News
Top Story
John Roussel, the driving force behind the California Department of Public Health’s IT operations, is retiring at the end of April. His departure punctuates a more than two-decade career in state IT.
News
Gov. Gavin Newsom has named Kris Perry, a nationally recognized leader in early childhood policy, to serve as deputy secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. He also appointed Dr. Nadine Burke Harris to the position of California surgeon general — the state's first.
All departments will be required to fill system holes, even if their platforms already satisfy some of the requirements.
Realizing they needed a swift way to identify the 86 people killed by the Camp Fire in November, the Butte County Sheriff's Office partnered with Colorado-based ANDE, which sent examples of its Rapid DNA analysis "instrument" and staffers to work with the agency for free.
The California Tahoe Conservancy is seeking a chief information officer who will have full responsibility for the department's information technology environment, operations, personnel and budget.
He's spent his career in the private sector with 12 years as a project manager for SH Consulting and almost a year as an IT specialist for Hewlett-Packard.
A Google Cardboard-enabled public service announcement on the way from Cosumnes Fire Department is the agency's first public-facing deliverable aimed at using tech to improve public safety — but other solutions are in the works.
The state Department of General Services’ (DGS) online list of private-sector tech vendors grew slightly last month, and an executive with its newest arrival called this "an exciting time" for technology drivers to lead by example during the Gov. Gavin Newsom administration.
The California Secretary of State's Office has chosen a contractor to replace Cal-ACCESS, the 19-year-old state website that hosts filings by political candidates, lobbyists and donors, among others.
After a little over a year of operating under emergency regulations, the state Office of Administrative Law has finalized California's cannabis industry's rules.
California Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Wilkening writes: "Our work at CHHS is a proof of concept, designed to illustrate how government can be more transparent, responsive and client-centered. I would argue that this has been a successful proof of concept, but it also has presented lessons learned."
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system has released an upgraded trip-planning application that considers transit data from more than 30 transportation operators across nine counties in the San Francisco metro area, providing easy door-to-door travel.
The Financial Information System for California is seeking an IT Manager II to fill the role of assistant deputy director, which includes responsibility for managing FI$Cal’s infrastructure, database and software operations.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said his administration is asking corporations to provide developers with low-interest loans to build housing for teachers, nurses and other middle-class Californians. He indicated the companies' total fundraising for the program would match the $500 million in public money he's proposed in the state budget for the development of middle-income housing.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was predicted to be the technology governor, the guy who was going to shake things up. When it comes to IT and governance, he's already taken some steps in that direction.
The California Secretary of State’s Office is inviting the counties’ clerk/registrars of voters to opt in to a County Test Environment (CTE), where they can test and confirm fixes, changes and enhancements in their election management systems as well as conduct training.
In a column written for Techwire, the former CIO of a huge federal agency asserts that state government can capitalize on new technology — but first it must be willing to let go of the old.
Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget contains several innovative ideas, including an Office of Digital Innovation run by the Government Operations Agency headed by Secretary Marybel Batjer.
Automated earthquake early warning (EEW) recently became a reality in California's largest city, but a consortium of state officials is currently pursuing a statewide system that might rely on the wireless emergency alerts systems programmed into modern cellphones.
When volunteers comb the region to count San Diego's homeless population next week, they'll use infrared technology on drones and helicopters to help them locate people living in canyons and other areas where they might be harder to find.
Two state agencies are recruiting for IT specialists, and the application deadline for both positions is next week.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has pressed for several new approaches in his first week in office, including a Department of Motor Vehicles Strike Team. GovOps Secretary Marybel Batjer, who leads the team, says it's too soon to talk about her plans.
Contributed
The public workforce system stands at a crossroads. Career services professionals are increasingly tasked with serving harder-to-reach jobseekers under programs like Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA). These front-line staff must juggle verifying unemployment benefits eligibility and providing personalized reemployment coaching, often with limited time and resources. It’s a daunting challenge that raises a critical question: How can we scale support for those who need it most? The answer may lie in Agentic AI and AI-powered agents designed to work autonomously alongside humans which could be a game-changer for workforce development.
AI is helping governments and enterprises modernize aging systems faster while strengthening cybersecurity — an approach reflected in initiatives like Kosmic Eye supporting California’s digital infrastructure.
Insights from A1M Solutions on low-cost, low-risk ways to implement AI today
Upcoming Events
A curated event built for State of California employees!
Through demos, discussions and customer stories, the series shows how IBM can help enterprises achieve faster outcomes, reduce complexity and innovate responsibly at scale.
