California state payrolls are up for 2011 despite massive layoffs and budget cuts. According to data from the Comptroller’s office many state workers got their first full paycheck in years as the state shifted away from forced furloughs and into new cost savings measures like hiring freezes.
The recall action against Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin is going forward but at a significant cost to local municipalities and with a significant fight over the privacy of residents that signed recall petitions. Cash strapped municipalities are facing thousands in additional costs that will result from a special election. Citizens and privacy advocates are [...]
Congress may be moving forward on the public safety broadband network, but some Governors say that there isn’t enough involvement from state officials – the primary users of the proposed network. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and Wyoming Gov. Matthew Mead (R), co-chairmen of the homeland security committee of the National Governors Association (NGA), have [...]
Maryland is trying to give local business owners more incentive to grow the economy with a series of measures. They’ve launched an online database of all financial incentives available for job creation, and economic development. The database will support a variety of other online tools for business owners, designed to help them while also increasing [...]
California’s most recent government technology effort is running into some hurdles. The Financial Information System for California (FISCal), was supposed to streamline IT costs and staffing but seems to be hitting snags for exactly those reasons.
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin set an ambitious goal for his state – 100% broadband coverage by 2013. The state is close to meeting that goal with over 90% wired for access. Now, officials are allocating capital and resources to improve mobile and wireless access points statewide.
ManTech International Corporation has acquired health systems integrator Evolvent Technologies. The move signals a push by ManTech to get into health IT as part of it’s contracting offering. Evolvent has experience working with federal health systems.
New York is looking at a new measure that aims to increase transparency in the state government. The bill will require the Assembly to make meeting materials available to the public online either before or at the start of meetings.
An announcement earlier this month that the federal government will not establish a national health benefits standard to go along with requirements in the new health care reform law is already impacting some state insurance exchanges. Oregon exchange director Howard “Rocky” King, called the decision “a grenade.” The Obama administration is giving states broad latitude [...]
Governor Nicki Haley of South Carolina is in hot water over emails deleted by her office. The Charleston Post and Courier uncovered the deleted emails after asking for emails from both her office and the state Department of Health and Human Services. The emails returned from the Department showed responses from the Governor which had [...]