Links to selected items focusing on governmental operations posted on the Internet during the week ending February 28, 2025

A Decade’s Worth of Knowledge About the Gov Tech Market The technology market serving state and local government has changed a lot since we first published the GovTech 100 in 2015. Here’s what we’ve learned. READ MORE

A Government Leader’s Guide to Meeting Website Accessibility and Compliance Requirements Ensure your government website meets ADA standards to avoid non-compliance fines and better serve residents; learn more in our white paper on ADA and Section 508 requirements. Read More

A Medicaid Fix That Won't Stop Runaway Spending A proposal to set a per-enrollee limit on federal money for the program is gaining traction. But states know how to game Medicaid rules and federal oversight is woefully inadequate. READ MORE

A Reasonable Disciplinary Penalty Under the Circumstances - The text of this ebook focuses on determining an appropriate disciplinary penalty to be imposed on an employee in the public service in instances where the employee has been found guilty of misconduct or incompetence. For more information click HERE

AI can no longer be ignored by lawyers - Rochester, N.Y. attorney Nicole Black, in a recent item in her LawBlog, Sui Generis, observes that resistance to AI by practitioners is proving futile and counterproductive. Read more HERE

ANNOUNCING CDG-NACo’s Digital Counties Survey 2025! The Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties invite all U.S. counties to participate in the Digital Counties Survey. DIGITAL COUNTIES SURVEY ONLINE

Bill Would Create Digital Driver’s Licenses, IDs in N.H. State legislators have introduced a bill that would activate mobile or digital driver’s licenses, and ID cards. The benefits, a sponsoring state senator said, include streamlining identification and age verification. READ MORE

Boston Mayor Outlines Plan to Stop Open-Air Drug Market The plan comes after crime in Downtown Crossing and other areas throughout the city has reached a seven-year high due to drug use, focusing on treating rather than arresting users and dealers. READ MORE

Build a Government Website That Works for Your Residents Your website is often the first impression residents have of your local government. Learn the key elements that make a website functional, accessible, and easy to navigate. DOWNLOAD

California Dems Grow Quiet on Sanctuary for Immigrants Amid Trump Push Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state Democrats who frequently invoked the idea of providing sanctuary to undocumented immigrations during Trump’s first term have softened if not changed their tune. READ MORE

California Governor Launches New Digital Democracy Tool Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a new digital democracy initiative to connect residents with government officials in times of disaster and allow them to express their concerns. READ MORE

Can Tech Help Protect Government from Growing Political Ire? As anger builds toward public-sector officials, at least one online privacy data company is reporting increased interest in its services. The company’s leader discusses his response to the current tension. READ MORE

Closures in Anne Arundel County, Md., After ‘Cyber Incident’ County buildings are shuttered Monday as officials prove an “ongoing cyber incident of external origin” that began disrupting services Saturday. County schools and the library have not been impacted. READ MORE

Cost-Effective, Data-Driven Tools Shape Tampa Modernization Eric Hayden, the city’s CIO and CTO, is helping oversee a refresh of emergency and fire response via artificial intelligence, which helps guide efforts and increase capabilities in the state’s third most populous city. READ MORE

Create bots for the public sector with Microsoft Copilot Studio Take this training to master bot creation for public sector automation with Copilot Studio. WATCH THE TRAINING

Cybersecurity Needs to Stay Nonpartisan in the Age of DOGE Cybersecurity has been in recent national headlines, with experts claiming DOGE is giving unvetted access to sensitive data. But do these partisan attacks harm the entire cyber industry and government trust? READ MORE

Data, Insight Are Central to New L.A. Metro Parking Tech Technology being deployed at 53 parking facilities serving the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will guide drivers to open spots, and offer a real-time look at demand and other information. READ MORE 

Do Local Governments Need to Appoint a Chief AI Officer? State and federal government agencies have been taking action to appoint a dedicated staff member to lead on artificial intelligence. Is it necessary for cities and counties to create a similar role? READ MORE  

Dozens of Artworks Owned by Philadelphia Have Gone Missing The city owns more than 1,000 works of art. It hasn’t inventoried them for decades and doesn’t know where at least 85 of them are. READ MORE

