Technology

The CHIPS Act Challenge for State and Local Governments

The federal government has a powerful policy vision for the development of a vibrant U.S. semiconductor industry. How those visions play out is of intense interest.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Key Steps in Creating a Diverse Broadband Workforce

COMMENTARY | States urgently need to identify and build robust workforces now or risk being left behind.

  • By Scott Jensen, Kelly Rogers and Kate Finnerty

ChatGPT for State and Local Agencies? Not so Fast.

Tasks that can benefit from automation such as software development, traffic management or rote tasks are good candidates for ChatGPT, but those that need more subjectivity still require human intervention, experts say.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

State Cyber Workforce Challenges Reaching ‘Crisis Levels’

By marketing themselves better and adapting to remote work, states can attract and retain more cybersecurity workers, a new report suggests.

  • By Chris Teale

One State’s Grant Management Breakthrough

With the One Stop portal, organizations in Massachusetts can apply for economic development grants across three agencies, and grant administrators can more easily manage programs and ensure regional equity.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Feds Seek Input on How to Create Semiconductor Hubs

The Commerce Department wants stakeholders’ “best ideas” for new research and manufacturing hubs for computer chips that could transform communities nationwide.

  • By Kery Murakami

Justice Launches $8M Smart Policing Grant Program

State, local, tribal and campus law enforcement agencies can apply for funds to develop, implement and test new technologies that support community violence intervention and promote information sharing and data transparency.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

National Cyber Strategy ‘Promising’ for State, Local Governments

While some groups applauded the Biden administration’s pledge to prioritize cybersecurity and help small governments fight attacks, others said more technical assistance and federal funding is needed.

  • By Chris Teale

Criminal Justice Algorithms Still Discriminate

COMMENTARY | Proponents of algorithms as a solution to bias in criminal justice systems say they're dispassionate. "But algorithms can discriminate."

  • By Boston University, Futurity

White House Pitches $1.6B in Anti-fraud Funding

The anti-fraud proposal includes funds to modernize state governments’ benefits systems, identity verification and data analytics capabilities.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Look for Fraudsters to Apply COVID-era Tricks to New Programs

The pandemic laid bare state and local governments’ vulnerability to fraud, and agencies must lean into data-sharing technology to keep up defenses, an expert advises.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

How State Legislators Tweet

An analysis of tweeting habits found that women lawmakers tweet more often than their male counterparts. Experts have a few ideas as to why that is.

  • By Daniel C. Vock
Featured eBooks
Road and Transit Infrastructure Trends
Federal Recovery Funds at the State and Local Level
Infrastructure at a Turning Point

VR Map Tracks ‘Silent Killer’ of Extreme Heat

A 3-D map of Washington, D.C., overlaid with temperature data illustrates urban heat islands and shows neighborhoods that are most at risk.

  • By Chris Teale

State Looks to ‘Unconventional’ Tactics to Find Talent

The Indiana Office of Technology eliminated degree requirements for most jobs in 2019, and now it uses a work-based learning apprenticeship program to reskill employees keen to learn IT.

  • By Chris Teale

Machine Learning Maps Location of Lead Pipes

An open-source map will help communities find and remove pipes faster.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

In Search of Cheap Power and Land, Crypto Companies Look to Nebraska

Cryptocurrency is carving itself a home in rural Nebraska, bringing with it both jobs and an enormous demand on the state’s electrical grid. Critics say it could be cause for environmental concern.

  • By Natalia Alamdari, The Flatwater Free Press

Michigan to Automatically Expunge Some Criminal Records Under ‘Clean Slate’ Program

State officials will automatically allow for certain convictions to be expunged in an effort to remove hurdles to jobs and housing.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

How One State Cut Its Vehicle Titling Time Down to a Few Days

West Virginia is the first state in the nation to digitize its titling process, but a DMV overhaul must be handled with care.

  • By Chris Teale

Executive Order Blocks State Business With ‘Evil Foreign Governments’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s order will ensure companies associated with hostile nations do not access state infrastructure or data through IT or telecommunications contracts.

  • By Chris Teale

The Next Frontier in Employee Hiring and Retention

COMMENTARY | Paper-based processes are weighing governments down and hurting their ability to attract and retain the best talent. It’s 2023, it’s time to digitize.

  • By Michael “MJ” Jackson

A Recipe for Supporting Our Innovation Nation

COMMENTARY | How should the public and private sectors work together to ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in technology? Here are four key steps.

  • By Ahmad Thomas