Featured

State organizations are often confusing labyrinths – and difficult for laymen and even policy wonks to clearly understand – but in the case of Oregon state government IT functions the line of responsibility is clear with state Chief Information Officer (CIO) Terrence Woods reporting directly into Gov. Tina Koteck as a member of her cabinet.
-
Hill Gets Input on ‘Biggest Bang’ for Broadband Funding
Although the Federal government has numerous programs in place to provide financial support to aid the deployment of high-speed broadband to unserved areas, industry experts told members of Congress on Thursday that they’re not getting the “biggest bang for the buck.” -
GSA, DoL Expand Login.gov Partnership to Modernize State UI Systems
Following up on efforts that began in May of this year, the General Services Administration (GSA) and Department of Labor (DoL) have expanded their partnership to now offer all states the opportunity to use Login.gov to help improve access, decrease fraud, and increase security in the delivery of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. -
N.C. Parents Can Use App to Monitor Kids on School Bus
As part of the new school year, parents in Caldwell County, N.C. will be able to monitor their students’ ride to and from school with a mobile app.
Recent News
-
Easterly: AI Posing Risks to Election Information Environment
As AI technologies are increasingly used to create deceptive content, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly said on Tuesday that Americans can remain confident in U.S. election infrastructure, but also warned that the information environment is at risk. -
Boise State University Hires new CISO
Boise State University has hired Brandon Bowlin as its new chief information security office (CISO). Brandon’s work will be part of the university’s Office of Information Technology. -
Ohio to Offer Free Broadband Job Training
The state of Ohio is partnering with The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, and the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio to offer free, broadband-related job training.

Join state CIOs and industry experts for discussions on the pressing issues facing state and local government IT teams during the next installment of MeriTalk’s State Tech Vision series.
-
FCC Invests $7M in Emergency Connectivity Funding for Schools and Libraries
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has committed nearly $7 million in new funding through the Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, which provides digital tools and services to support students nationwide. -
Texas Debuts New Local Government Cyber Incident Reporting Portal
The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) has launched a new portal that local government entities can use to report cybersecurity incidents. -
Kentucky Bringing High-Speed Internet to 42,600 Homes and Businesses
Through an investment of $386 million, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said his state will bring high-speed internet access to more than 42,600 homes and businesses for the first time. -
GAO Doubles Pandemic UI Fraud Estimate up to $135 Billion
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is estimating that unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic reached a range of $100 billion to $135 billion – way up from the $60 billion the watchdog agency previously estimated earlier this year.
-
California Launches Online Guide to Help Combat Fair Chance Act Violations
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has launched a new online interactive guide that aims to combat violations of California’s Fair Chance Act (FCA). The FCA is intended to support individuals previously involved in the criminal system through community reintegration, combatting discrimination, and reducing undue barriers to employment.
-
Senate Confirms Anna Gomez to FCC, Ending Years-Long Gridlock
The Senate last week voted 55-43 to confirm Anna Gomez as the newest member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), giving Democrats a majority of commissioner seats at the agency.
-
Biden Administration Launches SchoolSafety.gov Awareness Campaign
The Biden administration has tapped the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Justice (DOJ) to launch a public awareness campaign to highlight Federal school safety resources and evidence-based practices available through SchoolSafety.gov.
-
Mississippi Launches Public Dashboard to Report on Pandemic Education Recovery
Through a partnership between Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum Unit, and analytics software company SAS, the state of Mississippi now has a new online tool that shows the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on student achievement and progress and how school districts are allocating Federal funds to support student learning.
-
University at Buffalo Finishes Migration to new Learning Management System
As the fall semester kicks off, the University at Buffalo (UB) has finished its campuswide migration to Brightspace, its new learning management system (LMS).
-
Digital Pilot Program Provides Overdose Surveillance for California Counties
A new digital pilot program will provide opioid overdose surveillance for two counties in California.
-
Maine one of First States to Submit BEAD Plan
Maine submitted its five-year broadband action plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) this month, following a public comment period that closed in June.
-
Pa. Rolls Out Fourth Round of Grants for Digital Literacy Programs
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has awarded more than $685,000 in a fourth round of funding to support digital literacy programs across the state to help job seekers improve their digital literacy skills and successfully find, obtain, and maintain employment.
-
Bloomington Awards $50,000 in Digital Equity Grants
The city of Bloomington, Ind., has awarded a total of $50,000 as part of its 2023 Digital Equity Grants program to 13 area nonprofits that will focus on bridging the digital divide and increasing digital resources for residents.
-
Experts: Cyber Education Needs to Start at the K-12 Level
In order to create a more robust cybersecurity workforce, security experts explained on Wednesday that cybersecurity education needs to start at the K-12 level.