Empower Public Servants with AI Skills for Transformation Stay ahead with free AI skilling at the Public Sector Center for Digital Skills. EXPLORE THE WEBSITE

Empowering Government to Take Control of Their Cyber Defense [March 4] Join us for a live webinar where technology experts will introduce the "Defender's Advantage" framework - the concept that governments are defending against cyber attacks in their own environment. REGISTER

FAA Flexible Drone Waivers Offer Boost for First Responders As some public safety agencies are experiencing more flexibility and speed in getting waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration for advanced drone programs, experts predict the use of UAS to rapidly rise. READ MORE

FBI Issues Warning of Ongoing ‘Ghost’ Ransomware Attack Bad actors known collectively by that name are staging attacks on targets in more than 70 countries, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the FBI said. The latter advises regular system backups. READ MORE

Five Essential Strategies for Security and Compliance in the Cloud This thought leadership paper shares the five strategies your organization needs to hit all your security and compliance goals. Read more to learn how visibility, automation and more can provide the best protection for your data in the cloud. DOWNLOAD

Florida DOGE Force Looks to AI to Trim Bureaucratic ‘Bloat’ Created by gubernatorial executive order, the state’s new Department of Governmental Efficiency team will work to “promote efficiency, maximize productivity and eliminate waste in state and local government.” READ MORE

Google Public Sector Wins New Cloud Deal With New York New York’s CIO says the agreement will help boost security and data analytics while also encouraging more data sharing among agencies. Artificial intelligence also is part of this two-year effort. READ MORE

Here’s How to Improve Iowa’s Math Scores — And How to Pay for It As Iowa's math scores decline, the state should use public funds to provide private tutoring for families in need and give students extra support without switching schools. READ MORE

How Investors Exploit Loopholes to Raise Rent on Affordable Housing A legal loophole in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program is allowing developers to remove rent restrictions from affordable housing, leading to rising rents and worsening the housing crisis. READ MORE

How Jacksonville is Preserving Family Wealth in Majority-Black Neighborhoods A new program preserves home ownership for vulnerable residents who are at risk of property displacement through heirs’ properties. LEARN MORE

How States Are Upgrading Freight Plans with Data State freight planning is more complex than ever. Rhode Island needed a better way to track freight movement, understand post-pandemic trends, and plan for future infrastructure needs. This case study reveals how combining real-time trucking data with commodity flow analysis helped the state gain a clearer picture of freight activity. 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

Ideal Partners: Do Tech Leaders Prefer Big Providers or Startups? We spoke to technology leaders to understand whether they prefer to partner with small or large tech providers to support their IT work. READ MORE

Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers were likely unlawful A federal judge  found that the mass firings of probationary employees were likely unlawful, granting temporary relief to a coalition of labor unions and organizations that has sued to stop massive dismantling of the federal workforce. READ MORE

Lawmakers Seek Crypto ATM Regulations to Fight Fraud State bills aim to impose limits on transactions and fees, require consumer warnings and tackle the rise in cryptocurrency scams. READ MORE

Let’s Not Throw Away Proven Protections for Children’s Health Anti-vaccine sentiment was rising even before the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re seeing the ugly results play out in Texas, with dozens of children suffering from measles and one dying. READ MORE

Louisiana Gov. Moves to Reopen Juvenile Prison Shuttered a Decade Ago Jeff Landry has secured $42 million to reopen a youth prison in the Baton Rouge area, part of his push to expand juvenile incarceration facilities. READ MORE

Make Community Development Easier with Digital Tools Explore how modern technology can streamline the critical functions of community development processes like permitting, planning, and code enforcement. DOWNLOAD

Make Your Clerk's Office More Efficient Administrators have a lot on their plate. Learn how streamlining tasks with the right tools can help you work smarter and provide better service to your community. DOWNLOAD

Making ESM a Reality in the Public Sector State and local IT leaders are under constant pressure to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual tasks, and enhance service delivery across departments. This paper explores how Enterprise Service Management (ESM) extends proven IT Service Management (ITSM) principles to transform both technical and non-technical operations, including HR, facilities, and public-facing services. DOWNLOAD

