State Government

With new EV sales in the United States recently reporting a year-over-year decline, advocates said factors like their long-term affordability should have been emphasized and infrastructure should be accessible.

The state Department of Technology is piloting Poppy, a digital assistant available to state employees. It’s powered by ChatGPT and other publicly available generative AI tools.

The website, which lets state workers report time off and manage health savings, deferred compensation, and related accounts, has been shut down since Dec. 23 after being alerted to “suspicious activity.”

The company supplies digital licensing, lien and other automotive-documentation tools, and works with state agencies and other gov tech providers. CHAMP has raised more than $100 million since 2018.

Rex Menold is Michigan's new chief security officer for the state, which has recently seen several IT leadership changes and is seeking its next chief technology officer.

Work on the new portal began in 2023, with the next phase scheduled for 2026. Nevada joins other states in setting up such portals for a variety of tasks, including accessing services such as unemployment benefits.

State governments are expected to deploy AI in 2026 with an increased focus on returns on investment as they face complex policymaking restrictions enacted by a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

The new unit, part of the Office of Information Technology Services’ statewide strategy, will focus on New York State Police’s specific needs while preserving shared IT services like AI and information security.

EY, the global accounting and consulting firm, wants to provide “peer learning” and other educational services to public agency tech leaders. They face a potentially turbulent new year, given upcoming elections.

New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation on Friday — the RAISE Act — that creates safety requirements for AI developers and establishes a new oversight entity, which will issue annual reports.

The myColorado app now lets ID verifiers like government agencies or businesses scan a QR code on a user’s digital ID to quickly determine its validity. Some 1.8 million of the state’s residents use the app.

Eric Swanson, who leads the Michigan Center for Shared Solutions, will concurrently serve as the state’s acting chief information officer, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday. Clark has been state CIO since 2021.

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is considering a proposed permit to let data centers discharge wastewater, under conditions, into state lakes and streams. Water quality standards would apply.

The state began recruiting this week for a chief technology officer after Alex Pettit, who formerly held the position, returned to Oregon state government for a role in digital transformation.

Michigan Central in Detroit is quickly becoming a center for air and ground mobility innovation. The state Advanced Air Mobility Initiative, announced in July, aims to stimulate drone development.

A break in service Thursday morning, which has been attributed to a domain name system service degradation, affected all state agencies. Its precise impact is unclear; however, an analysis is ongoing.

Under a state grant program announced in October, 86 New Jersey school districts are receiving a cumulative $980,000 to implement secure storage systems such as lockers, locked pouch systems or check-in cabinets.

Officials are prepping for long-term technology needs, state CIO Matthew McCarville said, with efforts including a statewide IT apprenticeship program and a strong foundation in cybersecurity.