Trends
Massachusetts is showing the way by going to the end users of the products and services governments buy. It’s good for suppliers as well, and produces better results for everyone.
Amid coronavirus concerns, Connecticut has decided to send out absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in the state to reduce the number of in-person voters for the primary and November elections.
For students who were already struggling in school, the coronavirus pandemic might be too much for them to manage. Miami-Dade is working hard to ensure these students don’t get left behind.
Gov. Pritzker wants a contact tracing system before reopening the state, but officials estimate they would need nearly 4,000 workers to make that happen. Officials hope to have a tracking method in place by the end of May.
Liberals are calling for an expansion of government, while conservatives say budget shortfalls must lead to cuts. One scholar argues that after the current crisis passes, states will end up looking much like they do now.
Health officials estimate that nationwide contact tracing is needed for states to safely reopen their economies. But without funding or a unified plan, many are worried about the effectiveness of a state-by-state approach.
Despite a huge drop in revenues, states are taking some measures to relieve pressure on taxpayers and have introduced bills that extend filing deadlines, remove penalties and limit certain liabilities for now.
The nonprofit MassVOTE published a policy brief to encourage vote-by-mail for the fall election. Many wonder if it will be safe to vote in-person or if there will still be coronavirus concerns that keep voters home.
If state and local governments and their employees become pawns in a Beltway ideological battle, the voting could turn on issues of federalism. And health care could be the issue that creates a tidal wave.
California’s Bay Area used to rely on public transit for commuting prior to COVID-19. Officials believe that the virus will have lasting impacts on the norms of transit for Bay Area commuters.
Service improvements that used to take years are now being accomplished in days. The coronavirus crisis has demonstrated that permanent transformation is possible.
Several California-based tech companies are developing smartphone apps that could track potential spread of the coronavirus. Some might be willing to sacrifice some privacy for lifting shelter-in-place orders.
COVID-19 has a long incubation time, and testing can take days to get results. Don't let continually rising case numbers make you give up on staying at home.
Despite widespread disruption to session calendars, state legislators still find time to address matters other than the pandemic, an illustration of how the wheels of democracy keep turning.
The House is slowly moving toward a remote voting system that would require each member to vote and wouldn’t be susceptible to hacking. But many are still concerned about the plan’s allowance for proxy voting.
Though the economy restart may be a month or more away, Connecticut’s governor has started discussion on what that could look like. Many are concerned that it requires too much public surveillance.
The need to protect public health in the remaining primary elections, and uncertainty about the state of the coronavirus pandemic in November, are forcing legislators to consider changes to voting guidelines.
Three California cities have explored locating chargers for electric vehicles in the public right of way. The changes promise to help normalize zero-emissions vehicles across the state.
The pandemic has raised concerns about keeping this year’s voting process healthy and safe. Allowing voters to send in their ballots by mail could be the answer, but it will be costly and some worry about potential fraud.
Pennsylvania will join five other states in coordinating plans to reopen their economies after the coronavirus outbreak has subdued. The aligned efforts are aimed at preventing neighboring states from enacting policies that conflict.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is pursuing a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by including the world’s first utility-scale hydrogen power plant in its energy mix.
Last month Ohio had a last-minute switch to a vote-by-mail election due to coronavirus fears and officials want to avoid that happening again in the fall. Assuring a smooth November election requires planning now.
State lawmakers continue to address wide-ranging consequences of the pandemic with bills that focus on various remedies to the financial burden on workers and their families placed by government work restrictions.
As COVID-19 has increased patient numbers and discouraged in-person, non-urgent appointments, it could be an inflection point for telehealth. “I don’t think we’ll ever go back to where we were.”
A Microsoft executive believes that COVID-19 could revolutionize the way artificial intelligence is used in health care, now and in the future. Even beyond telehealth developments, increased tech could mean early detection of disease.
Revisiting a prediction about microchip implants in the brain allows society to ask questions about how much technology we need and the importance of enacting proactive regulations to restrain potential abuse.
The range of applications for unmanned aerial vehicles has grown in recent years and, with COVID-19, their purpose could cross into more sensitive areas, such as security and surveillance, according to research.
Blockchain technology, a form of distributed ledger, could be used to streamline work and organization, which could be especially helpful for health crises like COVID-19. But it has a long way to go before implementation.
Municipalities, like Framington, Mass., are having to plan for how the coronavirus pandemic might impact their finances, services and communities. Some are looking to historical events, like 9/11, to prepare.
Several primary elections have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The extra time will allow voters to register for mail-in ballots and allows polling stations to implement health precautions.
The coronavirus crisis has made it clear that technology is essential to continuity of government. CIOs may see more of their wish lists fulfilled, but investing in IT will be tough with budgets heading south.