Millions in Fla. Governor’s IT Budget for Law Enforcement Gov. Ron DeSantis’ fiscal year 2026 proposed budget recommendations include funding for state IT projects across criminal justice. Initiatives include hardening security, replacing infrastructure and a platform upgrade. READ MORE

Minnesota May Ban Using AI to Make Explicit Images of Real People A bipartisan group of senators in the state Legislature is currently pushing for more restrictions on convincing computer-generated sexually explicit images of real  people. READ MORE

Modernize Your Special Event and Film Permitting Process As permitting processes become increasingly complex, the need for a purpose-built, digital solution has never been greater. READ MORE

Motorola Solutions Buys NG911 Tech Firm RapidDeploy The deal comes as emergency communications and dispatch technology offers more real-time data and mapping tools, among other advances. RapidDeploy launched in 2013 and has raised more than $80 million in funding. READ MORE

NASCIO, U.S. Digital Response Want to Help Create Better RFPs A new report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and U.S. Digital Response outlines how public-sector agencies can improve their requests for proposals — and get more suitable responses. READ MORE

Nevada Meets ERP Milestone, Setting Up Other Modernizations With Phase 1A of the CORE.NV project complete in January, Nevada has set the foundation for its enterprise resource planning update, its CIO Timothy Galluzi said, and enabled construction of better service delivery processes. READ MORE 

Nevada Meets ERP Milestone, Setting Up Other Modernizations With Phase 1A of the CORE.NV project complete in January, Nevada has set the foundation for its enterprise resource planning update, its CIO Timothy Galluzi said, and enabled construction of better service delivery processes. READ MORE 

New Idaho Excise Tax Bill Goes ‘Gangster’ on Wind Farm Projects Idaho legislator have introduced legislation requiring counties to get voter approval for wind farms. If they’re rejected, counties must charge an excise tax that could exceed $2.5 million per turbine. READ MORE

New What Works Cities Awardees Use Data to Serve Residents Nearly two dozen cities have been awarded the What Works Cities Certification, which recognizes localities for data usage to inform policy and funding, engage residents, evaluate programs and improve services. READ MORE

Officials in Southwest Wash. Question Value of Data Centers Leaders in the area, a regional industrial and manufacturing hub, have said the facilities cost too much and don’t employ enough people. Finding enough power to run them, regional officials said, could be tough. READ MORE

Ohio’s Eye in the Sky Now Available to Local Law Enforcement The state has rolled out access to real-time aerial surveillance technology to all Ohio law enforcement agencies. The technology includes live video feeds and infrared capabilities, and could transform suspect searches. READ MORE

Old Dominion University Launches Enterprise Chatbot Specifically designed for faculty, MonarchMind gives users access to ChatGPT, Gemini and Llama on a secure, university-run system that does not share chat data with outside parties or use it to train AI models. READ MORE 

Oregon Bill Would Grant Utilities Immunity From Wildfire Lawsuits The bill calls on utilities to perform meet wildfire protection standards. In return, they'd gain legal protection. READ MORE

Palm Trees Are as L.A. as It Gets – but Is It Time to Say Goodbye? Once a symbol of paradise, palm trees have become synonymous with Los Angeles. But with aging trees and changing cityscape, is it time for a new chapter? READ MORE 

Pennsylvania Modernizes IT Procurement to Enable Partnership State officials have made several changes to the IT procurement process in an effort to expand public-private partnership opportunities, increase efficiency for businesses, and save taxpayers money. READ MORE  

Pennsylvania Modernizes IT Procurement to Enable Partnership State officials have made several changes to the IT procurement process in an effort to expand public-private partnership opportunities, increase efficiency for businesses, and save taxpayers money. READ MORE

Prisons and Jails May Lack Broadband Connectivity, Too Advancing broadband deployment and equity means expanding the technology to institutions like correctional facilities, panelists said at the recent Expanding Digital Opportunity: Charting a Path Toward Full Inclusion conference. READ MORE

