State Government

This week, the “In Case You Missed It” crew get a crash course in creating a diversity and inclusion council from two Tennessee government workers who spearheaded an effort at the state’s IT agency.

If it’s true that original ideas are increasingly scarce, innovation may just mean adapting proven solutions to new challenges. Avoid paralysis by prioritizing modernization plans according to available data.

The State Bar of California is reporting that the public release of attorney disciplinary records is more extensive than originally thought. The agency maintains there was no malicious hack of its computer system.

Roughly one year after launch, the nonprofit is being used by 10 states. The growing government user base may help encourage more vendors to undergo the necessary StateRAMP cybersecurity audits.

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.

For all of the incentives to aid in the purchase of an electric vehicle in California, dealers and buyers are asking for them to be easier to find, streamlined and available at the time of purchase.

Gov. Ned Lamont said he is becoming more confident in the state's ability to defend against cyber attacks. His comments come as the state waits for more than $90 million in federal funding to bolster cyber defenses.

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.

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.

Unprecedented federal investment from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will soon land in state broadband offices. Maryland, Maine and Utah share their plans for putting those resources to use.

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.

China state-backed APT41 hacked at least six states between May 2021 and February 2022. Several of the incidents occurred when hackers exploited flaws in Log4J and the USAHERDS system, reports cybersecurity firm Mandiant.

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.

During the recent Beyond the Beltway event, state and county CISOs and CIOs talked through the process of evaluating vendor cybersecurity, safeguarding elections, managing federal grants and adopting new defense strategies.

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.