Recent technology-related headlines from across the U.S. courtesy of Government Technology:
Colorado Names New Chief Technology Officer
The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology announced on Aug. 26 that David McCurdy would take the position made vacant by the promotion of Suma Nallapati to CIO and secretary of technology in May.
Illinois Governor Vetoes Statewide Ride-Share Legislation
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday vetoed legislation that would have established statewide regulations on ride-sharing services that compete with taxis, saying he didn’t want to put in place a "one-size-fits-all approach" on an industry best regulated at the local level.
Pennsylvania Email Practices Limit Documents Available for Public View
State agency employees in Pennsylvania — from the governor’s office staff to front-line workers — routinely are encouraged to pare the numbers of emails they keep, and by doing so, they effectively decide on their own which are public records.
Washington State Eyes Second Round of IT Consolidation
An IT consolidation plan announced last week by Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee would combine functions of three state agencies into one. The state Legislature will consider the proposal in January, and at least one legislator is skeptical of the idea.
Governor Pushes for More Emphasis on Computer Programming in Georgia
Gov. Nathan Deal pledged a retooling of Georgia’s education system on Monday that would better prepare Georgia students for computer programming courses as high-paying jobs increasingly demand highly technical skills.
Drones a Challenge to Law, Possible Boon to Alabama Law Enforcement
On Friday, Aug. 22, Gov. Robert Bentley announced the appointment of an Alabama Drone Task Force to develop a plan for use of drones by state agencies. The task force’s first meeting was announced on a state open-meetings website a week earlier.
Anchorage Launches Site to Track Road Projects, Special Events
The site is hosted by a right-of-way management company called Envista and was released to the public Thursday after several months of being used internally. It gives a snapshot of current and future road construction projects and closures, including stormwater drainage projects, road rehabilitation and cable replacements.
Massachusetts Competition Challenges Startups to Innovate
To spur innovation, the Massachusetts Office of Information Technology (MassIT) is trying something a little different. On Aug. 21, MassIT announced the Government Innovation Competition, a $50,000 contest launched in collaboration with startup accelerator MassChallenge designed to get startups working on government problems.
Maine Comes Out of the Dark and Into the Digital Age
Maine has taken a small yet significant step toward the digital age, all thanks to Rockport’s recently unveiled municipal gigabit fiber-optic network, the first of its kind in the state.
