State Government

Hawaii’s Christine Sakuda has been on the job for just more than a year, and during the recent NASCIO conference, she talked about opportunities, budget worries and potentially reduced services.

Officials have extended the availability of Google’s Gemini platform to nearly 43,000 state employees. So far, around 12,500 are actively using its generative AI features in government work.

A cut to federal food assistance is looming, but residents have been struggling with the program for months. A cyber attack in July targeted a phone system that lets people call about their account information.

As the invasive insect spreads, putting plant populations like grapevines and their related industries at risk, governments at all levels are using technology like drones and GIS to monitor the issue.

The state has created a modernized process for getting regulations, economic impact statements and environmental benefit statements published to its administrative regulation website and to the Kansas Register.

Speaking at the recent NASCIO conference, Mississippi CIO Craig Orgeron struck optimistic notes about the technology. He views it as a tool that can put new capabilities in the hands of more government workers.

Drivers in the Grand Canyon State should soon have access to dozens more high-speed electric vehicle charging ports, with most of the funding coming from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.

Residents can now store digital driver’s licenses and state ID cards on their Apple devices. The app can be used at most Transportation Security Administration checkpoints nationwide.

The North Dakota Information Technology Department uses a steering committee together with an internal dashboard to prioritize modernization decisions in a transparent, easy-to-track way.

The Colorado Office of Information Technology empowers government accessibility through its Technology Accessibility Program, which includes initiatives such as the Lived Experiences Library.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers has announced its executive leadership for the program year ahead, while also welcoming new directors to its Executive Committee.

NASCIO held their annual conference in Denver this past week, and while many leaders describe difficult budget environments, the opportunities for using AI remain abundant.

Even as it fundamentally changes government service delivery, the technology’s speed and scale can increase risk. Considering these five questions can help lead to clarity on developments and implementations.

The road-painting system, developed in the Ohio city, could save considerable manpower in applying road markings, a state safety and traffic engineer said. Its robotic arm could also save money.

At the most recent gathering of state CIOs and gov tech vendors, talk turned to ongoing and looming challenges posed by federal budget cuts. Tech leaders gave guidance about how to keep moving forward as problems mount.

Public- and private-sector security leaders examined trends in cyber threats at the recent California Cybersecurity Education Summit. During an attack, one said, responding quickly is still very important.

Elevated from state chief information security officer, Tony Sauerhoff arrives during a strategic shift for the Department of Information Resources as it expands support for agencies exploring AI and emerging tech.

Nearly one-third of state agencies haven’t completed required security assessments, according to a new audit report. That number, however, represents a marked improvement from a similar review in 2019.