Digital Government
Data centers are booming in Texas. What does that mean for the grid?
As energy demand surges, largely due to crypto mining facilities, data centers and industrial electrification, Texas officials are looking at how to increase supply and shore up the grid.
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Eliminate Manual Processes Route and Approve Invoices from Anywhere
Today’s finance teams carry a heavy burden, supporting everything from growth strategies to long-term planning – all while continuously delivering monthly and quarterly numbers and keeping cash flowing. But even as demands on finance departments grow, many still spend excessive time using paper, spreadsheets, and e-mails to process vendor invoices, approvals, and payments.
Preparing for battle: Cybersecurity incident response for public bodies
COMMENTARY | It may feel impossible to plan for a cyberattack, but public sector organizations can take several steps now to protect themselves, both legally and through policy.
Trump signs AI executive order
The order calls for the development of an AI action plan and sets up a process for revoking actions taken under President Biden’s previous AI executive order signed in October 2023.
Rethink federal spending to save broadband subsidy, tech group argues
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said the government should prioritize affordability over infrastructure and tweak eligibility for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
In times of crisis, states have few tools to fight misinformation
Social media companies have pushed back against efforts to crack down on falsehoods.
Amid budget ‘crisis,’ Maryland looks to modernize government
Gov. Wes Moore this month signed an executive order mandating agencies review data to find cost savings. He also is looking to modernize the state’s permitting and licensing processes.
For New York statewide school cellphone ban, Hochul proposes $13.5 million to cover costs
The proposal came Tuesday as Hochul presented her $252 billion 2026 state budget, which would send roughly $37.4 billion to schools across the state.
North Dakota lawmakers discuss adding computer-generated images to definition of child pornography
Possessing a computer-generated image of child pornography would be punishable as a felony in North Dakota under a bill discussed Monday by state lawmakers.
Trump axes Biden’s AI executive order
President Donald Trump vowed to repeal the order during campaigning and in his presidential platform.
Fearing AI will take their jobs, workers plan a long battle against tech
At a landmark gathering in California, workers discussed defenses against artificial intelligence and surveillance technology.
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A challenging transition for new state CIOs
Several people are new to leading their state’s technology divisions and must navigate all manner of rules and laws while trying to make their own mark on the position.
Nebraska lawmakers take aim at youth social media and cell phone use
Gov. Jim Pillen and a group of Nebraska lawmakers take aim at social media and school-hours cell phone use by youths.
How to improve government efficiency — from the easy wins to the tough challenges
COMMENTARY | It’s about more than cutting costs. Governments must build systems that work better for their constituents, and allow their employees the chance to shine.
Feds offer help complying with website accessibility rule
A toolkit from the Department of Justice called on governments to understand the rule, work out when they need to comply, train staff and identify content that needs to be changed.
These bills would regulate high-risk artificial intelligence use in Virginia
Virginia lawmakers will weigh legislation to shape policy on AI authentication and developer responsibilities.
Biden signs law easing rural broadband projects
The E-BRIDGE Act, included in a sweeping water infrastructure package, makes those projects eligible for certain federal grants and allows recipients to use private sector expertise in their development and deployment.
Serious concerns raised over proliferation of Ohio data centers
Massive tax cuts, meager job creation, large power requirements, and delayed action on climate change were among the concerns.
IRS Direct File to open a week after Trump’s inauguration
Republicans on Capitol Hill have asked the incoming president to scrap the free tax filing service developed during the Biden administration.
Online age verification laws await legal spotlight
A Texas law requiring adult websites to use age verification technology to limit minors’ access goes before the Supreme Court next week, as similar laws are springing up in other states.
Effort to block Reno data center offers glimpse of increasingly thorny issue in Nevada
Data centers are “unique in their impact to residential communities, the electric grid, and natural resources use, and therefore need to be considered under an ordinance that caters to their unique impacts,” say critics of Reno’s approval process.
