Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania lawmakers are exploring an update to existing state law to combat so-called grinch bots — a consumer protection concern for concerts and sporting events plus online sales of rare items.

Luzerne County will conduct a pilot program in the Nov. 7 election, as 30 of the county's 186 voting districts will use a new electronic poll book system while the other districts use paper poll books.

Google is offering certification courses in fields such as data analytics, cybersecurity and project management through a private-public partnership with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Plus, Oklahoma has launched a new interactive map to track Internet service in the state, Maine has submitted a new broadband plan to the federal government, and more.

Wright Township police officers will soon become the second police department to utilize body cameras in that particular region of Pennsylvania, doing so via the signing of a new contract with Axon Enterprises.

The state’s action plan, which was recently adopted by the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, details efforts needed to make high-speed Internet available universally in five years' time.

Pennsylvania's new state budget includes more than $134 million combined in technical-education subsidies and equipment grants, given swelling interest in career and technical education programs in recent years.

Fifty-four projects in 35 counties were selected to expand access to, and the reliability of, electric vehicle charging across the state. The selections are part of the first round of federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding.

That progress includes modernizing the state's websites, building a leadership team to reimagine digital service delivery there and partnering with the Pennsylvania Office of Transformation.

The Pennsylvania State Police have launched a body camera pilot program in the Carlisle area that will help to inform a statewide deployment of the technology. The state has signed a five-year contract with Axon for the project.

Pennsylvania's Legislature has not acted to regulate the technology, despite many lawmakers saying they're worried about potential misuse. Several AI-related bills have sat stagnant in their respective committee assignments.

Coming from the private sector, Amaya Capellán says she will look to improve digital experiences for residents as she also seeks to make state government IT a more compelling place to work.

Two vendors of electronic poll book systems demonstrated their products to curious members of the public as well as to Luzerne County, Pa., officials at the county courthouse on Thursday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Touts Plans to Connect Rural Areas, Seniors

A statewide effort aimed at linking rural areas with more reliable broadband won't just target rural areas, but also senior citizens and low-income families statewide, Gov. Josh Shapiro said this week.

The digital divide leads to lost opportunities for people in underserved broadband areas, officials said as they discussed how to spend $1.16 billion expected from the federal government to help solve the problem.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will soon have $1.16 billion in funds to upgrade Internet service — and that effort was moving forward on Tuesday by collecting community stories.

Amaya Capellán’s first day as state CIO will be July 24, and she comes with extensive private-sector experience, most recently at Comcast. She will take over for interim CIO Patti Chapman, who has held the position since November.

Flock began installing 164 gunshot-detecting ravens in late June, linking them to the existing license plate reading cameras called falcons, which Flock set up in Hazelton, Pa., sometime in 2021.