The designation of the nation’s election systems as critical infrastructure will not infringe upon state and local authority to run elections. In a recent memo to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Members, Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., relayed communications from the Department of Homeland Security that reiterated that fact.
In its latest website redesign, Mississippi included virtual reality, a chatbot, and digital voice assistance technologies in hopes of improving the citizen experience. The makeover of ms.gov includes a brighter, more modern look with a photo of Amazon’s Echo welcoming users on the front page.
Missouri and Arizona are tackling water safety with a new online compliance wizard that can benefit all states. The new wizard helps cities and other localities navigate environmental standards during water system and infrastructure upgrades.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology First Responders Group is working with the Lower Colorado River Authority in Texas to develop Internet of Things sensors and geo-targeting alerts that will enable faster reporting of flood conditions so that first responders can better respond to problem areas.
Data is key for Indiana CIO Dewand Neely. His team is focused on helping the Indiana state government incorporate data into its decision-making. From helping to establish a metrics-driven agency to focusing on citizen feedback to determine projects, Neely believes data can help the government make better decisions across the board.
Las Vegas wants to be a leader in technology. The city is working with Cisco to test new Internet of Things technologies via pilot programs in the Innovation District.
Federal and local agencies are embracing drone technology in order to save time and money on their day-to-day operations.
This August, Charlottesville, Va., residents will have greater access to government salaries, traffic information, environmental data, and police statistics, thanks to a new open data portal from Smart Cville, which is a nonprofit, citizen-driven organization that promotes the use of technology to make cities better places to live.
State and Federal representatives testified to the need for a first responder-only network and offered their support of FirstNet’s efforts during a recent Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing.
Government purchasing these days isn’t limited to pens, paper, and copy toner. State governments are looking to purchase drones and other emerging technology, and NASPO ValuePoint is there to help. NASPO ValuePoint, a cooperative purchasing program open to state and local governments, is looking into the future of drones and other NextGen technology.
