State legislators in California and Colorado are considering measures that would increase government transparency. Lawmakers in Colorado are pushing two bills that would provide more information about how the state is spending transportation dollars and how impact fees are paid out. In California, a Democratic assemblyman defied his party to push a measure that would [...]
After a budget fight that lasted until almost 4am this morning, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed a new budget bill that will allow the state government to reopen. The Minnesota government has been closed for almost three weeks as the Republican dominated state legislature fought with Governor Dayton over a variety of budget issues. The [...]
Wisconsin is working to increase its budget transparency with a new measure passed along with the budget. Under the terms of the bill state agencies will be required to post information online anytime they spend over $100. However, government watchdogs are skeptical that the measure will actually result in increased transparency.
Municipal public safety officials have gone to Washington to lobby for a proposed public safety broadband network. The network which would service only public safety, law enforcement and first responders is supported by the Obama administration but members of Congress are less sure of its merits. The network would cost taxpayers nearly $13 billion and [...]
New Jersey lawmakers are going through the state budget recently signed by Governor Chris Christie in an attempt to override specific spending items he vetoed. Senate Democrats take issue with 39 items that were removed from the budget including social welfare programs and municipal aid. The bills are expected to go up for a vote [...]
As Minnesota wraps up the seventh day of being without a functioning state government, reports are emerging that despite all the talk about fiscal responsibility the shutdown will end up costing the state and local businesses millions. The Minnesota state government has been shutdown since Friday due to a budget fight between lawmakers and the [...]
Broadband access in the United States is an issue fraught with strong opinions on topics from speed to funding to net neutrality. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) backed by the support of the Obama Administration is pushing a variety of initiatives to increase broadband access nationwide in order to close the technology infrastructure gap between [...]
North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue lost her budget battle yesterday as the legislature was successful in its effort to override her historic budget veto. In a first ever move of its kind, Governor Bev Perdue vetoed the budget measure passed by both houses citing excessive cuts and potential jobs lost in the state. The legislature [...]
As legislative sessions and budget fights come to a close in the US, states and the industries that do business with them are struggling with the harsh realities of continued budget shortfalls and the end to stimulus spending. CivSource spoke with Robert N. Campbell III, Vice Chairman and U.S. State Government Leader at Deloitte about [...]
The first wave of nearly 40,000 layoff notices went out to public employees in Minnesota yesterday a move which may signal that the state government is on the path to shutting down. 800 law enforcement officials received the notices and another 30,000 will go out at the end of this week if no budget agreement [...]
