Oklahoma

Oklahoma likely has enough water to handle the large data centers in various stages of development but may need more power-generating capacity, state lawmakers were told Tuesday.

After this year, Oklahoma school boards will have the option to decide whether to keep their current phone-use restrictions in place. Based on results they're seeing so far, it seems likely that many will do so.

Given the results of school cellphone restrictions so far, some education leaders argue that overreliance on screens and devices in general is responsible for years of declines in student attention and achievement.

The state’s next chief information security officer is making the move from his previous position in the Washington state IT shop.

The companies Skydio and Levatas are providing tech for staff at the Red Rock Correctional Center, where AI-enhanced drones will soon look for contraband and other things not allowed in the prison yard.

From AI dashboards to predictive models, the state Department of Transportation is creating a pathway toward tech-driven management of its bridges, with the help of a familiar private-sector partner.

With residents and workforce in mind, the state CIO and the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services plan to continue moving toward modernization, transparency and integration.

The online form lets residents make appeals of denied or delayed records requests as part of the Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor Unit. The state Legislature recently mandated this process.

A study in Oklahoma will examine the benefits and challenges of the expansion of educational technology in classrooms, focusing on its impact on the health and academic performance of elementary school students.

Former Director of the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services Steven Harpe now leads the state's corrections agency, and he's harnessing AI to reshape safety, staffing and daily operations in state prisons.

Michael Toland, Oklahoma’s chief information security officer, will exit the position and officials have embarked upon a search for his replacement. State CIO Dan Cronin will oversee cybersecurity in the interim.

After nearly a month as interim technology leader for the state’s capital city, Borchardt was announced Thursday as the permanent successor for W. Schad Meldrum, who retired last month. Like his predecessor, he is a veteran executive.

Mayor Monroe Nichols says that while data centers do have a place in Tulsa’s economic development future, he does not see them as a critical piece of the city’s strategy.

While the Oklahoma Legislature considers a ban for cellphones during the day for all the state's public schools, various districts have their own policies requiring that they be stored during instructional time.

Legislation active in each state focuses on the functions of IT agencies. One such bill would replace Florida Digital Service, while Alabama representatives may add cybersecurity to the Office of Information Technology’s duties.

Alabama and Oklahoma are the latest states to block AI tools with overseas ties from being used on government devices. Concerns include a lack of security as well as data collection and storage practices.

From IT decentralization to education spending transparency, state legislators are looking to cut waste, improve oversight and reshape agency responsibilities. Bills address tech, cybersecurity, procurement and outdated language.

The Oklahoma Broadband Office and AT&T will use federal American Rescue Plan Act and matching funds to deploy high-speed Internet across five local governments. The endeavor was announced Friday in Latimer County.