State Government
After months of debate, Virginia fails to pass data center clean energy requirements
The state will tax data center electricity but plans to reduce emissions at the facilities and secure environmental protections went nowhere.
The new trust challenge facing state and local government
COMMENTARY | Residents receive information through systems that sit between the publisher and public, like AI and search engines. Accountability, then, becomes harder to follow.
Governors ban state employees from insider trading on prediction markets
More state leaders are either banning or severely curtailing workers from using nonpublic information to profit on the platforms amid worries of wagering on government actions.
What Rhode Island lawmakers did — and didn’t do — on AI, crypto and data centers
Lawmakers passed limited AI rules for companion models and healthcare. Broader tech regulations, including data centers, largely stalled, although a cryptocurrency study commission is finally coming.
New York governor signs nation’s first moratorium on large data centers
Kathy Hochul said the one-year ban on hyperscale data centers comes alongside an effort to establish standards for their development and prevent residents footing the bill.
Beeck Center leader reflects on ‘bipartisan opportunity’ for government efficiency
Efforts at the federal level generated a lot of headlines, but at the state level, where the goal is delivery, a lot more progress can be made, said the head of the Georgetown University-based center.
Illinois governor signs major AI safety law
The legislation requires large developers to identify, disclose and mitigate risks, protects whistleblowers and — in a national first — mandates regular third-party audits.
How Texas modernized a ‘train wreck’ customer service center
The licensing division of the state’s Department of Public Safety left people on hold, sometimes for hours, until it modernized its systems and broke down siloes.
Kentucky bill regulating kids’ social media had bipartisan support, AG backing. What killed it?
The bill took a sweeping aim at “addictive” online features like doomscrolling and autoplay, and would have also required social media platforms to estimate the age of users and restrict usage for those under the age of 15.
How states can address broadband worker shortages
Amid funding uncertainty, existing programs may offer starting point to build workforce.
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How Kansas’ labor department’s tech became ‘built for tomorrow’
The state was reliant on 1970s-era systems that were exposed by COVID-19. Since then, it has moved to the cloud and embraced AI as part of a major modernization push.
A new kind of bet on sports gambling
COMMENTARY | The Online Problem Gambling Act, while far from perfect, will reshape sports betting in Colorado and could provide more insight into how to curb harms.
In bipartisan fashion, PA lawmakers vote to repeal tax incentives for data centers
House lawmakers voted 197-5 on Thursday to pass a bill that would repeal sales tax incentives for data center owners and operators.
Texas investigates 2 major data breaches
Around 3 million hunting and fishing license customers in the state had their data exposed, according to a recent notification, while another 800,000 cruise line customers had their data breached.
Pennsylvania House committee splits along party lines over regulation proposal for AI chatbots
Some lawmakers noted the federal government has yet to draft a nationwide set of standards for AI and related technologies.
The missing link in digital government: Connectivity
COMMENTARY | Many residents receive information on mobile devices, and any government that does not have a mobile-first strategy risks leaving them behind.
Business group calls for better coordination as California adopts AI
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group said state and local agencies should coordinate better on the technology and go deeper in evaluating whether the tools and systems are effective.
When AI becomes the first interpreter, government needs a new information layer
COMMENTARY | Government information is always available. The question is whether it can be consistently understood in the systems that increasingly deliver it.
America’s data center backlash is bipartisan — can it stay that way?
As opposition mounts, some experts wonder how long AI infrastructure can steer clear of the partisanship that defines U.S. politics.
Former New Jersey official argues AI could strengthen, not weaken, democratic institutions
Beth Simone Noveck, a former top AI official in New Jersey, recently released a new book that explains how the technology can help government work better and restore trust in it.
