointed to shape the method, style and efficiency
of government interactions. This week, the state is reporting on its progress. READ MORE
One Way Trump Could Help Revive Rural
America Grant programs too often send money to areas that
already have resources. Federal agencies should work with state and local
leaders to identify the place-specific needs of regional economies and develop
custom projects. READ MORE
Reimaging Downtowns for the
Post-Pandemic World Every few decades, we have an
opportunity to change what our cities can be. This is one of those moments. READ MORE
Scammers Target Corvallis, Ore., City Councilor in
Hack The elected representative’s official email account was
breached by a bad actor and used to reach other email addresses, in an attempt
to steal their personal information. The issue was resolved fairly swiftly. READ MORE
School Software Company Target of
Latest Mass Data Breach PowerSchool, which has
16,000 customers, is used by more than 50 million students. Hackers gained
access to information about them and their parents, receiving ransom to prevent
leaks of the stolen data. READ MORE
Tech to the Rescue: Smart Solutions for Disaster
Response Uncover how cutting-edge technology supports
disaster management at every stage—from early detection to post-disaster
recovery. DOWNLOAD
Tennessee CIO Reflects on Tech Progress, Future
Vision CIO Stephanie Dedmon discussed the state’s
technology work, including new AI policies and use cases, cloud migration and
cybersecurity projects, and what’s on the horizon. She is set to retire in
July. READ MORE
The Heavy Toll AI and the Internet
Take on Electricity Even the most basic computing
tasks require electrical power. The level of computing that drives today’s
economy is far from basic. READ MORE
Through
AI, Cloud Services, Miss. Looks to Update Its Tech The state
recently launched an AI Innovation Hub and is in the process of creating a
Cloud Center of Excellence. Other tech priorities include procurement
modernization and citizen-focused digital services. READ MORE
Top Finance Issues to Watch in
2025 States face a tricky year, with their own
revenues stalling and federal aid running low. READ MORE
Top Tech and Environmental Issues to
Watch This Year Lawmakers continue to try to get ahead of
the curve on AI and many are eager to curb social media use among the young.
Climate remains the top environmental concern but "forever chemicals"
are more likely to see bipartisan action. READ MORE
Two Months After Recall, Former
Oakland Mayor Indicted A federal grand jury has indicted
Sheng Thao as part of a sprawling case involving other top Bay Area officials
and contractors. READ MORE
Under Trump, Medicaid Faces a 'Reset
Moment' The nation's largest health insurance program is
likely to be cut in Congress this year to pay for other priorities. That could
have profound ramifications for state budgets and the health-care system. READ MORE
What Wordly’s AI Translation Growth Signals for 2025 The
provider of live AI translation for public agencies is adding users and
services, with its tools assisting wildfire communications in California. The
company’s recent experiences help illustrate how AI might develop. READ MORE
Why a Pennsylvania
Prison Looked to Scandinavia for Inspiration U.S. prisons are dangerous for corrections staff and
incarcerated people alike, and recidivism rates are high. Can a
Scandinavian-inspired culture shift help? READ MORE
Will Budget Problems Drive Down Wes
Moore’s Popularity? Maryland’s Democratic governor has
quickly gained a national profile and enjoys strong support at home. But a $3
billion budget shortfall is going to force him to make some unpopular choices. READ MORE
With Executive Order, Mississippi Sets Path to AI
Innovation Gov. Tate Reeves’ executive order
mandates a statewide inventory of AI technologies, guidelines to responsibly
integrate AI into public services and bridging communication across state
agencies. READ MORE
With L.A. in Flames, Mayor Bass’
Political Future Hangs in the Balance
Karen Bass has come in for criticism over her handling of the fire
department’s budget and other issues. Her chances for reelection may depend on
the city’s long rebuilding process. READ MORE
Your Comparative Guide to
Advanced Cloud Firewalls Discover which
advanced cloud firewalls lead the pack in security efficacy, operational
efficiency, and resilience. This in-depth report, backed by real-world testing
across 12 solutions, offers a detailed comparison of how top firewalls perform
against today's evolving threats. DOWNLOAD
Your State Needs an Office of
Entrepreneurship It’s
just too hard to start a new business. These offices can do a lot to eliminate
governmental red tape and remove other barriers to our engines of job creation
and economic growth. READ MORE