Policy

Money from the FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund will go toward laptops, tablets, Wi-Fi hot spots, modems, routers and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff and library patrons.

The U.S. Department of Education has detailed many ways that states are using American Rescue Plan funds to make up for lost instructional time, create new CTE and summer programs, and incentivize work-based learning.

Cryptocurrency executives and experts say that the state likely will add more groups that are sometimes called decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAO for short, after the passage of a new law.

In December, Gov. Jay Inslee's budget proposed $100M to subsidize the purchase of electric vehicles. The Legislature has reduced that figure substantially, opting to focus on new charging infrastructure instead.

2021 was a banner year for bills on some big topics, including bans on discriminatory tech, protecting biometric data, regulating facial recognition technology and the use of drones. Here is a look at where they are now.

Hoping to accommodate an influx of jobs at technology companies, the West Palm Beach Global Center for Technology and Innovation will cultivate expertise in cybersecurity, financial tech, data analytics and other areas.

Through a recently proposed bill, lawmakers are trying to create a cyber preparedness unit to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity posture. The unit would operate out of the Department of Emergency Management.

Distance learning grants from the United States Department of Agriculture will expand educational opportunities for middle and high school students in rural areas to take college-level courses.

The Maine Legislature advanced two election-related bills that supporters say would enhance ballot security statewide and improve campaign finance transparency in Maine’s largest communities.

The Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program this year will train more than 57,000 employees from 210 municipalities and school districts, more than double the number of organizations last year.

Voters in the Alaska city can now track the status of their mail-in ballot and receive automatic alerts through the BallotTrax system. The new system will be used for the first time during the April 5 municipal election.

A new report from the NewDEAL Forum shows different ways that states and local areas can address the digital divide. The report examines approaches from Texas, California, Colorado and several other states.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said $2.2B in federal funds would be available for 35 transit agencies across the country. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City will receive $769 million.

A bill recently passed by the Colorado House of Representatives would allow consumers and businesses to use digital license plates. The legislation is heading to the Colorado Senate.

Just 11 percent of K-12 students had 'proficient' scores on state assessments, due in part to poverty and a lack of qualified teachers. State legislation and federal policies have been insufficient to fix the problem.

This week, the "In Case You Missed It" crew is joined by Bradley Tusk, CEO of Tusk Ventures and former deputy governor of Illinois. Tusk and his team published an extensive outline for regulating the metaverse.

Thanks to an expected uptick in tax collections, the latest Washington legislative session will prove to be a busy one with various proposals, including a 16-year transportation plan.

Data from the state Department of Public Instruction and its university system show a declining number of teachers in training and a rising number of unfilled positions, with shortages in every area of instruction.