State Government

The federal data privacy bill under consideration is weaker than the privacy laws on the books in California and contains a provision that says the federal policy would override state laws. That’s unacceptable.

Students of the new program will go through an approximately 12-week interactive learning course that includes the design, installation and service of broadband networks. The program will serve as an industry talent pipeline.

A week after taking over as chief technology officer for the Georgia Technology Authority, Dmitry Kagansky shared his vision for the agency and how he hopes to optimize state IT across the board.

The audit, commissioned by the state, found that the Department of Labor paid between $441 million and $466 million in fraudulent unemployment claims between March of 2020 and March of 2022.

Plus, the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board distributes a historic amount of funding; the New York Digital Inclusion Fund announces five innovation grants; a new program offers broadband support training for communities; and more.

Service providers in Vance, Granville and Warren counties are getting millions in so-called Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology grants from the state to offer more affordable service to some residents.

Kelly, who just finished his third year as the state’s chief data officer, announced his plans to retire from the Department of Information Resources. His last day with the agency is Sept. 16.

The California Air Resources Board is set to consider new regulations that would phase in the electrification of delivery vans, and other medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles, starting in 2024.

When asked what they’d invest in if funding were no object, many state chief information officers gave the same answer: hiring more people and developing current staff.

After struggling through the pandemic with an outdated unemployment system from the 1990s, the Oregon Employment Department has started the first phase of a replacement project. The new system won’t go live until 2024.

The short answer, according to industry experts, is yes, it can. In fact, some states are already expanding their broadband workforces with the help of new federal and state government funding.

A proposed decision from the California Public Utilities Commission, if adopted, will adjust California LifeLine subsidies for service plans that receive federal ACP subsidies. Reaction to the proposal is mixed.

California lawmakers are working to block or amend a federal privacy proposal that could upend their state’s more comprehensive existing law. The federal proposal has the support of the tech industry.

Chief Information Security Officer Brian Tardiff will take the helm in an interim capacity, as Kumar makes his return to the private sector. The state will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent replacement.

Dmitry Kagansky, the state's first chief cloud officer, has been named as the replacement for longtime Chief Technology Officer Steve Nichols. Nichols stepped down last month for a private-sector role.

John Quinn, head of Vermont’s Agency of Digital Services, has announced his impending departure from the role after five years, and will be taking on a position in the private sector with Government Sourcing Solutions.

Plus, funding for broadband continues to make its way from the federal government through the states, the Federal Communications Commission has announced even more broadband support, and more.

In a brave new world of hybrid work — or not — IT leaders rethink what it means to work for the public sector and what investments are needed to keep everyone connected.