Pennsylvania

The recent decision to move forward with automatic voter registration plans in Pennsylvania has some Republicans worried about how the policy will be implemented across county election departments.

Governors Josh Shapiro and Glenn Youngkin have issued new guidance on the use of artificial intelligence technology in state government. Both orders seek to create a more solid foundation for the rapidly evolving technology.

Plus, Maryland’s governor attends an ACP training session; Seattle has opened applications for its annual digital equity grants; new findings about Internet access; and much more.

Residents of the state will have until Oct. 10 to weigh in on a proposed five-year plan to upgrade broadband Internet availability, reliability and affordability statewide.

The Pittsburgh International Airport is spearheading a first-of-its-kind bioaerosol identification and detection technology pilot to help discover potentially hazardous airborne toxins.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s FLIR technology helped catch Danilo Cavalcante after his escape from prison in Pennsylvania, but severe weather rendered the tool useless during a critical part of his capture.

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey and those who partner with it are building a new web tool to help potential developers of carbon storage projects peruse the state's geological offerings.

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.