Government Technology
State Governments Look to Entrepreneurs for Creativity, Efficiency
Assembly member Ian Calderon (second from left) wants California to have a state entrepreneur-in-residence program. Some cities and states are seeking the advice of entrepreneurs. (AP) Follow on Twitter Entrepreneurs in government? The idea may sound like an oxymoron to government bashers. Yet a move is on to bring successful entrepreneurs into state agencies, city […]
In Palin Ruling, Alaska Supreme Court OKs Personal Email for State Business
The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that state officials may use personal email accounts to conduct official business, but some emails sent from private accounts may be subject to open records law. The decision Friday (October 12) clarified a long-running dispute dating back to Sarah Palin’s stint as governor, delivering a partial victory for a […]
Virginia Legislature Launches iPad Experiment
A few years ago, the Virginia House of Delegates gave Delegate Lionell Spruill a laptop computer to help him keep track of legislation. “I never touched the damn thing,” says Spruill, who preferred carrying around stacks of paper. “I’m 64 years old. I’m old school and I just didn’t know how to use a laptop.” […]
Shaving Costs With Reverse Auctions
One afternoon two weeks ago, Bob Furman, a purchaser for the state of Delaware, was staring at a computer screen in a conference room in Dover. Bids on a big state contract for electricity were rolling in over the internet, and as he munched on popcorn, the price Delaware would pay to power its state […]
Making IT work
Like the nation’s roads and bridges, most state Information Technology systems need costly makeovers at a time when states’ can ill afford them — presenting a quandary for those aiming to make state government more efficient for the long haul. Some more than 30 years old and written in outdated computer code, so-called legacy computer […]
‘Present’ Votes Defended by Ill. Lawmakers
In most legislatures, lawmakers vote either “yes” or “no” on bills, but in Illinois, senators and representatives can hit a third button for a “present” vote. Now that quirk – not unique to Illinois – has sparked heated exchanges among Democrats vying for president. The two main rivals of Illinois’ U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for […]
Govs Enjoy Quirky Veto Power
Ever hear of the “Frankenstein” veto? How about the “Vanna White” veto? Every state governor has the power to overrule actions by his or her legislature through a “veto” – the word is Latin for “I forbid” – but some governors can do more than simply say no. The veto power enjoyed by Wisconsin’s governor […]
State Websites Celebrate 10th Birthday
In the late 1990s, state government websites fell into one of three categories: very good, nonexistent and what researcher Paul Taylor of the Center for Digital Government calls the “mushy middle.” Today, all 50 states provide a growing array of services that taxpayers can access digitally from home or work, and the pacesetters in state […]
States Lag Federal Government in Electronic Tax Filing
The number of state income tax returns filed electronically still lags behind the federal e-file rate in all but three states, despite states’ efforts to encourage taxpayers to move away from paper filing. This gap, which exists everywhere but Kansas, Massachusetts and Ohio, remains even after a decade of double-digit growth in the electronic filing […]
State Candidates Blaze Digital Campaign Trail
A gubernatorial candidate in Vermont runs an online auction to raise money for his campaign. A U.S. Senate candidate from Oklahoma offers personalized greeting cards on his Web site. An Indiana gubernatorial hopeful posts digital photos of his RV tour of the state. A cruise of state candidates’ Web sites this election year uncovers an […]
Michigan Tops List as Model for Mouse Clickers
Michigan.gov is the place to go for inquisitive citizens with an Internet hookup, winning the No. 1 ranking in a new survey that rates state and local e-governments. Michigan’s Web site, which opens with an inviting view of Luddington State Park’s Big Sable Lighthouse overlooking Lake Michigan, was first on a top-10 list of digital […]
State, EPA Environmental Monitoring Goes Online
A new Internet-based information-sharing network will let state, local and federal environmental officials get real-time access to air and water pollution data that now will be reported electronically. Instead of waiting weeks or months to access environmental readings, such as bacteria levels at the beach or wastewater discharges from power plants, environmental data will be […]