New York

A constituent is suing New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who allegedly blocked the person on Twitter. The situation is similar to a successful lawsuit brought against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a few years ago.

New York, which was America's sixth-largest state consumer of natural gas in 2020, became the first state to enact such a ban when the state's 2023-24 budget was passed Tuesday night.

Both the Erie and Niagara county jails, as well as other counties in the Western New York region, have contracted with companies that specialize in providing free and paid content to inmates.

As key employees depart the New York Office of Information Technology Services, new hires have been announced. The agency now needs to fill its CTO and CIO positions.

In Upstate New York, leaders from both parties have taken up the work of getting people connected to high-speed Internet, doing so with the help of allocated funds from the federal and state government.

Plus, the White House announces $25.7 million in new Internet grants for tribal communities in two states, Delaware names an executive director for its newly created broadband office and more.

The investment is derived from $10 billion in the American Rescue Plan, a program created to address challenges amplified by the pandemic, specifically in rural America, tribal communities and low-income communities.

The New York State Public Service Commission will hold virtual public statement hearings to receive public comments concerning the availability, reliability and affordability of broadband in the state.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act portal will help businesses file notice of layoffs in a more streamlined way while also providing workers more time to transition into new employment, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said.

State CIO Angelo “Tony” Riddick has announced his forthcoming resignation from the role after serving more than two years with the state. He will step down at the end of the month.

The Department of Motor Vehicles may be the most common way residents interact with state government, but digitizing those systems for a modern constituency is no small feat. Three states share their progress.

A state supreme court justice has scheduled a conference for March to determine the contents of a judicial order that seeks to fine and shut down the operations of a cryptocurrency mining company in the Falls.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's economic development proposals aim to capitalize on growth in the semiconductor industry and steadily increase the minimum wage in step with rising prices.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has begun a one-year pilot project to deploy smarter technology at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels and the George Washington Bridge to help improve traffic operations.

The Capital Region Crime Analysis Center in Albany will be growing as part of a $500,000 investment that includes more space and new staff. The center is part of a state-supported network that provides aid to law enforcement agencies.

The chief customer experience officer would work to uncover causes of pain points and help make government services more accessible. The consolidated ID effort, meanwhile, will be aimed at stopping account fraud.

A new paid internship program at the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) will offer certifications and hands-on experience to support the state’s future tech workforce.

The Pre-Seed and Seed Matching Fund Program makes between $50,000 to $250,000 in assistance available to qualifying early-stage startup companies in the state as part of a larger effort to bolster high-growth industries.