Red States Back Trump’s Remote Government Work Crackdown Nebraska’s highest court will decide if the governor can force state workers back to the office, as unions argue for remote work rights. This echoes a broader national debate, with GOP leaders pushing return-to-office mandates. READ MORE

Sioux Falls Finds a Way to Connect More People to Housing Sioux Falls is building a website to help connect residents with income-restricted housing. It hopes the tool will get people into housing faster and lower the vacancy rate among subsidized units. READ MORE

Social Media Strategies for State and Local Governments Struggling to engage your community on social media? This guide provides a roadmap to navigate the challenges and unlock the potential of social media for state and local government. DOWNLOAD

Southern, Midwestern Bills Propose Cyber, Data Safeguards Lawmakers in Arkansas and Missouri are considering legislation that would bolster cyber reporting and data privacy standards for businesses; and, in Texas, tighten cybersecurity standards for water utilities. READ MORE

State and Local Government Cybersecurity: Insights from the Experts Learn how public sector organizations are bolstering cybersecurity and developing a resilient workforce. DOWNLOAD

States Have Been Making Money By Putting Their Money to Work With strong reserves, states have made billions through interest and other investments. This recent windfall is at risk as interest rates and other investment returns become shakier. READ MORE

Stolen Credentials Present Growing Threat, N.J. Report Says The state’s new threat assessment report focuses on how cyber criminals are using the newest tools to hack into systems and mount ransomware attacks on governments. The threats could be especially acute this year. READ MORE

Strengthening Multicloud Security in Government Multicloud environments provide unrivaled scalability and flexibility that allows governments to innovate. But traditional security approaches would keep systems protected, so agencies need the right kind of platform and tools as they expand their cloud footprint and accelerate digital transformation. This paper explains the benefits of a cloud-native application protection platform and how governments can make detecting threats easier for their security teams. DOWNLOAD

Take Control of Your Online Narrative: A Guide to Winning Resident Trust Is your agency’s online presence plagued by negative comments and complaints? It's time to take control of your city's narrative. This guide shows you how to use technology to improve communication, boost accountability, and build trust with your community. DOWNLOAD

Texas Legislature to Propose $400 Million Cut to Higher Education if DEI Isn’t Eliminated The Legislature and lieutenant governor threaten to cut $400 million if colleges and universities do not end diversity initiatives. READ MORE

Texas Senators Worry That Lottery Was Used for Money Laundering Third-party services have bought and sold lottery tickets by the millions, raising concerns about lack of oversight and guardrails. READ MORE

The Hidden Costs of California’s Wildfires California wildfires are causing long-term damage to ecosystems, water systems, and the economy — costs that are often overlooked. READ MORE

The Real Education Revolution Is Happening in the States Since 2021, the number of states offering universal eligibility for vouchers has grown from zero to 14. READ MORE

The Unacceptable Risk Sanctuary Cities Pose for Public Safety The consequences of sanctuary policies extend far beyond the ideological debate surrounding immigration enforcement. These policies enable criminal networks to make communities more dangerous. READ MORE

Through IT Modernization, Locals Reshape Service Delivery Local IT leaders in California and Delaware wield innovation and collaboration to reimagine technology, integrating community dialog into modernization to deliver projects that reflect a variety of feedback. READ MORE 

Trump Expands School Choice With New Executive Order President Trump signed an executive order to increase federal support for school choice programs, causing debate about the impact on public schools and student outcomes. READ MORE

USDA Rolls Out $1 Billion Plan to Combat Bird Flu About half of the funds will go toward helping farmers bolster their biosecurity measures. The department is also working to bolster egg imports. READ MORE

Utah CIO Wants to Give State Employees ‘Superpowers’ From working to improve the citizen experience to advancing artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, Utah’s tech leader is focused on the value of investing in the “human capital” of the state workforce. READ MORE

Why California’s Pro-Housing Laws Aren’t Producing More Housing A YIMBY group documents how the policies have had “limited or no impact.” But accessory dwelling units have been a success story: In one year alone, more than 28,000 of them got permits. READ MORE

Year After Year, Milwaukee Manages to Reduce Homelessness Over the last decade, Wisconsin's largest county has made dramatic progress in reducing its homeless population. READ MORE